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SUPPLEMENT


ENCLOSURES, SAFETY SOLUTIONS & ENCLOSURE FURNITURE


TRACKSIDE CABINET DEMANDS Alan Vincent, sales director at Foremost Electronics, looks into the requirements for outdoor railway trackside cabinets for electronic systems


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or railway systems, absolute safety and reliability are of utmost importance as failure in sensitive equipment can have


catastrophic consequences. This level of safety must also be provided by electronic cabinets installed outdoors trackside, at train stations, signal boxes, or at level crossings. These cabinets protect electronic systems for trackside and signalling applications, radio-based train control systems, and the measurement and evaluation electronics of safety systems on high-speed railway lines, such as axle counters or temperature detection on the train wheels.


REQUIREMENTS AND CHALLENGES Trains traveling at speeds of up to 300km/h can cause high wind speeds and vibrations. In addition, outdoor cabinets are exposed to a wide variety of environmental influences such as heat, cold, humidity, dust, and vandalism. Furthermore, compliance to international standards regarding mechanical stability, special railway standards and certificationsmust also be observed – such as shock, vibration, and EMC protection. Relevant certifications and standards to bemet include: EN 50125-3 , IEC 61969-3, ans EN 50121.


PROTECTION AGAINST ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES Outdoor use exposes electronic systems to extreme conditions such as temperature fluctuations from 30 to 80˚C, high humidity as well as rain, snow, hail, ice, intense solar radiation, lightning strikes, fire, storms, rockfall, dirt such as sand and dust, and electromagnetic radiation. Passing trains cause sudden differences in air pressure as well as vibrations and shocks, which should not be underestimated. Depending on the speed, enormous pressure forces can develop due to the fluctuations in air pressure and affect the cabinet. For outdoor cabinets to withstand these


mechanical influences, aspects like reinforcements on the cabinet rack must be taken into account in the design. In particular, protection against shock and vibrationmust be ensured at a distance of 1 to 3mfromthe track. For this purpose, an outdoor cabinet must be certified according to EN 50125-3. In addition, an earthquake resistance up to Bellcore Zone 4, which corresponds to a magnitude of over 6 on the Richter scale, is of great importance, depending on the installation site.


SECURITY AND ANTI-INTRUSION PROTECTION In freely accessible outdoor applications, there is also the risk of vandalism and unauthorised access. Therefore, a high degree of robustness and stability are standard features of outdoor cabinets. A stable cabinet frame and a double- walled design with modified wall thicknesses are effective measures when it comes to security and anti-burglary protection. It is also


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important that handles are protected against vandalism, and that screws for removing the roof, side walls, and base panels are only accessible from the inside, making access to the interior of the cabinet considerably more difficult for unauthorized persons.


SCALEABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY For different areas within rail applications, it is crucial that outdoor cabinets are available in different sizes. Ideally, the cabinets are designed to be scalable in height, width, and depth, and can be easily adapted to the desired applications and future proofed. An extensive range of accessories with elements for interior installation, cable routing, and cable entry, is also helpful and ensures a high degree of flexibility. Easy access to the inside of the cabinet


from all sides is important for performing maintenance as well as mounting and installing electronics within the cabinet. The flexibility of Modular Outdoor Cabinets is supported by the scalability of the cabinet design and a wide range of compatible 19” accessories.


3 DESIGN SOLUTIONS - SUPPLEMENT JUNE 2022


The nVent SCHROFFModular Outdoor Cabinet


range available fromForemost Electronics offers all the necessary features. This cabinet range has been tested and certified for all relevant railway applications on the trackside and thus offers safety and reliability for the proper functioning of the application over a long service life. Protection against environmental influences through a robust and tight design, a well-thought-out cooling concept consisting of a double-walled construction for optimal use of natural, free convection, and additional cooling possibilities via filter fan or air-conditioning unit, mean the desired operating temperature range can be guaranteed in any rail environment. The protection measures against intrusion


and vandalism, combined with its scalability and flexibility for adaptation to customer-specific applications,makes the nVent SCHROFFModular Outdoor Cabinet an ideal, certified solution for outdoor railway trackside applications.


Foremost Electronics T: 01371 811 171


www.4most.co.uk


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