Explosion-proof enclosures simplify
maintenance of fire and gas detection systems

PDC Systems, a leading supplier of hazardous area electrical instrumentation, is using explosion-proof enclosures from Cooper Crouse-Hinds (CEAG) to protect fire and gas monitoring and control systems that it supplies to a wide range of hazardous gas applications. The enclosures provide high reliability and easier access for the end user to carry out maintenance work on internal controls.

Located on a new half-acre site in Kintore, Aberdeenshire, PDC Systems is a provider of hazardous area electrical instrumentation and control systems to the global petrochemicals industry. Established in 1993, PDC Systems designs, manufactures, installs and commissions monitoring and control panels for use in oil and gas, petrochemicals, nuclear, chemicals and other applications where explosive gas or dust is a risk. The firm currently employs 15 staff and has an annual turnover of £2 million.

The CPFG (combined pressure fire & gas) range of panels from PDC Systems is installed in numerous applications around the world. These pressurised panels incorporate a range of different control and instrumentation systems - typically PLCs, contactors, power supplies, and so on - that monitor fire and gas levels in hazardous environments. The CPFG panels are renowned for their reliability and ease of maintenance.

As Richard Cowling, (pictured above), Director and joint owner of PDC Systems comments: "We began using the CEAG EJB 241-M1 enclosure in 1999, following discussions with Ross Cook, Senior Sales Engineer at Cooper Crouse-Hinds UK, on certification, service, product quality and reliability."

"As well as being very pleasing aesthetically, the EJB enclosures have proven to be extremely reliable for us over the last eight years or so. We haven't had a single reliability issue, which is very important to our customers. The enclosures are also much easier to access for maintenance than most competing products. There is adequate depth both from the front and back in order to carry out maintenance work, without having to blind guess where you are putting your fingers. For our customers, downtime is money and so a reliable, easily accessible enclosure is critical," Cowling continues.

This ATEX-certified aluminium enclosure has cast iron front panels and is protected to EEx d IIB T6 - T4 (IP65). The enclosure measures 680mm by 474mm by 295mm, and is rated to 690V, 1200A. (Refer to the two pictures above).

PDC Systems asked Ross Cook to provide a viewing window in the enclosure, which would enable the end user to view LED displays on the PLCs at all times. As Cowling explains: "Cooper Crouse-Hinds incorporated a viewing window in the enclosure, which means that we can sit in our offices in Aberdeen and discuss any maintenance or installation issue with an on site engineer. As long as the engineer can tell us which LEDs are flashing, we can usually diagnose the problem and guide them through a step-by-step solution over the telephone, all done remotely without PDC having to send a service engineer to site. It also means the customer's engineer doesn't have to open the enclosure, which would require a hot work permit. The viewing window and overall reliability of the enclosure and control system minimises downtime for the customer."

"We are experiencing particular demand in export markets and around 60 per cent of our control systems are now exported to the USA, The Middle East and Far East. Over the past two years, the business has grown by around 30 per cent. As a company, PDC Systems has always placed great emphasis on maintaining its quality standards and building good relationships with clients. It is these qualities, along with a focus on trust and integrity, that I believe will be key to business success in the difficult market conditions over the next year," explains Cowling.

In addition to supplying enclosures and other electrical equipment certified for ATEX environments, Cooper Crouse-Hinds also offers other hazardous area electrical equipment to IEC and NEC standards, as well as other international approvals for Eastern Europe, China and North America.

Cooper Crouse-Hinds (UK) Ltd
As part of the Cooper Industries Group, Cooper Crouse-Hinds (UK) Ltd is the number one company in the field of explosion protection. Committed to technological progress, the company develops and manuactures a range of products that cover all the requirements currently placed on modern, explosion-protected, electrical installation technology, including illumination, safeguarding, signalling, controlling, instrumentation and distribution of electrical energy in potentially explosive atmospheres. In the company's production plants in Germany, England and Spain, the company manufactures a wide range of products for explosion protection.

Cooper Crouse-Hinds supplies products that comply with all the latest directives and standards - worldwide. In addition to systems and components built to ATEX standards, the company also provides solutions that have been certified to both IEC and NEC standards. Moreover, the company also has a large number of other national approvals, e.g. for Eastern European countries, China and North America. With Cooper Crouse-Hinds you can get all you need from one source.

For further information, e-mail: info@ceag-crouse-hinds.co.uk or view website: www.cooperindustries.com

Calibration guide now available from Dickson

Quality managers and others responsible to maintaining the integrity of temperature and/or humidity chart recorders or data loggers, can now download a comprehensive guide to all aspects of instrument calibration at the Dickson website: http://www.dicksondata.com/calibration/calibration_order.php .

Chapters of this online guide include: 1) Explanations of why calibrations are required. 2) Review of calibration methods to choose from. 3) A step-by-step guide to developing calibration schedules. 4) "Before" Data considerations. 5) Best fit applications for 1-point, 3-point and custom point calibrations. 6) Glossary of calibration terms. 7) Optional Calibration Club registration.

Chris Sorensen, Dickson VP Sales and Marketing explains, "All instruments lose accuracy over time due to normal usage and the environmental conditions to which they are exposed. Periodic NIST certified calibrations maintain the accuracy of your instrument throughout its life.  This guide is designed to make it very easy for users of chart recorders and data loggers to navigate the many choices in calibration approaches to find the one that is best-matched to their application requirements."

Product and calibration inquiries can be directed to Dickson customer service at 800 - 757 - 3747, FAX 630 - 543 - 0498 or by writing Dickson, 930 South Westwood Avenue, Addison, IL 60101, USA.

Dickson Company and its web portal www.dicksondata.com offer the world's widest selection of data loggers and chart recorders to monitor temperature, humidity, pressure, or electronic signals.  Product inquiries can also be sent to chris@dicksondata.com .

New silicone gel tape & chip vibration isolators
from AAC feature superior damping performance

Advanced Antivibration Components (AAC) offer a new Silicone Gel Tape & Chip Vibration Isolators. These isolators, identified as the V10Z62MGT and V20Z62MGC Series, are designed for light to medium loads. The gel tape is stocked in 1000 mm lengths and in 3 thicknesses: 1 mm, 2 mm and 3 mm. Each of the 3 thicknesses is available in 2 widths: 10 mm, and 20 mm.

The chip isolators are priced per sheet of 25 chips. The chips come in thicknesses ranging from 3 mm to 10 mm. Three sheet sizes are available: 10 mm x 10 mm, 15 mm x 15 mm, and 20 mm x 20 mm.

An important feature of these metric isolators is their ability to operate effectively over a very wide temperature range of from -40° C to +100° C (-40° F to 212° F). They offer excellent chemical and weather resistance and are low in compression set and are perfect for use in narrow space applications. Performance remains the same even after repeated use. They feature low resonance magnification and are stable with minimal horizontal deflection. They contain nothing harmful and are therefore considered environment-friendly.

Quotes, online orders, and 3-D models of this remarkable, low-cost material are available at our new AAC eStore: http://www.vibrationmounts.com/Products.htm.

Additional technical specifications are contained in Catalogue V100, available free upon request from Advanced Antivibration Components (AAC), 2101 Jericho Turnpike, Box 5416, New Hyde Park, New York 11042-5416. Tel: 516-328-3662. Fax: 516-328-3365.

For the third year, SOURIAU wins AIRBUS Supplier of the Year Award

SOURIAU has been honoured with the 2009 AIRBUS Supplier of the Year Award in recognition of the best global performance during the suppliers´ SQAL Electrics Conference held in Toulouse on December 15th 2009.

SOURIAU, one of the world leaders in aerospace connectors, has been named supplier of the year 2009 by the AIRBUS center of electrical excellence. This award confirms SOURIAU´s world leadership in connectors for commercial aircraft. The criteria that have enabled SOURIAU to stand out from its competitors are the quality of its products, logistic excellence and high reactivity in the development of new products. SOURIAU is one of AIRBUS´ main suppliers for on-board electrical and optical connection equipment. AIRBUS partner for many years now, SOURIAU continually invests in its industrial facilities and in the development of new technologies such as high-power transmission, composite materials or very high speed signal transmission via copper or optical lines.

"We are particularly proud to win this award for the third year. It is the result of the involvement of the whole company in the total quality strategy and in the constant improvement process in all our sites especially in French and Moroccan production facilities for several years. We are also proud to be the leading supplier of composite circular connectors for both new generation of commercial aircrafts as B787 and A 350," explains François Calvarin, Chairman of SOURIAU.

For further information, view website: www.souriau-industrial.com   Refer to page 117