Compact and economical 1/8 DIN panel-mount instruments are available for most industrial signals from manufacturers like Laurel Electronics. In addition to providing a local display in engineering units, such instruments can incorporate relays for local alarm or control, an isolated analog output to serve as a transmitter, and serial communications, such as Ethernet, USB, RS485 and RS232.
A challenge in many applications is that the instrument may need to be installe
d in a remote location of a plant where an instrument panel is not available and where harsh operating conditions are expected, such as oil fumes and dust. Waster washdown by means of a hose is often a reality — one which is not appreciated by microelectronics. So questions are, where do you install the instrument, and how do you procted it from the environment.
An economical solution is Model Box1 1/8 DIN Wall-Mount Enclosure by Laurel Electronics. This unit can be bolted to any vertical surface and provides a hermetically sealed enclosure for an 1/8 DIN size instrument. It provides environmental protection to IP65 / NEMA-4X. It comes with a 1/8 DIN (45 x 92 mm) panel cutout and can accommodate an instrument up to 134.5 mm (5.30″) deep. This includes all 1/8 DIN instruments by Laurel Electronics and most 1/8 DIN instruments by other manufacturers. The two clamshell halves of the case are joined by an O-ring. The rear mounting holes are outside of the sealed compartment. Wire feedthroughs are via three sealed cable glands, which accept cables up to 6.1 mm (0.24″) in diameter. Captive stainless steel screws and high-impact polycarbonate provide durability.
This leave the question of how to provide IP65 / NEMA-4X protection from the front of the instrument. In case of Laurel Electronics, the problem is solved by the instrument itself, whose bezel is gasketed and whose front panel is sealed to IP65 / NEMA-4X when panel mounted. A further level of protection of the front of the meter can be provided by Laurel Electronics’ IPC Splashproof Cover.
