Tag: cooler

What Is A NEMA Rating?

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

With the Summer heat upon us here in Ohio the inquiries for our Cabinet Cooler Systems are increasing by the day.  A question we always ask customers with Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guides is, “What NEMA Type is your enclosure?”  There are quite a few times where no one truly knows what a NEMA rating is. So what exactly is a NEMA rating?

NEMA is the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, one of the many standards they publish is the NEMA rating standard for electrical enclosures up to 1000 Volts.  This standard is where NEMA Types such as 12, 4, and 4X come from (you will also see an international standard reference as “IP”, more on that later).  It categorizes the enclosures by their ability to protect the internal components from things such as corrosion, dust, oil, even external air quality. These standards are reviewed every five years and the last review was done in 2013.  The reviews are generally based on improving safety, clarity of the standard, and testing methods.

So what NEMA ratings does EXAIR offer?  For our Cabinet Cooler Systems, EXAIR offers three very common NEMA types to try an offer a selection to fit the needs that we most commonly encounter.  The NEMA types and their descriptions are below.   For a full list of the Non-hazardous location NEMA enclosure types, click on this link.

EXAIR NEMA 12 Cabinet Cooler System w/ Side Mount Kit

Type 12 (IP54): General purpose, indoor use.  Protects against falling dirt and circulating dust, lint, fibers, and flyings.  Protects against ingress of dripping and splashing water. Rust-resistant Type 12 enclosures do not include knockouts.

 

EXAIR NEMA Type 4 Cabinet Cooler System
EXAIR NEMA Type 4 Cabinet Cooler System

Types 4, 4X (IP66): Water-tight, dust-tight, sleet-resistant.  Resistant to windblown dust.  Indoor or outdoor use.  Also provides protection against splashing and hose-directed water.  The “X” designation indicates corrosion-resistance.

EXAIR's High Temp Cabinet Cooler Systems

The EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems also reference an equivalent IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), IP code.   This is a code from the IEC system which specifies the ingress protection which classifies and rates the degree of protection provided against intrusion (body parts such as hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water by mechanical casings and electrical enclosures. They are a two digit number that represents the level of protection against physical objects and he ingress of water.   Coorelation between NEMA ratings and IP codes is not always possible.  EXAIR has ensured that we also meet the equivalent IP codes shown in the NEMA descriptions above.

If you have a hot enclosure and you are not sure how much cooling is needed or what the NEMA type is, contact us.  We will gladly help you gather the information needed to calculate the heat load requirements and help determine the correct NEMA rating.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer Manager
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

Cabinet Coolers Keep Working at Full Capacity After Six Years of Near Constant Operation

Published on by Neal RakerLeave a comment

I was digging through my old application files today and ran across an application that I worked on with our Indonesian distributor (PT Interwira Lancar Mandiri).  Our distributor had a customer who was in the business of manufacturing automotive radiators. The end customer contacted them with a problem relating to a failed motor drive which caused one of their two production lines to come to a stop.

The end customer had a Freon based air conditioner set on his panel, but the air conditioner began leaking water into the inside of the panel. The water got into the motor drive, shorted it out and caused the production line to go down. Not only was the production down for 1 month, but the motor drive cost them $20 k USD to replace by the time they purchased, had it shipped and got it installed.

The customer was extremely wary of what he was going to use for an air conditioner unit because there was no getting around keeping these motor drives cool. So, our distributor introduced the customer to EXAIR Cabinet Cooler and the customer purchased Model 4330 for his panel.  Our distributor was back in the customer’s plant on another issue some six years later when he saw the old EXAIR Cabinet Cooler system still on the motor drive panel, cranking out cold air. No maintenance had been performed on the Cabinet Cooler System in that time (as none was necessary) even though the environment was quite dirty. You can see from the photos below that the place had not been cleaned in a long time.

CC1

When we talk to customers about the EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems, one of their initial concerns is how long they last. Because there are no moving parts to wear out, the life span can easily be in the range of 20 years or more. You would have to purchase 4 Freon based units, pay to have them changed out and pay for them to be maintained 2 – 4 times per year, changing filters, replacing compressors, and re-filling coolant in that time.

Not only does the Cabinet Cooler last a long time, but when it is operating, it produces a positive pressure onto the panel which keeps dust and debris from getting inside your cabinet over time.

CC3

Neal Raker, Application Engineer
nealraker@exair.com

Don’t Get Fired, Install A Cabinet Cooler System

Published on by Leave a comment

If the weatherman is correct, it is going to be a sizzling hot summer this year with the southern tier states experiencing triple digit temperatures and the rest of the nation in the 90’s.

When it gets hot, controls fail. When controls fail, production shuts down. When production shuts down, the boss yells at you. When the boss yells at you, you tell him where to go. When you tell the boss where to go, you get fired. Don’t get fired. Install an EXAIR Cabinet Cooler system.

EXAIR Cabinet Cooler systems incorporate a Vortex Tube to produce cold air from compressed air – with no moving parts. The compact Cabinet Cooler system can be installed in minutes through a standard electrical knockout. NEMA 12, 4, and 4X Cabinet Cooler systems that match the NEMA rating of the enclosure are available in many cooling capacities for large and small control panels.

EXAIR has a staff of engineers that will assist you in selecting the proper cooler.

Give us a call at 1-800-903-9247.

Joe Panfalone
Application Engineer

Phone (513) 671-3322
Fax   (513) 671-3363
Web: www.exair.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/exair_jp
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exair