Month: October 2015

An Explanation of NEMA 12, 4 and 4X Enclosure Ratings

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EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems are rated to NEMA 12, 4, and 4X. But what does that actually mean?

NEMA stands for National Electrical Manufactures Association. This organization, founded in 1926, sets standards for the manufacture of safe and effective electrical products. It is an ANSI-accredited standards developer and, as such, has much credibility in the industries it serves. Many companies require or encourage the use of NEMA-rated equipment. Not having it may limit a company’s access to certain markets. In that testing, if required, is not too involved, achieving a rated unit is actually quite doable and, in the long run, worth it for safety-sake. NEMA-rated enclosures are about controlling a substance’s ability to either enter or exit an enclosure protecting electronics. Keeping you, and the electronics, safe is what this is all about. NEMA ratings are 1 through 13 with EXAIR’s cabinet cooler systems meeting NEMA 12, 4, and 4X.

So, what are NEMA 12, 4, and 4X? Simply stated:

  • NEMA 12 = resistant to dirt and oil
  • NEMA 4 = splash resistant
  • NEMA 4X = splash and corrosion resistant
    • To be rated NEMA 12, the enclosure must be built in such a way to prevent solid contaminants like air-born dust, dropping dirt, fibers, fly-off shavings, and lint from getting inside. It must also prevent dripping or slightly splashing water and oil and non-corrosive coolants from seeping, spraying, or being splashed into it.
    • NEMA 4 must be resistant to splashed or sprayed water and rain, sleet, or snow and not be damaged by ice forming on the outside. It must also prevent entry of solid contaminants like dust and dirt.
    • NEMA 4X is identical to NEMA 4 with the addition that the enclosure must be corrosion resistant.

How does this apply to EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems?

With our UL listed NEMA rated Cabinet Coolers, we can cool your cabinet and maintain its original enclosure integrity to protect your electronics just as needed. Our NEMA 12 cabinet cooler system is ideal for general industrial environments. Our NEMA 4 cabinet cooler system incorporates a low pressure relief valve for both the vortex tube and the cabinet air exhaust that closes and seals when the cooler is not operating to maintain the integrity of the NEMA 4 enclosure. Our NEMA 4X cabinet cooler system has the same low pressure relief valve as the NEMA 4 and is made of stainless steel, allowing for protection in corrosive and/or wash-down environments.

To further enhance their effectiveness, EXAIR offers thermostat controls to turn the units on and off as needed, which conserves compressed air. They are available with a simple thermostat (120V and 240V), an electronic temperature control or ETC thermostat (120V and 240V) which is adjustable from outside the enclosure and provides feedback of the internal temperature. Other models include a non-hazardous purge thermostat control, continuous operation, and high temperature versions that comply with NEMA 12, 4, and 4X ratings. We can meet cooling capacities (Btu/hr) at 100psig ranging from 275 to 5600. To assist in determining which system will work in your cabinet, a sizing guide is even available on our website.

Cabinet Cooler Family
EXAIR’s Cabinet Cooler Systems

If you have a cabinet that needs cooling and it is rated to NEMA 12, 4, or 4X, let us know how we can help. Chances are pretty good we can provide the cabinet cooling system you need.

John Pinchek
Application Engineer
johnpinchek@exair.com
@EXAIR_JP

When the Frost is on the Pumpkin

Published on by Neal RakerLeave a comment
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Frost on the pumpkin

There is an interesting poem by American writer and poet, James Whitcomb Riley that paints a great picture of what fall feels and looks like on the farm. Following is just the first paragraph of his poem but it conveys his message with such elegance:

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin’ turkey-cock.
And the clackin’ of the guineys, and the cluckin’ of the hens,
And the rooster’s hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;

O, It’s then’s the times a feller is a-feelin’ at his best,
With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.

In Cincinnati, they are predicting frost on the pumpkin this week. That’s a sure sign that colder temps are coming and with the colder climate returning, so does our old friend static electricity. And with static comes all the production problems that are associated with it. Static electricity will discharge to operators which makes them quite un-comfortable and can be dangerous. Discharges to sensors and computers cause malfunction. Jamming of feed mechanisms is never fun and neither is a label machine that refuses to cooperate.

So, if you are in the Northern Hemisphere like we are, get ready for the cold weather and the low humidity by placing EXAIR Static Eliminators into your processes.

The Ion Air Gun is a great all around performer for applications that require a hand manipulation to get the job done.

The Super Ion Air Knife is better for applications that need a wide area to be static free from a mountable solution.

The Ion Air Cannon is a wonderful, utility static eliminator that has great flexibility to be mounted in any position.

The Super Ion Air Wipe is a great way to eliminate static on the outside surfaces of any hose, wire or cable before ink jet printing such as date codes.

The Ionizing Point is a great way to eliminate static build up within airflows moving through duct work, conveyors and similar closed systems with air movement.

If you want your fall and winter to be as pleasant as the description in Mr. Riley’s poem, consider EXAIR Static Eliminators. You won’t be disappointed.

Neal Raker, International Sales Manager
nealraker@exair.com
EXAIR_NR

 

Frost on Pumpkin photo courtesy of Samantha Forsberg
Creative Commons license

When Business is Easy You Save Time, Money & Eliminate Frustrations

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Easy to do business with – It’s more than a saying we have around here; it’s something we practice at every opportunity, and every step. This may sound very “customer-service-ey,” and indeed it gets practiced in that arena a LOT, but it extends through every department in this company…from Sales & Marketing, to Order Entry & Accounting, to Engineering & Production, to Shipping & Receiving. Here’s a quick example of how it all came together just the other day:

A residential building products manufacturer has a machine located in a very dusty environment. The space is not climate controlled, and there’s a lot of hot work done there, so, even as fall temperatures cool off from the heat of summer, it still gets fairly hot, which causes the machine’s electronic controls to malfunction, and, eventually, trip off-line due to an overheat condition.

The engineer that was put in charge of solving this problem had just seen a magazine advertisement for our Cabinet Cooler Systems, and called to inquire. Within the hour, he had called me back with the data from the Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide I sent him, and we determined that a Model 4315 NEMA 12 Cabinet Cooler System – 1,000 Btu/hr – w/Thermostat Control would fit the bill. He placed the order before we got off the phone.  Easy.

EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems - the easy solution to your overheating electronic controls.
EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems – the easy solution to your overheating electronic controls.

As a stock catalog product, this shipped the same day, thanks to the prompt attention paid to processing the order. Since they were extremely motivated to keep this machine running properly, it shipped for arrival the next morning.  Easy.

As soon as it got there, they opened the box and prepared to install it. Of course, these are designed for quick and easy installation, so they were up and running by mid-morning…less than 24 hours after the production supervisor asked his engineer for a way to keep his machine running.  Easy.

“Easy to do business with.” It’s more than a saying we have around here; it’s who we are at EXAIR. If you’re reading this blog, chances are you might already know this. Regardless, if you have a compressed air product or application that you’d like to discuss, give us a call.  Easy.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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Adjustable Spot Cooler Increases Production Output in a Medical Application

Published on by exaircorpLeave a comment

I was recently contacted by a plastics manufacturer who specializes in producing precision medical components. In this particular application they were pushing an ETFE tube onto a heated, flared forming pin. Once the tube is set onto the pin, they placed the assembly into a shroud where they used their shop compressed air running through a manifold split into separate lines to cool the part. This process was working but it takes approximately 1 minute so they called EXAIR looking for a way to reduce their cooling cycle time and increase their daily production.

I recommend they use our Adjustable Spot Cooler and plumb the cold air exhaust to their existing manifold. The Adjustable Spot Cooler incorporates a Vortex Tube to provide a specific temperature drop from the compressed air supply temperature. The output temperature and cold airflow can be easily adjusted using the control valve on the unit. Ducting the output flow would allow the cold air to distribute evenly, not only reducing the cooling cycle but also providing more dimensional stability to the finished product.

Please note, that we do not always recommend running cold air through a manifold because many times these manifolds are metal and simply act as a heat sink, which removes the cold temperature from the air stream. In this case, however, the manifold was made of plastic and the air lines to the formed tube assembly were short. The plastic material insulated the cold air and the short air lines running to the tube assembly also decrease the time the cold air has to lose heat. Applications with typical metal manifolds and longer air distribution lines are best served by using the Adjustable Spot Cooler directly on to the application and eliminating the manifold.

Adjustable Spot Cooler
Maintenance free, spot cooling device providing up to 2,000 Btu/hr. of cooling capacity.

This is just one example of how incorporating a Spot Cooling device into an existing application provided a more favorable end result. Don’t hesitate to give us a call and see how we can help improve your process too.

Justin Nicholl
Application Engineer
justinnicholl@exair.com
@EXAIR_JN