The most critical element that shapes a panel design project must be addressed at the very beginning of a project: where is the completed unit going to be installed? This very basic question dictates the type of protection the enclosure must provide to the equipment. The switchgear inside the enclosure must be protected from the environment, and the plant and people around it must be protected from electrical dangers.
Continue reading “Panels 101: Designing and Building Control Panels”
Q: I’ve been buying explosion-proof enclosures and devices from Kele, and I must say that the Hazardous Locations section of your catalog is a gold mine of hard-to-find products! Now I need an explosion-proof control panel with a few pilot lights and externally operable selector switches mounted on the door of the panel.
Can Kele help me with things like that too? Can I build such a panel in the field?
Continue reading “Tech Talk: I need an explosion-proof control panel with a few pilot lights and…”
Let the games begin!
The 2018 Winter games have begun! So far, we have seen some terrific skating, spectacular snowboarding, and intense bobsledding. The games have showcased a great deal of technology, and much of it is driven by cloud resources. To ensure everything is executed on time and lights stay on, a tremendous amount of power resources are required.
According to ComputerWeekly.com, Atos, the lead system integrator for the games, promised in 2014 that systems crucial to the functioning of the games would be in the Cloud by 2018. And they delivered! In the past, Atos would typically design a new system for each Olympic event, such as skiing. This time, they were able to build systems for all events at once and deliver information and data through the Cloud. This means the Atos system can now deliver results to the media in just 0.3 seconds from the 12 venues that will make up the PyeongChang games.
One question we’d like to ask is “How are they ensuring the lights and power stay on after the show has started?” We bet they used a variety of power monitoring and temperature control devices. Automation contractors know that real-time monitoring and temperature control are imperative to make sure the equipment within a data center is safe and operating at the optimal conditions. Humidity and air quality control issues are two culprits that could take down a data center.
Kele offers several categories of products which are used to ensure data centers do not fail. If you are starting your own data center project, we recommend you first begin your venture by selecting the appropriate temperature and duct sensors to make certain your center is protected.
Excerpts of blog provided by Schneider Electric
Continue reading “The Winter Olympics and Data Center Power”
Our technical panel team has over 100 combined years of experience in designing and assembling custom panels. As a value-added service to our customers, our team completes an accuracy review of each schematic panel diagram checking for potential errors and omissions. Ninety-five percent (95%) of the time, if an issue is discovered, the mishap occurs in one of two areas.
When all of the possible combinations of timing states and initiating device transitions are considered, a stronger word than “confusing” may be in order! Below are some timing diagrams and sequences of operation in simple terms that may be of help. Since it is an electronic circuit that is energized rather than a coil, the initiating device is most often referred to as the control input.
Continue reading “Tech Talk: Timing relays are confusing to me. Can you explain the difference between single-shot and interval timers? What happens if the output driving the relay changes state during a timing sequence?”
Day 2 was jam-packed with one-on-one business meetings, product showcases, and technical tours. The size of this event is incredible. I continue to be impressed by the crowds! I am confident this event will spark some of the biggest deals in the HVAC and BAS industry in 2018!
Being the leading distributor in the BAS market requires many points of contact with suppliers, manufacturers, and customers at events like the AHR 2018 Expo. The entire Kele executive team, along with our sales directors, product managers, and the new outside sales team are at the show to bring back the information you need to be successful. As the manufacturers continue to push out new and innovative products, Kele is here to make sure we are ready to serve and support you.
Some of the newest products, technologies, and innovative changes are listed below. A few of these items are already available in the Kele portfolio! Be on the watch for the others to come!
Have questions or comments about the show or products mentioned? Comment below and we’ll get you an answer!
In case you missed it, don’t forget to check out Day 1 at ASHRAE here.
Kele is here at ASHRAE looking for the latest and greatest products and technologies to serve you! If you couldn’t make it to the show this year, we’ve got you covered. Our goal is to meet with companies and uncover new ways to make your job easier. If you are at the show, we hope to chat!
It is no surprise that the conference boasts a whopping 65K in attendance, including 2K vendors! Day 1 was fantastic, and the crowd was excited! The Internet of Things was a hot topic with both vendors and key speakers. As for new products and technologies associated with the Internet of Things, all I can say is “Wow!”
There are several “cool” (pun intended!) thermostats with BACnet technology featured at the show this year. They enable individuals to control temperature devices remotely. I cannot wait to share more about the topic of cloud controlled monitoring devices when I return. And that is just the tip of the iceberg!
Stay tuned…in partnership with our suppliers, we will be bringing back a ton of new ideas!
Want to read more about the event! Day 2 at ASHRAE is now available here.
Most people that call Technical Support are aware of popular Functional Devices’ products like RIB® relays, current sensors, power supplies and transformers, but we offer many other products that do not fit into one of those categories. In this blog, I will spotlight one such product, model RIBMNA1D0.
Features
The RIBMNA1D0 is a track mountable, manual analog override switch, and it provides override feedback to a controller. This product allows the user to make manual adjustments to the control signal for an end device at the point of use, instead of back at the controller, which is great for testing and maintenance purposes. It offers four different analog output ranges (0-5Vdc, 0-10Vdc, 0-15Vdc and 0-20mA) selectable by jumpers, which will cover most analog control scenarios.
Function
The controller’s analog output would connect to the RIBMNA1D0’s Signal (+) and Signal (-), and the Output (+) and Output (-) would connect to the device being controlled. The jumpers would then be set to match the analog signal coming from the controller. In Auto mode, the device passes the signal from the controller on to the end device, and the Feedback contact will be Open. When manual override is needed, the switch is put in the Manual position, and the Feedback contact will Close. Now the analog signal to the end device is being generated by the RIBMNA1D0, and it can be adjusted with the on-board potentiometer. The LEDs on the board indicate the percentage of full scale that the output is at.
If the need for a manual analog override ever pops up in one of your projects, this product is just for you.
Have more questions or not quite what you are looking for? Kele has an experienced technical support team you can call or email for help!
Rob Benson joins Kele, Inc. as Chief Sales Officer, coming from the Johnson Controls field, branch, and regional network. Rob started his career as a sales engineer in Miami, Florida and continued gaining responsibility in leadership roles over 29 years with Johnson Controls. As a former customer, Rob appreciates Kele’s ability to positively impact the BAS contractor by simplifying their supply chain and delivering an unrivaled customer experience through personalized solutions, innovative technology, an unparalleled product offering, and world-class logistics.
“I was attracted to Kele because of the energy of the team and the momentum around creating a world-class customer experience, not yet seen in the building automation industry,” Benson said.
“I could not be more thrilled for Rob to join the Kele team. His experience leading high performing sales teams along with his knowledge of the HVAC construction process will enable Kele to deliver game-changing solutions for our customers in 2018,” said president and chief executive officer of Kele, Richard Campbell.
In the production plant of Kuhn Champignons AG, seven to eight tons of mushrooms are produced daily. To accelerate the growth, an artificial “autumn climate” is created. Under the ideal temperature and humidity, the mushrooms grow, ripen and become ready for harvest within three weeks.
But after 30 years, the existing plant and hydraulics were obsolete and no longer met the current standards of sustainable production. Therefore, the entire plant had to be renewed for the purpose of saving energy and switching to variable amounts of water. Read more
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