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White Papers

		Identifying Tray Cables for Your Next Installation - 05/07/12 Automation.com, May 2012 By TURCK Identifying Tray Cables for Your Next Installation helps operators in defining, selecting and understanding tray cable uses and standards.

		Making Wiring Easier – Push-in Terminal Blocks for Modular Machine Designs - 03/25/12 By Gordon Busch, Phoenix Contact Push-in terminal blocks not only reduce wiring time and operator fatigue, but also meet the stringent safety requirements of the machine building industry.

		Spring Connection Terminals offer Cost Savings on the Floor and in the Field - 01/19/12 Automation.com, January 2012 By John Bisson, Mencom Spring connection terminals offer ease of use and cost savings. The spring clamp termination eliminates concerns of loosening or disconnecting often associated with classic screw-type connections.

		Enclosures for hazardous areas: understanding the differences - 01/19/12 Automation.com, January 2012 By Gary Johnson, COOPER Crouse-Hinds UK When it comes to specifying enclosures for hazardous area electrical applications, engineers must ensure they fully understand IP protection ratings, as well as the implications of modifying an Exd or Exe enclosure prior to or after installation.

		Maintaining Uninterruptible Power Systems: the True Cost of UPS Ownership - 09/28/11 Automation.com, October 2011 By Michael. A Stout, Falcon Electric UPS selection is so large that consumers are often misled into buying a UPS on price alone, without fully understanding what they are buying or available options. For industrial applications, users face a costly learning experience if they buy a UPS on cost alone. Here’s what you need to know about buying a UPS.


		Expanding the Use of Smart Operator Panels - 05/14/11 Automation.com, May 2011 By Advantech One of the great benefits of smart operator panels is they can be used to provide HMI interfaces with many controllers. An operator panel can be connected to PLCs and other operator panels in a variety of useful ways, including remotely over Ethernet.

		Terminal Blocks with Push-In Technology Save Time - 05/03/11 By Gordon Busch, Phoenix Contact The newest generation of terminal blocks features push-in technology (PIT), which simplifies wiring and reduces installation time.

		Deploying intelligent power supplies to save energy - 03/21/11 By Ken Allwine, Phoenix Contact Today’s high-end power supplies are based on advanced primary switch mode power supply (PSMPS) technology. This improves the energy conversion process to the level where many power supplies boast efficiency levels of 93 percent or better.

		Find More Space in Your Control Panel - 03/15/11 By Eaton Optimize your panel designs. Learn options for distributing loads in industrial control panels and how to safely apply them, while adhering to Underwriters Laboratories® standard 508A and National Electrical Code®, NFPA® 70-2011.

		Know Your High-flex-life Cable - 02/05/11 By Northwire Cable designed to survive 10 million to 20 million flexing cycles is high-flex-life cable. It’s different from high-flex cable, which is designed to be supple and highly flexible. High-flex-life cable may actually feel stiffer than high-flex cable. The two products are distinctly different and mutually exclusive.

		Out of the Frying Pan and onto the Cable - 02/05/11 By Northwire Fluoropolymers possess special electrical properties and have a high resistance to solvents, acids and bases. These and other characteristics make fluoropolymers ideal materials for use in the manufacture of wire and cable products.

		Selecting the Right Cable for FOUNDATION fieldbus Control Networks - 02/05/11 By Northwire FF-844 is the new Fieldbus Foundation cable compliance specification. FF-844 includes the electrical requirements of ISA 50.02 and IEC 61158, but it also contains some additional requirements, which help you know your cable is the right cable for use in FOUNDATION fieldbus control networks.

		Non-metallic Enclosures in Outdoor Environments - 01/01/11 By Hoffman Enclosures can house electronic controls and electrical systems in outdoor applications, protecting sensitive components from extreme environments and hazards such as water, chemicals, temperatures, dust and dirt.

		Understanding The Concepts Behind Short Circuit Current Ratings (SCCR) - 08/23/10 By Yaskawa The adoption of NEC 2005 Article 409, which required proper SCCR markings on the panels, prevents accidental improper installation of the panels, limits the possibility of fires or other safety hazards, and allows for easy inspections to be performed. So what is UL508A 2001 Supplement SB and what is the process for using it? What is the Difference Between UL508A and UL508C?

		How to Select the Ideal Enclosure Gasket - 07/08/10 By Hoffman While gaskets are primarily used to exclude the external environment from entering an enclosure—such as dust, dirt, water, EMI and RFI—they can also be used to contain noise or other forms of interference generated from internal components.

		Mitigate Condensation Damage - 07/08/10 By Hoffman Electrical and electronic equipment are typically housed in an electrical enclosure to provide protection from the external environment. However, even with a sealed enclosure the introduction of moisture and water can result from a variety of circumstances.

		Select the Proper Enclosure for washdown environments - 07/08/10 By Hoffman Washdowns will remove all waste materials and residue from processing systems and controls, thereby preserving product quality. However, establishing a suitable washdown environment for the application at hand requires numerous steps.

		Apply Solar Shielding to Enclosures - 07/08/10 By Hoffman The temperature rise inside an enclosure above outdoor ambient is caused by internal equipment heat dissipation and solar energy absorption. This paper shows the beneficial temperature effects shielding the direct and reflective radiation from the sun.

		Global Enclosure Standards - 07/08/10 By Hoffman This white paper defines the industry standards that exist for electrical enclosures and compares the most commonly used standards -- IEC, NEMA and UL.

		Effective Cooling of Process Control Panels - 02/25/10 By Doug Wilson, Noren Products Choosing the appropriate and most cost and energy efficient cooling solution from the many types available requires knowledge of their individual strengths and weaknesses, and the ability to match that to the operational environment.

		Save space and costs with compact panel meters - 09/30/09 By Red Lion Panel meter development has remained relatively static the last few years. Today, new, cost-efficient devices with more advanced capabilities are available in a smaller package to accompany today's miniaturization trend.

		Applying Wireless to EtherNet/IP Automation Systems - 06/04/09 By Gary Enstad & Jim Ralston, Prosoft Technology While EtherNet/IP has many advantages, cable installation is often expensive, and communications to remote sites or moving platforms may not be reliable or cost-effective. Wireless Ethernet technologies have emerged that can now reliably reduce network costs while improving plant production.

		Prevent 24 VDC overloads from stopping production - 04/06/09 By Kai Bronzel, Siemens Advanced technologies require more intelligent protection. For today’s preferred switched mode power supplies, it means that circuit breakers and fuses are inadequate for protecting individual 24 VDC load circuits.

		Diagnostic Tools for PROFIBUS and PROFINET - 03/28/09 By Softing The most common problems of PROFIBUS networks are faulty cabling or connectors causing poor signal quality levels. In order to detect and identify those kinds of issues an engineer can either use an oscilloscope (and lots of experience) or an Electrical Tester for PROFIBUS that makes the job much easier.

		Changes to the NFPA70E Standard 2012 Edition - 04/16/12 Automation.com, April 2012 By Merson NFPA 70E is the standard for electrical safety in the workplace, and explains in detail how to prevent electrical hazards. The white paper identifies and explains some of the key changes.

		Advantages of Power Modules Compared to Discrete Solutions - 09/29/11 Automation.com, September 2011 By Vincotech System developers are becoming increasingly aware that the selection of power devices for remotely-sited applications is critical.

		An Introduction to K-Rated Transformers - 01/19/11 By SolaHD The "K-Factor" conveys a transformer's ability to serve varying degrees of nonlinear loads without exceeding the rated temperature rise limits.

		Thru-Panel Voltage Detection Fits NFPA 70E and CSA Z462 - 10/07/10 By Philip Allen, Grace Engineered Products Is a thru-panel voltage detector a safety device or just another electrical gizmo? The answer is both.

		What Makes MV Indicators Suitable for Electrical Safety? - 10/05/10 By Grace Engineered Products Medium voltage indicators (2K-43KVolts) offer positive benefits because they keep workers away from voltage and provide an answer to the 'Is there voltage?' question.

		Selecting Air Conditioners for Industrial Enclosures By Judith Koetzsch, Rittal White Paper identifies factors that should be considered when choosing air conditioners for industrial enclosures. Topics include internal heat loads, various methods used to rate the cooling capacity of enclosure air conditioners, the impact of ambient conditions such as humidity, and energy efficiency.

		Factors to Consider When Specifying Thermal Circuit Breakers By Albert Bürgler, Schurter Inc Thermal circuit breakers are insensitive to inrush currents that occur when switching on motors and transformers. In addition to specifying the rated current needed for the load, other parameters such as in-rush current, overload capacity, operating duty and ambient temperature should also be taken into consideration.

		Thermoelectric Cooling for Industrial Enclosures By Judith Koetzsch and Mark Madden, Rittal Using thermoelectric technology to cool industrial enclosures can provide a number of advantages over conventional cooling methods, such as refrigeration, air conditioners and heat exchangers. White paper discusses how thermoelectric coolers work, improvements in their efficiency, and advantages of thermoelectric cooling for industrial enclosures.

		Stainless Steel Enclosures in Industrial Applications By Nathan Xavier, Rittal This paper explores some of the technical details of stainless steel that are crucial to the selection of industrial enclosures including composition, distinguishing properties of different grades, chemical resistances, suitable applications and general benefits offered by stainless steel when compared to carbon steel enclosures.

		Economized Data Center Cooling By Daniel Kennedy, Rittal This paper explores the methods of economized cooling that can be used in the small-to-medium size data centers that are more prevalent in the industry today than their larger counterparts. A brief overview of system implementation is also included.

		The Benefits of Busbar Power Distribution Systems By Jerred Davis, Rittal This paper examines the benefits that a busbar system can provide to designers, integrators and end-users of industrial control panels, especially when compared to “traditional” block-and-cable power distribution solutions found primarily in the US.

		Building a Reliable VFD System By Brian Shuman, Belden Special consideration must be given to the proper installation and operation of the overall system that comprises the VFD, the motor it controls, and the cable that connects them. This paper is primarily concerned with the motor-supply cable in the VFD/motor system. It looks at some fundamental cable design considerations, and presents suggestions for installation.

		Signal Integrity in High-Speed Connectors By Markus Witte, HARTING Channel characterization has become a major signal integrity issue, and is requiring connector manufacturers of high-speed components to provide comprehensive and empirical SI test data proving that their equipment performs as specified.

		Confusion and misconceptions about NFPA-79 - 04/26/09 By Northwire Different interpretations of NFPA-79 have generated articles in trade publications and on Web sites, in white papers and in discussions and debates. This paper provides information to sort out the misperceptions perpetuated about NFPA-79.

		The Practical Benefits of Modular Industrial Enclosures By Nathan Xavier, Rittal Modular freestanding enclosures offer a number of key advantages when compared to traditional unibody enclosures. Many times these attributes are overlooked either out of a false perception of increased enclosure costs, a reluctance to change or a simple lack of awareness to the possible benefits of modular solutions.

		Cabling Requirements for Harsh, Industrial Applications By Peter McNeil, L-com White paper explains the difference between traditional commercial controlled environments and harsh, industrial environments as well as the type of cabling and interconnectivity products to specify when designing networks for the latter. Includes information on the two popular standards for measuring and rating harsh environments, IP and NEMA.

		Conformal Coating Protects Ethernet Switches - 04/13/09 Conformal coating acts as protection against moisture, dust, chemicals, and temperature extremes that could result in a complete failure of the electronic system. Applications include mining, metal industries, oil & gas, chemical processing and food and beverage industries.

		Specifying the Correct Enclosure Material - 02/23/09 By Hoffman Many attributes can affect an enclosure's performance, but selecting the correct enclosure material is a key element in ensuring long enclosure life. These tips will assist in determining the correct enclosure material for the application at hand.

		Preventing electrical shock with proper grounding techniques By Jim Gregorec, Ideal Industries In an electrical system, the grounding system is the primary protection against electrical shock hazards. Using proper grounding techniques, testing and maintaining a good electrical ground and installing protection devices are the best ways to protect people and equipment from electrical shock.

		Best Practices for Terminating Copper Cabling By Dan Munch and Sheri LindhartPayerle, Ideal Industries Although the process of terminating twisted-pair copper cabling may seem to be relatively simple on the surface, the issues involved with properly creating robust connections for today’s high performance LANs can be particularly challenging

		Chloride white paper discusses protection of electronics in industrial settings - 10/29/08 "Protecting Mission Critical Electronics In The Industrial Environment," recommends that manufacturers safeguard critical systems in poor power environment.

Automation.com Real-time Information for the Automation Professional May. 25, 2012

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