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Enclosures


particles are emitted, and whether the burning material self-extinguishes. Industrial electronic enclosures must be able to withstand hard knocks. Consider enclosures that are IK rated for impact protection under EN/IEC 62262. The IK rating system originally ranged from IK00 (no protection) to IK10 (protection against 20 joules of impact energy, equivalent to a 5 kg mass dropped from a height of 400 mm). In 2021, an additional rating – IK11 – was introduced. This equates to a 10 kg mass being dropped from 500 mm, providing protection against 50 joules of impact energy. SOLID-BOX enclosures are rated IK08, meaning they can withstand five joules of impact, equivalent to a 1.7 kg mass being dropped from 300 mm.


However, impact protection is of little use if the enclosure is vulnerable to dust or water ingress. There are varying degrees of ingress protection, as defined by IP ratings under EN/IEC 60529. The system comprises two digits: the first shows the level of protection against solid bodies and dust; the second indicates water resistance. IP 6X enclosures are completely dustproof. IP 65 housings are dustproof and offer protection against water jets. (The test is 12.5 litres/minute, 30 kPa


pressure at a distance of three metres for 15 minutes.) Ratings of IP 54 and IP 65 are common for commercial and light industrial applications. More challenging environments require ratings such as IP 66 (temporary protection against flooding) or IP 67 (immersion in water 150 mm to 1,000 mm deep for up to 30 minutes). Importantly, a higher number is not always better, merely different.


And how will you power your device? Will it be connected to the mains? If so, the enclosure will need suitable space for a cable grommet and a strain relief clamp. Hermetically sealed enclosures due to be used in areas with temperature/pressure fluctuations may need a cable gland with an integrated pressure compensation element. Power for handheld, portable and wearable enclosures is usually supplied by a battery. Does your preferred standard enclosure cater for different cell types? Will the cell(s) be mounted directly on the PCB? Or in a battery holder or compartment? Will the battery compartment lid need a screw fitting? (This is a safety requirement for applications such as children’s toys, where cells could be a choking hazard.) Will you need a desktop or wall-mounted docking


station for recharging and data transfer? Is inductive charging a requirement? These questions dovetail with another important consideration: assembly. How is your enclosure constructed? How do the various parts fit together? Will the enclosure need to be opened regularly for inspection and maintenance of the electronics? Torx assembly screws allow access but deter tampering; they are a key requirement for medical electronics. Screwless snap-together assembly also discourages tampering (and speeds up assembly times). It enhances the aesthetics too, as exemplified by SMART- PANEL, a wall-mounted touch screen enclosure for building control technology. The housing can be reopened with a set of special tools available as an accessory. Think too about any accessories you may need (including the aforementioned docking stations, battery compartments/holders, cable glands and strain-relief clamps). For handheld and wearable housings, look for accessories such as straps, lanyards, belt/ pocket clips, key rings and eyelets. Portable instrument enclosures need tilt/swivel carry handles; desktop models require anti-slide case feet or a tilt foot bar; wall-mountable housings need suspension elements. Other


accessories include fastening elements for DIN rails, holding clamps for tubes, and conductive seals for EMC protection.


Most enclosures will require some form of customisation, usually machining of apertures for controls and interfaces, and printing of legends and logos. Today’s advanced technology and smart designs make it easy to transform an off-the-shelf model into a truly unique enclosure that can go straight to a production line for installation of the electronics. Ideally, partner with a single-source supplier that can carry out all the customisation work in-house. In this way, one supplier will be fully accountable for the entire process from start to finish; this ensures quality, and also saves time, money and administration.


It’s worth consulting the enclosure manufacturer as early as possible in the design process, preferably before component layout has been finalised. This can help you to specify a smaller enclosure than perhaps was initially envisaged – enhancing device appeal and reducing manufacturing costs. It can also help you to identify design opportunities not previously considered. https://www.okw.co.uk


Using Smart Power Control to Improve Temperature Control W


atlow solutions span multiple


industries with deep domain knowledge on applications


related to thermal systems and their control. There are four foundational components or elements of the thermal loop; sensing, controlling (temperature, limits, power, etc.), heating, and capturing and analysing the data from across the thermal loop, which together help optimize an industrial process. One of the more critical areas of any thermal loop is the selection of a power controller, which is dependent on a host of factors that go well beyond simple power requirements.


Watlow offers a wide range of power controllers used by many of the largest industrial manufacturers, for uniform and efficient power control for electrical heating applications. From essential power devices, such as our DIN-A-MITE compact Power switches or EPack Lite Compact SCR Power Controllers to more feature-packed solutions such as the ASPYRE AT or EPACK and ultimately to our scalable and modular


www.cieonline.co.uk


ASPYRE® AT Power Controllers - Modular and Scalable Power Controllers


EPower Advanced SCR Power Controller. These solutions offer the right performance, control, operation and monitoring level for the complete thermal system providing sustainable and efficient power. Smart power controllers can provide more advanced performance by intelligently responding to changes to the line voltage and heater resistance rather than mindlessly switching on and


off according to set points from the temperature controller. This delivers more uniform heat despite variations in current or temperature and provides faster recovery, less overshoot, and can compensate for heater degradation or failures. Smart power controllers can also measure and enable logging of power, energy, current and voltage levels, providing visibility to process performance characterization and can alert operators to warning signs related to issues like drops meg-ohm resistance, process drift and even early detection of heater failure. They also provide access to field configurable firing modes which can reduce thermal cycling, a leading cause of premature heater failure. Ultimately, they are packed with features and functionality designed to help users minimize scrap and unscheduled downtime and are designed to integrate with other automation equipment through a wide range of comms including EtherCAT™, EtherNet/ IP™, Modbus/TCP and PROFINET™


EPack™ Lite Compact SCR Power Controllers – This range offers a simplified choice, fast commissioning without any compromise on performance


Watlow also manufactures a wide range of SCR power switches and SCR power controllers to meet almost all power switching needs. Each is manufactured to the highest standards of reliability and performance.


Explore the latest solutions and technologies, visit Watlow Power Control Or Contact Us: www.watlow.com


Components in Electronics February 2025 39


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