Heaters, air conditioners, and cooling units from Seifert all help to regulate enclosure temperature. Maintaining the correct temperature inside an electrical enclosure or control cabinet is important for the condition of the devices inside. Temperatures that get too high or too low can cause equipment damage, shorten their lifespan, and reduce their performance. Sensitive electrical devices all must work within an operational temperature range, and should not be exposed to temperatures beyond that range for a prolonged period. The number of devices inside, how often they run, ambient external temperature, or exposure to sun are all examples of factors that can affect control cabinet temperature.

The most obvious type of industrial thermal management is cooling. Electronic devices give off a lot of heat while they run, which can cause heat build up if they are in an enclosed space. As previously stated, overheating can lead to a lot of problems. There are several different Seifert solutions for keeping temperatures down, including filter fans, air conditioners, and thermoelectric coolers. Filter fans draw hot air from inside the cabinet to the outside area. They also use filters to prevent outside dust and dirt from getting inside. In simple terms, air conditioners use refrigerant with a compressor to draw in warmer air, cool it down, and send the colder air back out. They are useful for applications that warm up quickly and need things to cool down fast. Air conditioners can be set to a specific temperature and can keep things cooler than the surrounding air temperature. Thermoelectric, sometimes called Peltier, coolers are ideal for applications that do not need a high rate of cooling. They have no moving parts or refrigerant, using instead an electric current to transfer heat from one side of the unit to the other. A heat sink is connected to the warmer side to dissipate it away.

Heating up a control cabinet may not seem ideal, but certain conditions may call for it, particularly if the cabinet is outside or exposed to winter cold. Temperatures that are too low not only lead to operational issues, but the heat generated by the devices can condense into liquid. That liquid then runs the risk of dripping inside the devices. From there, short circuits, corrosion, or rusting can happen. Heaters like the ones offered through Seifert keep the inside warm enough to stay dry and prevent moisture build-up. Like the cooling units, there is more than one heater option, including fan heaters and PTC heaters. Some heaters use a fan to pass cold air over a heating element and send the warm air back out into the cabinet. PTC heaters use a resistor to limit the heat emitted as inside temperatures rise, and increase the heat as the temperature drops.

Seifert air conditioners include the Progressive series and the Slimline series. The Progressive series features a programmable digital thermostat and ranges from 1000-21170 BTU/hr. The Slimline series has a low-profile housing and ranges from 1090-5120 BTU/hr. Slimline units have no filter and need little maintenance. Both can be used indoors or out. The thermoelectric Peltier coolers are made for smaller enclosures where the cooling capacity is not as high. Like the Slimline A/Cs, they require almost no maintenance aside from condensation management. They range from 100-2730 BTU/hr. The selection of filter fans can be mounted without tools and the filter media can be easily replaced. They range in size from 4.2 x 4.2” to 12.8 x 12.8”. The heaters are designed to be space saving while operating with little noise. The fan heaters have an integrated thermostat and low starting current while the PTC heaters operate within a larger voltage range. Fan heaters range from 125-800W, while the PTC heaters range from 25-350W.

Seifert industrial thermal management solutions will help ensure that your control cabinets and electrical enclosures will adequately protect the devices inside. Using the proper equipment will keep your sensitive electronics working correctly and efficiently.