Sizing up the future
The human foot is a very individual thing. And yet who would argue
that shoes are to be fitted only by a shoemaker and should never be
bought in standard sizes from the high street stores. This statement
came from Rudolf Loh, the founder of Rittal Werk, who faced scepticism
regarding his vision to standardise and mass-produce enclosures
Twenty-five years ago, the thought of using standard size enclosures
supplied from stock was relatively new as most enclosures were made to
order to suit the size of equipment being produced. But why? The
equipment that went into these enclosures was also mass-produced,
therefore to mass-produce enclosures seemed the logical thing to do. They
suited the market then, and today they are widely available at economic
prices.
So, the move to mass-produced enclosures had begun but their style and
function remained basic. Over the years, developments in technology and
manufacturing allowed enclosures to evolve into the multi function
products of today. An example is the electrical floor standing enclosure,
once mass-produced but hand assembled and wet spray paint finished. Today
these enclosures are automatically produced on sophisticated production
lines with robot and plasma welding. The customer benefits from
innovative constructions such as the double mounting level and
pre-punched frame design of Rittal's TS 8 enclosure system
In the electronics market, instrument cases tended to be of welded
construction and quite unremarkable in visual terms. Today, they are
produced using a range of materials to provide stylish and functionally
friendly enclosures for a wide variety of technologies. Modern cases can
even accommodate circuit boards directly without the need for a sub-rack.
With further moves toward commonality and standardisation, the imperial
size printed circuit boards of twenty-five years ago have been replaced
by the Eurocard system. Moreover, sub-racks are now standardised
dimensionally, allowing the integration and interchange of equipment and
electronic component parts from different manufacturers.
Twenty-five years ago, enclosure manufacturers made just that -
enclosures. Now they can supply complete solutions, including those with
integral climate control to address anything from condensation to
over-heating problems. There are also heaters to raise temperatures above
freezing, louvres to provide normal convection, fans to provide forced
convection, along with air-to-air heat exchangers and technically
sophisticated cooling systems for more hostile environments.
Control panels also require power distribution, so the ability to offer a
compatible bus bar system that is both space-saving and easy to assemble,
completes the offering - and it's all mass-produced and off-the-shelf!
Rittal is also celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2004. The company is
one of the largest and most widely known manufacturers of enclosures and
accessories for the electrical, electronic and data communications
industries throughout the world. The enclosure systems have full
compatibility and integration capability with Rittal's power distribution
components and thermal management systems
Rittal Ltd
Braithwell Way, Hellaby Industrial Estate, Rotherham, S Yorks S66 8QY
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