In-house testing of industrial enclosures means faster development

01Nov

posted by: Chris Lloyd, Spelsberg UK

Testing an industrial enclosure to recognised standards ensures that the enclosure you've specified will do the job in real-world conditions. For product development or bespoke enclosures though, testing can delay projects unless a fast turnaround – still meeting exacting standards – can be achieved. Chris Lloyd, Managing Director at Spelsberg UK, explains the benefits of in-house testing to enclosure specifiers.

Whether an industrial enclosure is protecting a fire safety circuit or maintaining production at a factory, its structural integrity is of paramount importance. Assurance that an enclosure can meet the required performance comes down to testing and the most significant organisations that govern and issue standards for industrial enclosure safety and conformance are VDE and UL.

The German VDE organisation – combined with DIN, the German Institute for Standardisation – issues the German edition of the European standards, referenced as DIN EN. Meanwhile, UL is an American-based safety standard that certifies products as compliant to US standards, with cUL covering Canadian testing. VDE and UL marking not only signifies a durable, reliable enclosure, but also means worldwide standards recognition.

Spelsberg is virtually unique amongst enclosure manufacturers in hosting its own in-house approved test facility that is authorised to certify its enclosures to UL and VDE/DIN EN standards. To ensure full compliance is maintained, the lab is audited by both organisations on an annual basis.

Read the full article in PBSI's November issue