Manual work is one of those tasks in panel building and switchgear manufacturing that consumes a lot of time. Real pace-setters are needed: solutions that are easier to handle, are faster and which simply offer more design freedom. Meurer-etechnik therefore relies on the new AX compact enclosures from Rittal to improve production efficiency.
For some time now, the plant constructor from Großmaischeid, in Germany’s Westerwald area, has been aware of a trend: The increases in digitisation and automation in plant technology, for example, are leading to greater use of sensors and actuators. This has inevitably led to a growth in the number of components to be installed in the enclosure, and the number of cables to be routed into the interior via the gland plate. The fact that the new AX compact enclosures can precisely meet this demand is welcome news for control and switchgear manufacturers. In fact, 30 percent more space is available for inserting cables.
The extra space on the gland plate is a huge advantage.
And he also mentions something that had previously always been a challenge with compact enclosures. “We had problems all the time with the interior installation because there were never enough opportunities for mounting the depth stays.” That has now changed.
“The AX offers a lot more flexibility in terms of interior installation,” Mr. Lauer stressed.
Since the rails can be flexibly installed at a variety of heights, the levels can also be designed more flexibly. And less time is needed, because the interior installation rails can be attached without any mechanical work being needed on the enclosure. They are simply pushed onto the locators that are embossed in the enclosure and then securely clamped. Due to the defined pitch pattern with which the interior installation rails are mounted, the extensive range of system accessories can be used to expand it flexibly.
The Production Manager can also see some major advantages in the new handle system. With the AX compact enclosure, the handles can be mounted on site on the customer's premises without any need for tools. He is visibly content: “For us, putting on and taking off the door handles was always a lot of work.” Installing the cam locks (they are enclosed, loose) for the AX is done in a few easy steps. Mr. Lauer sees some additional advantages when it comes to potential equalisation. Because here, too, a smaller number of steps is necessary: “We always had to attach metal clips to the gland plate for potential equalisation. Now the screws are simply screwed into the material. In addition, special holes in the gland plate ensure automatic potential equalisation when they are screwed together. This is safer, easier and it saves both time and material,” Mr. Lauer adds. “And this way we can't forget anything!”