Enclosures

Enclosure ensures lift passengers can make emergency calls

19th July 2018
Alex Lynn
0

A UK supplier of passenger lift controls has adopted Spelsberg TK enclosures as the housing for one of its latest products, with the aim of ensuring it is well protected against environmental conditions and physical damage.

A newly developed GSM Communicator has been designed to replace traditional analogue telephone lines for use with lift autodiallers, which are used to contact a service team in the event of a breakdown or other unusual event. GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) is a cellular network, which mobile phones connect with when making calls.

The main advantage of the communicator is that it eliminates the expensive monthly line rental and support costs associated with traditional hard wired phone systems. Further, it is not reliant on third party support, is quick to install and, once loaded with a SIM card, is ready to operate. It can be tested and reset remotely, eliminating the need to call out telephone engineers.

The operating environment within a passenger lift may seem benign, but in fact there can be extremes of temperature, dust, dirt and humidity. Also, there is always the chance of shock loads and accidental impacts during busy times; in some installations there is even the possibility or deliberate vandalism.

Based in Telford, Spelsberg UK is a manufacturer of a diverse range of electrical enclosures and accessories. Founded in Germany well over 100 years ago, Spelsberg has a long history in the design and continual development of protective electrical enclosures.

Assessing the requirements for the Communicator’s enclosure, Spelsberg considered several options from its extensive range and concluded that its TK model was a near exact match to the application requirements. By selecting appropriate standard accessories, all the needs could be met.

Technically speaking the chosen TK enclosures are made of polycarbonate and have an integrated polyurethane cover gasket. TK units are also available in glass fibre reinforced polycarbonate and aluminium. They are usually supplied with a transparent or opaque polycarbonate lid or hinged door, with the opaque lid being the favourable choice for this project.

Their IP66 environmental protection rating confirms they are dust tight and able to withstand powerful water jets. This means that even in worse case scenarios the communicator is well protected and able therefore to perform what could be its critically important duty.

The enclosures are also resistant to most acids and alkalis and have an IK07 impact resistance rating. Their operating temperature range is -35 to +80°C, while their flammability rating of VDE 0471, UL94, 960°C / V2 makes them safe for use in confined spaces such as lift cars.

TKs are available in a range of standard sizes from 50x52mm to 360x 254mm and with three cover heights.

David Mills, an Applications Specialist at Spelsberg stated: “There is a comprehensive range of accessories with which the TK enclosures can be customised to meet exact application needs. The whole TK range, aluminium and plastic, is designed for ease of use. As a result, it is very popular across many sectors including industrial, retail, commercial, domestic and institutional. They are particularly good for applications where extra physical strength is required or where a long operating life is expected.”

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