Q: Good Day, Pieter. Glad you could join me to talk about the importance of heating and cooling with regard to enclosures. What are some situations in which an enclosure would need to be cooled?

 

A: I’m glad to be here. The first thing to remember regarding the necessity of enclosure cooling: Heat comes from two sources. First, all electrical equipment produces heat in varying amounts depending on the quantity of power going through it. Second, depending where you place the enclosure, the ambient temperature can be a significant factor in overall enclosure temperature.

 

 

Q: Why is enclosure cooling so important?

A: For every ten degrees above normal working temperature, the expected lifetime of electronic equipment decreases by 50%. In that sense, Eldon doesn’t sell cooling; we sell security. Not only are you protecting value of the equipment inside the enclosure, you’re preventing all the downtime that results due to overheating or equipment replacement.

 

Q: Maintaining the right temperature sounds very important. What cooling options exist for enclosures?

 

A: It really depends on the situation. The most basic cooling solution is ventilation. Eldon offers extremely durable filter fans. Our EF and EFP filter fans offer a 50,000 hour life and a maximum IP rating of 55 (standard IP54). In situations where space is an issue, we recommend exhaust units to keep temperatures down. These can be mounted on the unit’s roof.

Q: What about more challenging cooling situations?

 

A: If the air temperature surrounding the enclosure is higher than the optimal operating temperature for the equipment inside, an air conditioner or a water-to-air heat exchanger becomes necessary. These solutions ensure that the inside temperature is totally controlled and kept at a safe 35 degrees at all times.

A: The selection depends on where the enclosure is to be used. A water-to-air heat exchanger is only practical if a water source is available. For example, in factories with a lot of robots or other heavy industrial applications, water lines are generally available. Furthermore, water-to-air heat exchangers are the best choice in marine applications. They stand up better to the wobbling and wave movement.

 

Our DTS and DTI series high-quality air conditioners are often the right choice for OEMs and applications like frequency-controlled elevator systems and conveyor belts. Also, when air conditioners are coated against aggressive environments, they make an excellent choice for the waste disposal industry, as with our special outdoor 4X versions of the DTS.

 

Q: We hear a good deal about the need for keeping enclosures cool. Is it ever necessary to heat enclosures?

 

A: Definitely. Anytime an enclosure gets below the working range of the equipment, heating is the order of the day.

 

Q: What are some enclosure heating options?

 

A: Eldon offers two choices for heating enclosures. First, convection heaters can deliver heat throughout an enclosure by means of natural convection. A more robust choice is the fan heater which offers a quick, high-powered and even distribution of heat. Eldon offers three types of fan heaters and two convection models with a wide power range.

A: Not at all. Eldon’s heating and cooling systems are very easy to install – many clip right onto a DIN Rail.

Q: What about quality? What citations have Eldon’s products received?

 

A: All of our heating and cooling units are both CE marked and UL certified.

 

Q: Anything more you’d like to add, Pieter?

 

A: Just this. Selecting the right heating or cooling unit for a given enclosure can be challenging, especially when there are so many different scenarios under which they are expected to operate. Our customers should never hesitate to ask their Eldon representative for help. We can supply expert advice about which cooling or heating device to use — no matter what the situation.

 

For any further information, please contact me in this email address: pieter.dekker@eldon.com and I will be pleased to help you!.