EXAIR offers a comprehensive video library that includes everything from brief product introductions to detailed, step-by-step maintenance tutorials. If you are tackling a specific application, it is highly probable that we have a relevant video available. I regularly utilize these videos to clarify or showcase specific features of EXAIR products to customers. They serve as an essential resource in my daily activities, and the most advantageous aspect is that they are freely accessible at any time.
Numerous videos are available under the ‘Resources’ tab on our website, www.EXAIR.com. By selecting a product category from this section, you can access a variety of instructional content. Whether you are looking to learn how to change the shim in a Super Air Knife or enhance the conveyance of a Line Vac, you will find these videos and many others systematically arranged for your convenience.
Our blogs feature video demonstrations that make learning enjoyable and straightforward. If you have a topic you’re curious about, you can simply search our blog. Chances are, you’ll find a video that matches what you’re looking for. These videos break down complex ideas and show you step-by-step processes. They are great for visual learners who understand better when they see things in action. Our goal is to provide helpful resources, ensuring that everyone has access to easy, informative content.
If you would like to discuss our video library, or any of our EXAIR products, please do not hesitate to contact an Application Engineer. We are always happy to help!
EXAIR‘s Cabinet Coolers are a low-cost and reliable way to cool and purge your electrical panels. They incorporate our Vortex Tubes to produce cold air from compressed air. With no moving parts, our Cabinet Coolers can run maintenance free for many years.
When selecting which Cabinet Cooler is right for your application, there are a few things for you to consider:
First, is your cabinet in a hazardous location? We have HazLoc Cabinet Cooler models that are rated for UL Classified areas, including Class I Div 1, Groups A, B, C, and D; Class II Div 1, Groups E, F, and G; and Class III; as well as ATEX rated units that are approved for use in Zones 2 and 22. All of our hazardous location Cabinet Cooler Systems need to be used in conjunction with a purged and pressurized control system.
From right to left: Small NEMA 12, Large NEMA 12, Large NEMA 4X
After this you will need to determine what NEMA integrity your enclosure requires. We have NEMA 12(IP54) models, which are dust and oil tight. These are ideal for most industrial environments where no liquids or corrosives are present. Our NEMA 4(IP66) options can be used inside and outside, and are splash resistant as well as dust tight and oil tight. The low-pressure relief valve will ensure the integrity of the NEMA 4 enclosure is maintained. Finally, our NEMA 4X(IP66) option offers all the same protection as the NEMA 4X, but is constructed of stainless steel for food service and corrosive environments.
Next, you need to decide if you need continuous operation or thermostat control. The thermostat control systems are the most efficient way to operate a Cabinet Cooler. They save on compressed air by only activating the cooler only when the internal temperatures approach critical levels. The standard thermostat control systems include an adjustable thermostat factory set at 95°F. We also have our Electronic Temperature Control (ETC), which allows for precise temperature control that can be adjusted with the touch of a button.
ETC Electronic Temperature Control can be used in a wide variety of applications.
Finally, you will need to calculate the heat load to determine the cooling capacity. We have a calculator on our website that can help with this. However, if you speak to any of our Application Engineers, we can perform these calculations for you. If you would like to discuss your Cabinet Cooler application, feel free to give us a call!
EXAIR currently offers TWO styles of cabinet coolers designed and certified for classified areas. Both UL Classified and ATEX!
Hazardous locations are a tricky opponent for electrical panels and controls. To safely be in a HAZLOC, they either have to be rated for that environment or they need to be enclosed in a Cabinet that is purged and pressurized to keep any explosive gases, fumes, or dust out of the Cabinet. This is no new thing, however, as the Industrial revolution 4.0 continues to grow and progress, products are continually being added to HAZLOC areas. For example, robotic controls, analyzers, motors and switch gears now use electronic accessories to meet the needs for speed, process control and energy efficiency, which often renders the equipment unsuitable for use in hazardous locations. While the demand for these new devices continues to grow, not all of these items are able to be made intrinsically safe. And the items that are not will need to be enclosed in a cabinet where heat will build, and you need to manage that heat load while retaining the positive pressure purge and pressurization.
HazLoc Cabinet Coolers are designed for hazardous locations and are mounted to NEMA 7, 8, and 9 enclosures. EXAIR catalogs these Cabinet Coolers as NEMA 4 (IP66) or NEMA 4X (IP66), as mentioned above. But their registration for UL classification is for Class I, Class II, and Class III hazardous areas, both Div 1 and Div 2. The reason that they do not match the NEMA rating of the hazardous panels is because they require an X-type or Z-type purge system. In combination, they will not sacrifice the integrity of the hazardous electrical panels.
ATEX Cabinet Coolers have similar attributes to HazLoc Cabinet Coolers except this type of registration is popularly used in Europe. These area classifications fall under the EN/IEC 60079-2 international standard for explosive zones. It covers three zones in two hazardous areas; gas/liquid and dust. The ATEX Cabinet Coolers can be used in Zone 2 for gas/liquid and Zone 22 for dust. Like the HazLoc Cabinet Coolers, to keep their classification, the ATEX Cabinet Coolers require a Zone 2/22 purge system. The ATEX terminology is as follows:
Gas – CE EX II 3 G Ex h IIC T3 Gc
Dust – CE EX II 3 D Ex h IIIC 200oC Dc
EXAIR offers a variety of Cabinet Coolers in stock with different cooling capacities, materials of construction, and operational locations. We also offer them in 316SS, high temperature versions, and non-hazardous purge. We do have a Cabinet Cooler System Sizing Guide to help determine the best product for your application or a Cabinet Cooler System Calculator to do it yourself. For any hazardous location, we do recommend contacting us for clarification. If you have any questions, an Application Engineer at EXAIR can assist you.
EXAIR’s HazLoc Cabinet Cooler Systems have been set apart from the competition by achieving the UL classified designation for Div 1 environments. Thermostatically controlled systems are recommended for the highest efficiency and include UL-listed solenoids, also for hazardous environments. EXAIR Cabinet Cooller systems will install on your purged enclosure in minutes, require little to no maintenance and operate under the roughest of industrial conditions. If you require low cost, ease of use and reliability, a HazLoc Cabinet Cooler system will meet your needs.
In the United States, the National Electrical Code (NEC) defines these areas in a system of Classes, Divisions, and Groups, depending on the nature of the material that presents the hazard (Class), whether it normally exists or if it’s just possible in abnormal situations (Division), and the specific type of the subject material (Group). Today’s blog is all about what would classify an area as Class I, Division 1, and which Group the specific hazardous material falls under.
A Class I location means that the hazard is a flammable gas or vapor which is present in the area in a high enough concentration to be considered ignitable. These were the locations that we were required to use non-sparking tools within, and for good reason. Some examples of Class I locations are:
Petroleum refineries
Gasoline storage or dispensing areas
Aircraft hangars and fueling stations
Spray finishing rooms or booths
Division 1 means that the flammable gas or vapor that makes the area a Class I location is present in the atmosphere during normal operating conditions and/or when the gas or vapor is released to the atmosphere during maintenance or repair work. These gases & vapors aren’t present in ALL areas of the above-listed Class I examples during normal operation, so only the areas where they ARE present during normal operations would be defined as Division 1. For example:
Areas where a gasoline tank (in a refinery or gasoline storage/dispensing station, for example) is vented to the atmosphere are Class I Division 1, because the vapor coming out of the vent is doing so by design…you can’t pump a liquid into a non-vented tank.
Only the parts of an aircraft hangar where fuel is actually being handled are Division 1. That wouldn’t necessarily apply to a stock or communications room in the hangar, though.
The interior of a paint booth is Division 1 because the spray is volatile, as is the immediate vicinity adjacent to an open spray booth.
Class I designation is further divided into four groups, based on two specific characteristics of the gas or vapor that express how easy it is to cause (or how hard it is to prevent) an explosive hazard:
Maximum Experimental Safe Gap (MESG) – The gas is put in the interior chamber of a vessel with an adjustable gap that leads to the outer chamber. MESG is the largest gap between the chambers that will prevent ignition of the gas.
Minimum Igniting Current (MIC) ratio. This is the ratio of the minimum current from an inductive spark required to ignite the gas, divided by the minimum current from an inductive spark that will ignite methane under the same conditions.
Group A: Acetylene
MESG = 0.25 mm
MIC ratio = 0.017
Group B: Hydrogen, butanedione, ethylene oxide, Propylene oxide, and acrolein
MESG <0.45mm (except acetylene)
MIC ratio <0.4 (except acetylene)
Group C: Ethylene, cyclopropane and ethyl ether
MESG = 0.45mm to 0.75mm
MIC ratio = 0.4 – 0.8
Group D: Acetone, ammonia, benzene, butane, ethanol, gasoline, hexanes, methane, methanol, methane, naphtha, natural gas, propane and toluene
MESG >0.75mm
MIC ratio >0.8
EXAIR HazLoc Cabinet Cooler Systems are engineered and approved for use on electrical enclosures in these areas, as well as Class II and Class III. Our ATEX Cabinet Cooler Systems are compliant with the European Union’s ATEX Directive (Zones 2 and 22).
Both the HazLoc (left) and ATEX (right) Cabinet Cooler Systems are available from stock in NEMA 4 and NEMA 4X ratings.
Wherever the panel you need cooling for is located, we’ve very likely got a reliable and safe solution. If you’d like to find out more, give me a call.
