Featured Articles
1
Electronics enclosures are used in countless test/analytics/measurement devices for many applications. This includes various instrument systems in Oil & Gas, Industrial & Power Control, Medical, Lab/Test, and Military designs. Serving all of these types of devices requires a wealth of cooling options for instrument cases.
Nonprofit health care system UCHealth is known for its innovative and state-of-the-art facilities where staff provide care to more than 1.9 million unique patients each year. Encore Electric has been privileged to work with UCHealth on several complex and demanding projects and is now building a new inpatient tower at the University of Colorado Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Read more: Encore Electric Teams Expand UCHealth University...
1
Those of you in the food industry are already familiar with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)—a law that focuses on preventing contamination, rather than reacting to the problem after the fact. A big part of FSMA compliance has to do with the design of plant equipment, which includes the electrical components that provide power to manufacturing lines.
1
System integrators create throughlines that allow automated systems to more efficiently communicate with each other and with operators. Many industries, especially those that rely on information technology, computer networking, and automated machinery, implement system integration to achieve more efficient processes. Integrating your systems also helps make devices compatible with the Internet of Things (IoT).
1
Why does a panel get UL Listed?
Our UL listings are a big deal at UCEC and something I think about all of the time. Customers request a UL listing for their panel project for a variety of reasons, but usually it’s because the listing is required by a local municipality. We also build panels to UL standards regardless of the listing requested.
1
Variable frequency drives (VFDs) are electronic devices that manipulate electrical current in specific ways. In industrial settings, VFDs are used to funnel AC power, convert it into DC power, and temporarily store converted current until it is needed. VFDs are also an important component in IGBTs (insulated-gate bipolar transistors). In these devices, VFDs allow the rapid modulation of incoming and outgoing current.
Read more: Variable Frequency Drives and the Impact of IIoT...
1Having an edge-connected factory allows you to access your data at anytime, on or off the factory floor. No more manual reports, no more wondering what’s happening on the factory floor while you’re away. You can track efficiencies and identify weak points in your factory as well as bring together data from multiple sites to manage resource distribution and maintenance and compare performance across facilities. Sounds great, right?
1
This year, Rittal North America celebrates its 40th year of manufacturing in the United States. The global company, which is known for its pioneering role in modular enclosure technologies and its partnership in developing what has become the standard 19-inch server rack for the IT industry, launched its U.S. operations in Urbana, Ohio in 1981.
1
Kenny had the opportunity to upgrade several of the concession areas within Empower Field at the Mile High Stadium, most often used by the Denver Broncos. Our team was tasked with keeping the building automation systems fully function while significant demolition took place on the concessions and control wires. The function was necessary to continue monitoring the 1.8 million square foot facility.
Read more: Kenny Electric: Empower Field at Mile High Stadium
1In the logistics industry, it's always a race to be the fastest company to get deliveries out the door while also maintaining a standard of impeccable accuracy at the lowest possibl cost. With heated competition all around, it's no wonder that next-generation technologies are essential to becoming a trendsetter in this industry. Let’s take a look at four major technology trends that are currently transforming the logistics industry.
Read more: Four Ways to Dramatically Improve Your Logistics...
1Editor's Pick: Featured Product News
Equipment Cooling for Data Centres & Plants: Why Your HVAC SYSTEM is a Poor Climate Control Unit
Data Centre and Plant Managers working in small and mid-sized businesses often find themselves searching their buildings for unused space to house the company’s IT and other enclosures.
Mailrooms, empty offices, janitors’ closets…all have been repurposed into data closets holding one to a few racks. This approach may be the right choice in terms of square footage needed, but when it comes to proper climate conditions for sensitive IT equipment, it could not be more wrong. At best, these spaces are cooled using only the building’s AC system. At worst? An open window.
A building’s existing air conditioning system (or combined heat and air conditioning system) is designed to create comfortable environments for employees – the reason they are sometimes referred to as “comfort systems.” When IT racks need to be placed somewhere on site, it’s thought that “any old room” will do because AC ductwork usually terminates in these spaces. However, the reality is that even if you were to add ducts to supplement the building’s AC, relying on a system designed for humans is not a good solution for IT equipment.
Server rooms need more targeted cooling to keep the temperature within a specific range and prevent the servers from overheating. According to ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), the appropriate temperature range for server rooms is between 64.4 and 80.6 Fahrenheit. This requires a discrete cooling solution capable of monitoring and managing the temperature of both the equipment and the room. The same cooling system must also be capable of regulating humidity within the precise margins required by sensitive equipment. Finally, building HVAC will not provide sufficient airflow volume for heat removal from installed appliances; the CFM requirements for comfort cooling are significantly lower than airflow required to remove heat from the IT devices.
Products for Panel Builders
Editor's Pick: Featured Article
Stay Cool: 8 Key Elements of Climate Control Systems
If you want to truly understand a language, you must first understand the vocabulary of that language and how it is used to convey information and ideas. As with any aspect of industrial enclosures, there exists a unique and important vocabulary in climate control and the products and services required to ensure industrial enclosures are adequately protected.
Understanding the vocabulary used in current climate control conversations provides a couple of valuable benefits for equipping enclosures with the right climate protection, specifically:
1). More effective communication between the climate system engineers, plant engineers, and maintenance managers.
2). Greater holistic knowledge about the industrial enclosure that requires a climate solution (to cool it, you have to know it).
The end result is a fluency with the vocabulary of climate control and the ability to make the most cost-effective and data-driven choice for any context or environment. With this in mind, let’s look at 8 key elements of climate control to better understand the vocabulary used in this aspect of the industrial enclosure world.
1). Enclosure heaters
Enclosure heaters are used to heat or stabilize the internal temperature of an industrial enclosure in relation to the ambient or air temperature. In addition, enclosure heaters are used to prevent moisture condensation on panels or other accessories inside the enclosure as well as maintain minimum temperatures for switchgear and controlgear setups.
Article Feature - Monthly Industry Focus
binder: M16 Connectors - The “Go to” Connector for High Pin Count Applications
binder has recently made key additions to its M16 connector series. They are versions that meet the very high data speeds required by the latest sensor-based automation systems and an ASIG-compliant model used in wireless networks including 5G.
binder has been at the forefront of M16 connector development since the 1970s working to widen the range of applications for these versatile circular connectors. Today’s models can accommodate up to 24 contacts – with or without EMI shielding. With mainly metal housings and a robust screw locking system, M16 connectors provide environmental protection up to IP68.
The combination of a high pin count with the compact size of nominally 18.5mm diameter and 60mm in length means M16 connectors offer an excellent alternative to more expensive connector systems. M16 connectors accommodate cables ranging from 4.0 to 10mm diameter, are rated to 250V and can withstand an impulse voltage up to 1500V, with current handling of up to 7A (at 40ºC).
Suitable for 5G roll out
The latest applications for M16 connectors include the impending roll-out of 5G networks where binder’s ASIG-compliant connectors have been designed to provide high international protection for selected outdoor installations. The AISG (Antenna Interface Standards Group) defines standards for the control and monitoring of antenna line devices in the wireless industry.
News for Panel Builders
Convergint Technologies Announces Acquisition of Advantage Medical Inc.
Convergint Technologies recenrlt announced the acquisition of Advantage Medical Inc. (AMI), a leader in the deployment and support of wireless patient security systems in acute care hospitals. The acquisition further strengthens Convergint’s position within the healthcare safety and security market across the United States.
Advantage Medical Inc. brings Convergint over thirty years of healthcare industry expertise, with a specialization in patient security and Real Time Location Systems (RTLS). AMI’s commitment to delivering innovative healthcare solutions is supported by its comprehensive approach to providing security solutions to mitigate risk and enhance protection in healthcare facilities. The company’s dedication to meeting each customer’s unique need aligns with Convergint’s culture.
“Advantage Medical embodies similar values to Convergint; they embrace a culture-first community centered on colleagues and are committed to being their customers’ best service provider,” said Ken Lochiatto, CEO of Convergint Technologies. “We look forward to joining our teams, learning from one another, and further deepening our expertise to continue to deliver best-in-class safety and security solutions across the healthcare industry.”
“There is an amazing alignment between the organizational cultures of AMI and Convergint Technologies,” said Dan Rea, President & CEO of AMI. “We have both centered our businesses around a similar philosophical approach: the customer comes first, and failure is not an option. AMI is looking forward to the opportunities this new relationship will bring to existing and new customers alike.”