ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 47 www.rittal.ie Rittal Security and vandalism Security and vandalism is one of the most concerning issues, when placing equipment outside and in public spaces. Selecting an enclosure, where careful consideration has been given to the design, to prevent vandalism or a member of the public gaining access to the enclosure and its contents is key. Although eradicating this possibility completely is slim. However you can select an enclosure that has features that act as deterrent. If someone wants to gain access then they will attack the weak points, of the enclosures rst, these being the handle and lock then they may also look at the hinges of the door, if these are visible. Choosing an enclosure where different handle and lock options are available, having a lock inserted that requires a speci c key and cannot be opened with a tool. Hidden hinges on the doors also prevent unauthorized access, when trying to prevent someone gaining access. In most cases, this only needs to be for long enough before they are disturbed, or they get bored of trying. Hidden hinges mean they cannot easily remove the doors, trying to gain access in other ways, will then mean bigger tools or more noise. Both of which are usually a deterrent enough. Double walled protection as standard Double walled enclosures offer huge bene ts for outdoor applications. Not only by helping to regulate UV solar gain, but a double walled enclosure means it is twice as hard to gain access to the equipment inside, if you don’t have the authority. Double walled enclosures offer a chimney style effect, to eradicate some of the heat created by UV solar gain. Whilst it does not stop all of the heat transfer, the outer layer assists with re ecting some of the light and what is transferred through the outer wall, some of this is then taken away between the two layers up and out of the roof area which is ventilated. Any heat gain left along with heat generated by the equipment inside, should then be able to be dealt with using a range of climate control options. This maybe simple fans and lters, louvre arrangements or by using forced air cooling. Considering if the enclosure you have selected can offer these options, as a retro t at a later stage is key during the decision-making process. Climate control solutions More often than not climate control is hugely overlooked in outdoor applications, the assumptions is that any heat loss generated by the internal equipment, will be lost through the transfer of the walls especially when placing an enclosure in a cooler country such as the UK. Sadly experience tells us that this isn’t the case, sitting equipment in an enclosure works, much like a ask, some heat transfer will be lost, but how much heat is being generated in the rst place? Has a thermal calculation been carried out? If the enclosure is subjected to higher ambient temperatures, or more equipment is installed at a later date, can cooling be added as an option later on? These are important points that if considered early can save huge amounts of time and cost further down the line. Double walled enclosures also offer the bene t of refurbishment, in the event of damage. Rather than removing the whole enclosure, which would mean a shut down of the infrastructure network it is part of, then the outer walls can simply be replaced. Durable enclosure materials Lastly are you using the right materials? Stainless steel outside may sound suitable, however its costly and again not always the right option. Painted aluminum means lightweight but durable and has the ability to be handled more ef ciently, dependent upon the application GRP may also offer more bene ts and would be signi cantly cheaper than stainless steel. The next time you need an outdoor enclosure, I urge you to really consider the enclosure as a critical piece of equipment, within the project or build. Selecting the right solution initially will ultimately save you time and money overall. For further information onthe entire Rittal range visit www. rittal.ie or check out our linkedin page @rittal-ireland
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