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Rittal Releases New Line of Enclosures with NEMA and UL Ratings

February 17, 2021 by Sara McCaslin

Rittal announced the release of a new fiberglass-reinforced polyester enclosure line that are not only rugged and durable but engineered with an eye toward the future.

Rittal’s new enclosure line is designed to withstand harsh environments. Unlike the older AX/KX models, these new enclosures are reinforced with fiberglass.

 

Rittal AX non-metallic enclosures represent a departure from their more traditional stainless steel and sheet metal enclosure solutions. Image courtesy of Rittal.

 

Rittal AX Fiberglass Enclosures

Rittal is best known for designing and manufacturing enclosures and racks for both industrial and IT applications. With 30 years of experience in engineering wall-mount enclosures, they recently announced a new line for harsh conditions, AX fiberglass-reinforced polyester enclosures. These enclosures are designed to protect electrical components in extremely rugged conditions, both indoors and outdoors, as well as facilitate installation by smart technology.

 

Harsh Environment Performance

Rittal already makes sheet steel and stainless steel enclosures, but the AX fiberglass-reinforced polyester series is made from fiberglass with a polyester matrix. While it possesses many favorable material properties, polyester alone does not have the durability and strength needed for an effective harsh environment outdoor enclosure. Using glass fibers with a polyester base results in a far tougher, impact-resistant, stiffer, and more durable enclosure. 

According to Rittal, the AX fiberglass-reinforced polyester enclosures maintain high UV resistance (UL F1 according to UL746C), environmental protection (UL Type 4X according to UL508A), and fire protection (corresponding to UL 94 V-0). This makes them appropriate for outdoor applications where they will be exposed to elements and strong weather. 

The Rittal AX fiberglass enclosures have a durable double seal with an integral rain protection strip along the door’s top and bottom edges to further protect from the ingression of rain, water, and dust.

 

Installation, Configuration, and Scalability

The AX enclosures have also been engineered for ease of installation and freedom of configuration. They are installed via a mounting plate that screw-fastens from the front of the enclosure onto pre-assembled bolts. They can also be retrospectively earthed via machined keyholes. Wall mounting brackets are easily secured from the outside, and door-operated switches can be directly attached to mounting bosses. In addition, it is easy to mount a door stay on an AX fiberglass-reinforced enclosure with no additional machining required.


The Rittal AX fiberglass-reinforced polyester wall-mount enclosures have all the necessary certifications for use worldwide. Image courtesy of Rittal.

 

For mounting rails and punched sections, they have a 24 mm pitch pattern and a universal bracket. Part of this design choice reasoning was to make it feasible for smart technology to perform the installation. The smart enclosure design allows for interior installation without compromising the encapsulated space (it can retain its high protection category up to IP 66/NEMA 4X and protection class II).

In addition, the Rittal AX enclosures are highly configurable. They have a mini-comfort handle that can be used with type A lock inserts as well as security and push-button inserts or profile half-cylinder. These enclosures are available in 14 variants (all with high UV resistance) and can be ordered with or without a viewing window. 

Rittal developed the AX fiberglass-reinforced polyester enclosure product line with an eye toward the future. It was purposely configured to be installed using smart technology and easy to scale as well as set the standard for Industry 4.0-compliant enclosures. There are many applications and environments for which they can be used, ranging from airports and railways to wastewater management and factories.