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Protect your electronics from overheating with intelligent ventilation systems that optimise the performance and service life of your control cabinets.

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Heat build-up in the switch cabinet

A control cabinet is a housing that contains electrical and electronic components as well as control devices. It not only protects these elements from dust, moisture, mechanical damage and unauthorised access, but also ensures the safe control and distribution of electrical energy. Since the devices contained within generate heat during operation, effective ventilation is often essential. Without adequate air circulation, overheating and performance losses can occur. Typical components of a switch cabinet are fuses, relays, contactors, switching power supplies, controllers such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), terminals, circuit boards and wiring. The design and size of a switch cabinet vary depending on the area of application, whereby all designs must comply with certain standards such as IEC, UL or VDE. Areas of application include industrial automation, building automation and power distribution.

Overheating not only leads to temporary failures, but can also cause permanent damage to sensitive electronic components. This can result in costly repairs and production downtime.

Consequences of heat build-up

Heat build-up can have various negative effects:

– Overheating of components: Electronic components are often sensitive to high temperatures and can fail or be damaged if they overheat.

– Reduced service life: Constantly high temperatures can significantly shorten the service life of components.

– Loss of performance: Some electronic devices can no longer function optimally at high temperatures and their performance is impaired.

– Safety risks: Overheated components can pose a fire risk and jeopardize the safety of the entire system.

Measures against heat build-up

The following measures can be taken to prevent heat build-up:

– Cooling and ventilation: Use of fans, air conditioning systems or heat exchangers to control the temperature.

– Heat dissipation: Use of heat sinks and heat-conducting pastes to dissipate heat from critical components.

– Optimized arrangement: Strategic placement of components to allow better air circulation.

– Monitoring: Installation of temperature sensors and monitoring systems to control the temperature in the enclosure and to be able to react to overheating at an early stage.

Combating heat build-up with ventilation systems

An intelligent system for preventing heat build-up in switch cabinets combines various technologies. These include strategically placed temperature sensors that measure the temperature at several points inside the cabinet. The data from these sensors is transmitted to a central control unit. This unit, which can be based on a programmable logic controller (PLC) or a microcontroller, analyses the incoming data and controls intelligent fans with variable speeds. These fans flexibly adapt their performance to the current cooling requirements by specifically extracting warm air from the enclosure.

Communication modules based on protocols such as Modbus, CAN bus or Wi-Fi enable remote monitoring and control of the system. A software dashboard visualises the temperature data in real time, displays the status of the fans and triggers alarm messages if necessary, for example if critical temperature limits are exceeded or the fans fail.

Temperature sensors

Continuously record temperature data at strategic points in the control cabinet, enabling precise monitoring of heat development.

Intelligent fans

EC fans with variable speed automatically adjust their output and ensure optimum cooling with minimum energy consumption.

How the intelligent cooling system works

The temperature sensors continuously record the measured values and forward them to the control unit. This analyses the data and automatically determines the speed of the fans. As temperatures rise, the system increases the fan power to quickly dissipate the heat. As soon as the temperatures drop again, the fan speed is reduced, which saves energy and extends the service life of the fans. If, despite all measures, a problem occurs, such as a fan failure or persistent overheating, alarms are immediately sent to the monitoring system or to the operators. In addition, the system analyses historical temperature data to continuously optimise the cooling strategies.

Important functions of the cooling system

  • Continuous temperature monitoring at multiple points
  • Automatic adjustment of fan speed based on temperature data
  • Energy savings through demand-based fan control
  • Alarm system for critical temperatures
  • Optional: Connection to higher-level building technology

Example scenario

When the temperature in the control cabinet rises, the sensors react immediately and report the values to the central control unit. This increases the speed of the fans, ensuring efficient dissipation of the warm air. When the temperature drops again, the system automatically reduces the fan speed. If a fan fails or the temperature remains critical, an alarm is triggered immediately so that appropriate measures can be taken.

Frequently asked questions

A control cabinet is a housing for electrical and electronic components such as controllers, fuses, relays or power supplies. During operation, these components generate heat that must be dissipated to prevent failure or damage.
Heat build-up can cause electronic components to overheat. This not only impairs their performance, but also shortens their service life. In extreme cases, overheating can even pose a fire hazard or lead to costly production downtime.
Cooling and ventilation solutions are used to prevent heat build-up, such as fans, heat exchangers, air conditioning units or heat sinks. Good component layout and clean wiring also improve air circulation.
Temperature sensors monitor the heat distribution in the control cabinet in real time. They send the measurement data to a control unit, which automatically adjusts the fan control and triggers alarms if necessary.

An intelligent cooling system consists of temperature sensors, a control unit (e.g. PLC), EC fans with variable speed and, if necessary, communication modules. It analyses temperature curves and dynamically regulates fan output – for greater efficiency and safety.

If the temperature in the control cabinet rises, the fans are automatically turned up. As soon as the temperature drops, the system reduces the fan speed. If the temperature remains too high despite cooling or if a fan fails, an alarm message is immediately generated.

• Continuous temperature monitoring
• Automatic fan control as required
• Energy savings through optimised speeds
• Alarm function in case of overheating or fan failure
• Optional integration into building technology via Modbus, CAN bus or Wi-Fi

Yes: If the temperature in the control cabinet rises due to heavy loads, the sensors register the change and report it to the control unit. This increases the fan output. As soon as the temperature returns to normal, the fan is regulated down again. If critical values are reached, an automatic warning message is sent to the system or the operator.

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