Rittal's AX Plastic Enclosures: Now Approved for Outdoor Use

Rittal's AX Plastic Enclosures: Now Approved for Outdoor Use Rittal has extended its AX compact enclosure portfolio with a new AX plastic enclosure range. This plastic AX enclosure will not only protect senstive electrical components in the very harshest of environments; its new mounting functions will also make internal installations effortless. Rittal is replacing its previous KS series with AX plastic enclosures, and in doing so, the company is completely redefining plastic enclosure technology. The new enclosure is based on Rittal’s existing sheet steel and stainless-steel enclosure technology, which is designed to simplify and speed up manufacturing processes in panel building and switchgear manufacturing. Now, and for the first time, a plastic enclosure will feature the same technology. The result is an enclosure that makes installations quick and easy, giving great flexibility in terms of internal configuration while at the same time offering maximum safety and robustness. The new plastic enclosures AX offers safe containment for electrical components in all environments – whether it’s placed inside a factory building or outside, exposed to extreme weather conditions. More reliability The plastic is reinforced with glass fibres, giving a seven times higher UV resistance. This gives it a UL F1 outdoor rating (UL 746C). An integrated rain protection strip on the upper and lower edges of the door protects the gasket against both dust and rainwater. Meanwhile, the Class II protective insulation for up to 1000 V AC ensures increased personal protection for end-users and operators. The protective insulation and its high protection categories (up to IP66 or NEMA 4X) are unchanged even when enclosure is fully populated. And thanks to the intelligent enclosure design, internal installation is straightforward and does not impinge on the encapsulated enclosure area. The enclosure is also UL 508A approved and has UL94 fire class V-0. Improved efficiency The presence of numerous mounting bosses inside the housing makes assembly quick and easy for panel builders. These allow accessories such as punched sections and rails to be directly screw-fastened internally, and to the rear panel. Door-operated switches and door stays can be directly attached to the mounting bosses, while top-hat rails can be screwed directly onto the existing mounting bosses anywhere within the enclosure. The mounting plate can be screwed on from the front using the pre-assembled bolts and it can be later earthed via the existing keyholes. Moreover, the door hinge is simple to change once the enclosure has been populated. Alongside the high-quality 3D data and the Rittal Configuration System (which speeds up the selection and planning processes) the presence of such features as QR codes on all the panels to be machined makes it easier to integrate them into the production workflow. This then paves the way for cutting-edge digital monitoring at every stage; from goods receipt all the way through to completion. More flexibility Punched sections and rails can now be mounted on a 25-mm pitch pattern with the help of a universal bracket. The numerous mounting bosses both in the enclosure and on the inside of the door also permit customised expansion. The direct installation of accessories, such as support strips, punched sections and wiring plan pockets in the door means that plant constructors gain an additional mounting surface. As an added extra, the AX can be equipped with a mini comfort handle for all common lock inserts and profile semi-cylinder locks. Nuts are pressed into the rear panel of the enclosure to ensure stable fastening and mounting on a wall or pole. Wall-mounting brackets can easily be attached to the outside of the enclosure without the UL approval losing its validity. The enclosure can also be screw-fastened to a wall or a machine. Rittal offers the plastic enclosure range in 14 different enclosure variants ranging from 250 x 350 to 800 x 1000 mm (W x H). Eight of them are available with a viewing window and six without.

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