February 6, 2013 - R. STAHL has obtained a formal Fieldbus Foundation registration for series 9411/21 and 9411/24 isolating device couplers. Soon after the FF-846 test specification became available, these couplers were among the first to be tested and registered by the Foundation. Designed for economic Zone 1 and Zone 2 fieldbus installations, the user-friendly products feature a unique power management: during start-up of a fieldbus segment, each coupler’s Softstart feature energizes one spur after the other. This reduces the inrush current on a segment by up to 50 %, which means that less spare energy is required, and longer segment lengths become possible.
In case of multiple short circuits per coupler, short circuit handling limits the current flow to no more than a single spur to prevent an overload of the segment. Signal and error status are displayed via clearly laid-out, multi-coloured LEDs. The 8-spur variants of the isolating couplers are the same size as commonly available 4-spur models. Two 8-spur couplers will suffice for typical fieldbus segments with up to twelve devices, but will require about 30 % less space and lesser expenses. Giving a total of 16 connections, this compact and cost-efficient two-coupler solution also provides four spare spurs for future extensions, ready to be used at any later time without additional measures or investments.
The couplers allow users to choose between the different grounding and shielding concepts as described in FF AG-181, such as Single Point, Multiple Point and Capacitive Grounding. They are suitable for use in zone 1, zone 2, and US division 2, and are available with plastic or stainless steel housings, which can be tailored to customer requirements. Zone 1 isolating device couplers from R. STAHL were recently chosen by Indian oil company IOCL for their huge refinery in Paradip. Nearly 7000 of these devices in customised stainless steel enclosures have been supplied for this project to date.
Company Background
For more than 80 years, R. STAHL has been a trendsetting manufacturer of safety technology for hazardous areas. Based in Waldenburg, Germany, the company is one of the world's leading suppliers of explosion-protected automation, control and distribution, installation, operating and monitoring, lighting, signaling and alarm components and systems. Key products include customer-specific systems solutions for hazardous areas. R.
STAHL's individual packages containing tailored product combinations and a wide range of services such as consulting, project planning, engineering and training courses for customers are designed to fully meet application requirements and customer needs. International certifications, approvals and patents demonstrate the company's expertise and allow for R. STAHL's products to be used throughout the world.
