FEATURE CABLES & CONNECTORS
FOR THE EMC DIRECTIVE
The EMC Directive is a European regulation to enforce limitations on all electrical and electronic equipment that may cause or be affected
by electromagnetic interference (EMI). While cable glands are not directly covered by this, Lee Frizzell, technical director of CMP Products,
talks to Design Solutions about why they should be an important consideration for OEM’s, design engineers and machine builders, despite them neither emitting EMI or being susceptible to it
E
MC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) is becoming an increasingly important factor in the design and manufacture of electrical
and electronic systems. In a nutshell, it’s the ability of electrical or electronic equipment to
function correctly in the presence of EMI. EMI – also referred to as Radio Frequency
Interference (RFI) or noise – is a disturbance in the magnetic field surrounding the equipment, which may affect electrical or electronic circuits
in the vicinity. This may cause over-voltage, under-voltage or transients that can lead to the degradation of the circuit. In the case of a data path disturbance, these effects can range from an increase in error rate to a total loss of data. This can cause havoc with measuring instruments and can lead to errors being made due to corrupted data being used to make decisions. EMI is commonly generated in
automation utilising drives, motors and transmitters. Where equipment susceptible to EMI is in the vicinity, steps are taken to shield cables and enclosures from it. Safety standards and directives have been established to ensure that the environment, equipment and machinery are protected from both noise pollution and the potentially dangerous consequences of machinery malfunction.
EMC DIRECTIVE The key initiative to address safety is the European Union EMC Directive. Originally enacted in 1989 under the Directive 89/336/EEC, the EMC Directive has witnessed significant development since it first came into force. It has been amended several times since then – the latest being in 2016, when the new EMC
30 DESIGN SOLUTIONS NOVEMBER 2024
CABLE GLAND IDEAS
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