Protecting electronics from dust and corrosion
Working with an instrumentation OEM to solve problems with premature failure of electronics in dirty environments
Overview
After mining, copper ore is processed and purified. Control systems and equipment used during processing is likley to be exposed to a dirty, dusty and potentially corrosive environment. To avoid shortening the lifetime of sensitive electronics, enhanced environmental protection measures are required.
Project Brief
The customer's application was located in an area with high levels of metallic dust (Copper) and corrosive gases (SO2), and they wanted to prevent premature failures of critical electronics. At roughly 3m³, the controls enclosure was very large and, even with extra efforts to eliminate leakage points, the customer was still concerned that dust and gases would enter via door seals, hinges, windows, and multiple cable entries.
This OEM already worked with Expo on hazardous area systems, so had confidence that we could come up with a solution.
Challenges
- Requirement to continuously maintain a high level of ingress protection.
- Large internal volume and number of potential leakage points
Outcome
- After reviewing the design, the problem was addressed by providing Expo's environmental pressurization system, the MiniEPS which added to the protection already provided by the enclosure. (The Mini EPS can pressurize enclosures of up to 7m³ volume).
- Maintaining the customer's enclosure rating was important, and the Expo solution allowed the system to be NEMA 4X / IP66 compliant.
Expo Products and Services
- Mini Environmental Pressurization System (Mini EPS)