Indoor enclosures are not exposed to the influences of the weather, unlike those used outdoors. Thus, solar radiation is usually an insignificant factor, due to lower temperature fluctuations condensation occurs much less frequently, and precipitation and frost are not an issue. Nevertheless, indoor enclosures must also permanently withstand multiple exposures especially in industrial environments. Depending on where they are located, they are exposed to dust and dirt as well as mechanical forces or chemical substances . In addition, safety-related electrical installations must be reliably protected from unauthorised access and from vandalism .
It is in these precise cases that customers are able to relay on Spelsberg industrial enclosures, which demonstrate their strengths both indoors and out. High degrees of protection of up to IP 69 and solutions with replaceable filter elements make them dust- and water-tight, preventing the ingress of both dirt and moisture. To avoid damage from external forces, the products also demonstrate impressive levels of resistance with degrees of protection against impact of up to IK 09. Like those in the GEOS series, the enclosures and switch cabinets are also available with lockable cover or door systems , to effectively prevent undesired interference. Apart from the standard enclosure, Spelsberg also offers versatile customisation from simple redesigns to new developments , providing an expert and flexible response to any requirement.
Robust Solutions for Industry 4.0 - With GEOS for the Open Source Manufacturing System
Berndt Contec - Individual Spelsberg enclosures for cooling controllers
Wassertrüdigen flood protection system - GEOS for safe switching of electrical installations
Apex customised wiring solution - Tailor-made cable glands and ideal box dimensions
Tailor-made enclosures ensure optimum electrical installation quality in pod bathrooms
Light, impact resistant, water- and dustproof - these are characteristics demanded by UMH Systems GmbH of the enclosures needed for the hardware of their innovative United Manufacturing Hub. The GEOS series from Spelsberg fully meets all these demands.
The Open Source solution from the Aachen-based company is used to extract and analyse data from production facilities. To this end, the hub comprises both software components and what are known as united factorycubes, which can be connected by plug & play to all commercially available IoT systems as well as facilities in the production and processing industry.
The data gathered there are displayed in a dashboard and can be evaluated in real time. In that respect there is also an urgent need in the industrial arena: Many firms are pushing ahead with short-term pilot projects relating to Industry 4.0 and beyond that need a reliable infrastructure. In order to remain competitive in the future as well, a switch to networked production, as offered by the United Manufacturing Hub, is essential. This allows companies to optimise their manufacturing processes, to operate predictive maintenance by means of status analyses, and to make important contributions to improving the quality of their processes.
Fields of application of the hub range from hygiene areas in the pharmaceuticals industry, through to filling systems in the food industry and as far as the extremely harsh environments of heavy industry such as steel machining. Accordingly, to protect the hardware components robust, reliable, enclosures were needed able to permanently withstand the external influences. After an extensive trawl of the Internet search for suitable solutions the attention of those searching was drawn to Spelsberg's industrial and outdoor enclosures.
Shortly after contact was made, the experts in electrical installation and enclosure technology put forward a product solution that fitted the bill involving empty enclosures from the GEOS series. Because even under difficult conditions these are able to withstand the effects of weather, temperature, chemicals or force without problems. The corrosion-proof outdoor housings have a high impact strength of IK 09 and conform to protection IP 66/IP 67/IP 69. In addition, the wealth of models and numerous customisation options are impressive.
Together with the customer, the experienced Spelsberg team has developed a special adaptation of the GEOS enclosure with drill holes, recesses and individual printing. "During the development phase in particular, the staff at Spelsberg were always by our side giving expert advice. They provided us with best practices and appropriate ideas for modifying the enclosure to meet our expectations. This means that we are now in a position to in turn offer our customers a robust and reliable hardware solution without the need for compromises on the technical level", is how Alexander Krüger, Executive Director of Operations at UMH Systems GmbH, assesses the collaboration.
Depending on the application industrial enclosures must meet a wide variety of requirements, which standard designs are not always capable of doing. In such cases customers are able to trust in the expertise of Spelsberg and place the entire development and production process in the capable hands of the enclosure specialists. The latter will then also modify standard production models or develop completely new enclosures. BERNDT CONTEC GmbH & Co. KG has also benefited from customised solutions in its search for suitable enclosures for its high-performance cooling controllers.
For more than 30 years now, the company has been the go-to contact for control systems for temperature measurement, regulation and monitoring, particularly in industrial settings. As the chief sales partner of LAE ELECTRONIC S.p.A. it equips cooling solutions worldwide with the best components and manufactures tailor-made special printed circuit boards and switch cabinet systems. In the construction of customised systems in particular, experts rely on rapid response times and maximum flexibility. Solutions from BERNDT CONTEC are inspected ex-works according to VDE guidelines, fully programmed, and preset to customer requirements according to system-specific parameters.
For the enclosures for its in-house developed standard refrigeration controllers, amongst other products, the company was seeking a partner able to handle individual enquiries in a flexible and solutions-oriented manner. From its independent research it quickly became clear that both the service portfolio and the broad range offered by Spelsberg satisfied the set requirements. "In the first phase of development of our standard cooling controller it was particularly important for us to find a manufacturer able to mill the front using the negative method and whose enclosures have a modular design. Spelsberg fitted the bill perfectly", explains Christoph Kauer, Certified Technician and Product Manager at BERNDT CONTEC GmbH & Co. KG. Together with the Spelsberg team they quickly forged ahead, targeting a production-ready end product. TG PC and AK empty enclosures form the basis of the cooling controllers. For the AK 14-L and AK 28-L Spelsberg developed and produced a closed cover with a customised tool insert. These adaptations ensure that countersunk assembly of a master switch and the functional film is possible using indentations and holes.
Thanks to uncomplicated and flexible customisation by Spelsberg, to date BERNDT CONTEC GmbH & Co. has placed more than 25 different models on the market and continues to rely on a cooperative partnership with the experts in enclosure technology: "Collaboration with Spelsberg has been excellent. The highly committed staff always find the right solution for us, with which we are able to both achieve our aims and fully satisfy our customers", says Christoph Kauer in conclusion.
For reliable protection of electrical installations with multiple installation possibilities combined with maximum flexibility, GEOS empty enclosures are the right choice. Features such as the intelligent, tool-free installation system for variable equipping with application type components, and their level of resistance, make them the perfect solution for the most varied of applications. And this is also the case in a flood protection system switch room in Wassertrüdingen, Middle Franconia. GEOS provides protection there for external switchgear against overvoltage.
The flood protection measures in Wassertrüdingen coincided with the holding of the Gartenschau 2019 (Horticultural Show), for which Wassertrüdingen had put itself forward in 2014 and was chosen as the winner. In the Gartenschau application documents, the plans of the Ansbach Water Authority for flood protection measures were implemented as a fixed component of the State Horticultural Show. The aim was to incorporate flood protection in a creative and sophisticated manner into the urban and rural landscape.
An essential element of the flood protection measure was ensuring landside interior drainage via a total of five technical systems, for the control and regulation of which fixed premises were built. Elektro Habermann GmbH of Weitlingen was tasked with providing the necessary electrical plant. Amongst other things, they installed power and control units in a false floor of the switch room together with the associated lines to the pumps and sensors in the outdoor area. To provide long-lasting protection of the components against overvoltage, enclosures were required in which the components could be housed without problems.
GEOS empty enclosures from Spelsberg in resistant polycarbonate were chosen. These combine durability with flexibility of assembly, so that customer requirements are always met when they are fitted with equipment. "We were impressed by the GEOS enclosures as they are high-quality products with a very good price-performance ratio. During assembly we benefitted from the huge variety of expansion possibilities and in practice we are able to count on the stability and safety of the enclosures", is how Electrical Engineer Daniel Pattloch of Elektro Habermann GmbH explains the decision to go with GEOS. Since then the control units have done their job with comprehensive protection, and thereby provided flood protection for the region.
Spelsberg produced the individually adapted enclosure TK 1818 for a motor starter solution from Siemens. The enclosure specialist from Sauerland provides a short-term and cost-effective, customised housing for the time-sensitive projects with a delivery period of 14 days.
“We found a partner in Spelsberg that brought impressive expertise and the necessary mechanical equipment, who, like us, also sets high standards in quality,” said Thomas Mielke, Solution Support Product Manager at Siemens AG in Leipzig and project manager for the creation of customer-specific solutions. “Collaboration with Spelsberg is very professional and smooth. They provide quality products exclusively and a service offering that is plain to see.”
In the implementation of the order, Spelsberg relied on a standard plastic empty enclosure from its extensive assortment. The TK 1818, made of durable, impact-resistant plastic was provided with a built-in element and precise openings. “Thanks to our machining centre and a reliable partner network, we can implement such changes affordable and quickly,” said Volker Leck, responsible product manager at Spelsberg. “In order to ensure flexibility for future applications of the motor starter, we chose a versatile enclosure available in our offering, an empty enclosure of the TK series.”
The enclosure from Spelsberg moves into the British classroom. English provider of wiring system, Metway, uses the products from Germany as an enclosure for its “Classroom Control Box”. The Box enables simple, efficient and cost-effective lighting control in classrooms.
The overall control unit for up to 15 luminaires is accommodated in a flat enclosure of the TK series from Spelsberg. Metway selected the flat version of the 254 mm-long and 180 mm-wide product, TK PS 2518 from a total of 13 polystyrene basic enclosures of the TK series.
The “Classroom Control Box” project is not the first collaboration between the two companies. A close, long-term partnership has connected Metway and Spelsberg. However, it was not the only reason that Spelsberg products were chosen. “We were convinced that Spelsberg could adapt the enclosure precisely to our specifications,” explained Rob Crookes of Metway.
The inside and outside of the housing are precisely adapted to the plug connections of Metway that are used in the box. The Spelsberg experts developed tailored “boxes” for light control according to Metway specifications. “Our modular injection moulding tools made it possible for us to quickly and affordably adapt our enclosure to Metway requirements. Our versatile TK series was particularly well-suited in this case,” explained Volker Leck from Spelsberg.
The result of the collaboration between Metway and Spelsberg is an optimised “Classroom Control Box”. They make the lighting of the classroom more efficient and the pre-assembled product also assures significantly reduced efforts in the installation and cable installation. Energy and cost savings of around 20 percent in relation to conventional classroom lighting are achieved with the lighting control unit.
The highest quality of workmanship, reliability in continuous use and cost-effectiveness are key aspects when selecting suitable enclosures for electrical installations. With a broad product range, a comprehensive chain of expertise and many years of know-how, Spelsberg fulfills these characteristics comprehensively. Consequently, many companies rely on the manufacturer's products in a wide range of applications. Protea Tech is also a regular customer.
The company from Filderstadt in Baden-Württemberg is responsible for the planning, construction and operation of control systems in the renewable energy sector. For more than 20 years, this has included the group's own wind turbines and their integration into virtual power plants for forecasting the energy produced on the electricity exchanges. This is ensured by a corresponding direct marketing control system within the plants. In addition, Protea Tech has been entrusted with the implementation of demand-driven night-time marking (BNK), which will be mandatory for both existing and new onshore wind turbines from January 1, 2024. The BNK ensures that turbines with a total height of 100 m or more are illuminated when approached by aircraft and are therefore perceived as an obstacle, and that they do not disturb neighbors.
Protea relies on enclosures from Spelsberg for the control technology for direct marketing and for the BNK. Empty enclosures from the TK-PS and AKL series are used for indoor installations. The former are used to protect BNK receivers inside the nacelles of wind turbines, while the AKL 3-gh industrial enclosures are used for the control technology for direct marketing and for the BNK interfaces in transformer stations.
“We have been using Spelsberg products for years and have had good experiences with the enclosures themselves as well as with the joint development of solutions with the manufacturer's team. With the customizable products, we benefit from the high quality of workmanship and high degrees of protection at economical prices,” says Ingo Lange, Managing Director of Protea Tech, explaining the decision in favour of Spelsberg.
A quick CNC modification to the robust TK electrical enclosure allowed AWS light controllers to be fitted in half the time, thanks to tailor-made cable glands and ideal box dimensions, and safely wired in the roof space.
The AWS system replaces the traditional wiring of electrical sub-circuits through a rapid and simple series of easy to install advanced, prefabricated, plug connectors and cable assemblies, which have allowed the installation time to be reduced by up to 70%.
System assembly and installation is primarily a matter of quality, reliability, simplicity and speed of installation.
Spelsberg enclosures in the TK series are sealed with an IP66 rating and available in a variety of dimensions including slimline units for use in control and measurement devices and in general lighting systems. All models in the series include DIN rails and holders for PCBs and can be easily adapted to a broad range of other components and cable glands.
The series is supplied with standard covers, which can be easily modified to integrate control switches, indicators, keypads and LCD displays. Robust transparent versions are also available allowing an examination of the state of the circuitry.
First generation bathroom pods were perhaps somewhat functional, but their ease of installation, saving time and money, won the day. Over the years, the concept has developed such that today's pods include all the features and equipment found in a comfortable and modern bathroom.
The installation of pod bathrooms is based on Spelsberg TK enclosures. These are empty enclosures built according to a quality standard, and suitable for use in demanding environments. They are made of glass fibre and reinforced polycarbonate and are supplied with a polycarbonate cover. They have dual membrane seals and insulating plugs, to ensure full protection of indoor electrical connections. They are available in a range of sizes and can be adapted to customer needs where necessary. Prior to delivery, the enclosures are pre-assembled with DIN rails and terminal connectors.
There is generally one switch cabinet per pod, meaning that all connections are located at one central point. Thus, when installing on site, only one set of connections is necessary and as soon as the similarly efficient sanitary installations have been connected up the bathroom is fully functional and ready to use.
Many aspects are taken into consideration by Spelsberg, such as, for example, the degrees of protection and the general robustness, which are necessary for the various applications, simple and rapid mounting, and the available space for the intended equipment.
GFK pods are generally used in student accommodation, care homes, military facilities and refurbishment projects. Steel frame pods are generally used for construction of residential and home buildings.
