The purpose of any enclosure appears at first glance to be pretty straightforward: It basically protects the electrotechnical components on the inside from influences or conditions on the outside. An enclosure that is resistant to moisture and dust and complies with the appropriate standards should pretty much do the job. To help plant engineers, the process of fitting out the enclosure should also be as straightforward and quick as possible. The reality, however, is often different. In many cases, a great deal of time is invested in improvised solutions as a work-round and often also rigged-up and devised at a moment’s notice. However, if you calculate all these additional steps, the time, effort and cost start to really add up. Sometimes, the result does not even meet professional standards. The situation becomes especially critical when holes need to be drilled in the wall of the enclosure to attach components and approvals are invalidated as a result. Consequently, this can result in a time-consuming and costly inspection of the entire installation. Not so with the AX compact enclosure, which offers well thought-out and ingenious solutions.

• Customer benefits at a glance

  • Thanks to its accessories, the AX is the first compact enclosure with a system of its own
  • Versatile installation and fit-out capability due to the 25mm pitch pattern system replicated from the VX25 large enclosure giving VX component compatibility – for example VX punched section with mounting flange, VX support rails, VX cable clamp rails
  • Improved use of space in the enclosure thanks to additional mounting levels
  • Simple installation with no need to drill the enclosure – protection classifications are maintained
  • Increased load-bearing capacity up to 100 N, automatic potential equalisation
   

PATENTED MOUNTING LOCATORS

The AX offers a patented system of stamped mounting locators and, to­gether with its interior installation rail, replicates the familiar 25 mm pitch pattern system of the VX25 large enclosure. This means that the AX compact enclosures ready for any upgrading and retro­fitting requirements. System components and accessories can be installed and retrofitted on rails easily, quickly and securely, with no drilling required.

UL CERTIFICATION IS RETAINED

AX compact enclosures carry UL approval and meet the technical standards for the North American market. If the user drills holes into the enclosure wall in order to attach accessories, re-certification will need to be carried out – except when the components that are used have an FTTA certification in accordance with UL, which the accessories for the AX compact enclosure do.

EVERYTHING NEEDED FOR INSTALLATION

Smaller enclosures often need to be installed on a wall or installation pole. The accessories range also includes the appropriate components for these needs. UL certification is retained after installation because the fastening ­components themselves are also UL-certified.

INTERIOR INSTALLATION RAIL

Rittal has developed an interior installation rail that can be fitted to the mounting locators and therefore installed easily on the side or roof surfaces without having to machine the enclosure. It clamps itself to the enclosure for a stable and secure hold. The rails provide additional space outside of the mounting plate for the application.

CABLE GLANDS

Cable glands are often installed in the base. Increasing levels of automation and the growing numbers of sensors introduced by Industry 4.0 applications mean that more and more signals are being sent back and forth. Since these signals are usually carried by cables, the number of cable glands needed in an enclosure is also increasing. Rittal has a wide range of suitable solutions that ensure great flexibility.

ACCESS PROTECTION

There are also ideal solutions for access protection, such as a lock cylinder with a security key. Locking system accessories, such as multi-point locks or lock box covers, complete the access protection range.