Rittal's AX plastic enclosures now approved for outdoor use

Now, says Rittal, a plastic enclosure will feature the same technology, resulting in an enclosure that makes installations quick and easy, gives great flexibility in terms of internal configuration and at the same time offers maximum safety and robustness. The plastic in the AX range is reinforced with glass fibres, giving a claimed seven times higher UV resistance as well as 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. Class II protective insulation for up to 1000V 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 an AX enclosure is fully populated. Intelligent design ensures that 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. The presence of numerous mounting bosses inside the housing is said to make assembly quick and easy for panel builders. The bosses allow accessories such as punched sections and rails to be directly screw-fastened internally, and also 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 subsequently 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, says the company. 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 variants ranging from 250 × 350 to 800 × 1000mm (W × H). Eight of them are available with a viewing window and six without.

More information about the new AX plastic enclosure range can be found at www.rittal.co.uk.