FEATURE ENCLOSURES
Smooth Operator Control station enclosures for ease of operation
Manufacturers and operators of large-scale industrial process equipment and machinery are demanding convenient and reliable operator station devices, conveniently distributed around the equipment for the control of different functions, or for safety reasons. EAO offers up its solution to the industrial market
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ontrol station enclosures, used for the purposes of controlling industrial process equipment in applications such as food processing, packaging and conveyer systems, need to be easy to fit on to the equipment, and quickly. But typically, these need to be disassembled to enable the drilling of four mounting holes through the enclosure and into the mounting panels, to subsequently facilitate bolting down. Ideally, control station enclosures must also be easily wired to the electrical control system, offering a range of different switching configurations and enabling simple hard-wiring to the individual stop/start or emergency stop control switches. In many cases, an appropriate IP protection level, relevant to the application, must also be delivered. Finally, for longevity, all wiring needs to be fitted with appropriate strain relief and be sealed to the enclosure using compression cable glands. The entire assembly process takes an age, and once completed and installed, a conventional control station enclosure cannot be easily moved or removed.
CLEAR AND INTUITIVE In common with most control applications, operator control stations need to be intuitive to use and provide the operator with a clear indication of their switching function and the machinery’s current status. This is done through legends applied to the push-button switches - from visible switch positions, switch illumination and/or marking on the enclosure. In addition, safety related emergency stop
22 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2020 | ELECTRONICS
stations must be designed in accordance with regulations such as EN 13850, and other machinery related directives such as EN 60947-5-5.
SMART-BOX CONTROL STATION ENCLOSURES The range of control station enclosures recently introduced by HMI specialist EAO satisfies these requirements and are easy to mount and wire up. Ideal for machinery manufacturing and factory automation applications where there is a need to connect multiple operator control stations to a system, EAO’s Smart Box control station enclosures are simple and customisable IP67 sealed “snap-on, plug & play” solutions, pre-wired to a sealed industry standard M12 connector. The Smart Box range integrates many operator control functions such as on or off, up or down and emergency stop switches (E-Stop), and modules are available with bright LED illumination, which make for unambiguous status indication and easy visibility in low lighting situations. Measuring at only 111mm x 45mm x 45mm, Smart Box enclosures can be easily and quickly mounted direct to machine frame extrusions and bulkheads using the included DIN rail section, even in tight spaces and without special tools. Smart Box control station enclosures can also be mounted on a standard top hat DIN rail without the need for an external mounting adapter, implemented alongside compatible actuators and indicators available from EAO and other manufacturers. The reliable and compact illuminated pushbuttons and emergency
stop switches in EAO’s Series 84 portfolio are suited to the purpose, for example. The direct pre-wiring built into Smart Box enclosures facilitates easy integration into the system, and provides the end user with a unique level of flexibility in terms of the number and arrangement of the compact and convenient modules. Thanks to the industry standard IP rated M12 connector, the modules can be brought into service quickly alongside other control gear such as timers, relays and PLCs, and just as easily removed, simply by disconnecting the M12 and pushing back the spring element that holds the module onto the DIN rail.
CUSTOMISATION OPTIONS The front design of a Smart Box module can be customised for many applications (subject to MOQs), with the use of age-resistant polyester film (e.g. for customer logos or warning symbols), a marking plate or an LED status indicator; EAO is able to integrate other electronic functions onto the PCB in order to equip and connect the Smart Box to meet specific needs. The robust construction choice of a grey or yellow colour finish, combined with front ingress protection of up to IP67, ensures reliable operation, even at operating temperatures ranging from – 25 to + 70 degrees Celsius (depending on the integrated products), in dirty or high humidity environments or even when subjected to severe vibration.
EAO
www.eao.com / ELECTRONICS
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