The future of energy is digital
New enclosure technology for Industry 4.0.
How can plant engineers in the energy sector automate and industrialise their value chain processes in line with Industry 4.0? What do enclosure solutions for energy storage devices, photovoltaic converters and solar tracking systems equipped for the digital future look like? What type of system technology is required to develop an all-encompassing infrastructure for e-mobility charging stations? From 15 to 17 May, Rittal is appearing at “The smarter E Europe”, a trade fair dedicated to energy, in Munich to provide specific answers to these and many other questions and present practical solutions. Among its star exhibits are the new AX and KX small and compact enclosures, as well as the new VX25 enclosure system.
With a view to achieving future economic success, the process of networking and digitalizing value chains offers plant engineers significant opportunities for boosting their productivity. Under the banner “Answers 4.0”, Rittal is appearing at “The smarter E Europe” fair to demonstrate the genuine benefits of digital technologies.
For example, Rittal offers solutions and products that enable panel building and switchgear manufacturers to lay the foundations for gradually forming an entirely digital value chain. Its portfolio ranges from engineering and system solutions for enclosure technology and automation systems such as cable processing machinery through to hand-held tools.
New enclosure technology for Industry 4.0
Other responses to the challenge known as Industry 4.0 come in the shape of the completely new AX and KX range of compact and small enclosures on show at the fair, not to mention the new VX25 enclosure system. Ensuring plant engineers are even better equipped for digitalization, these enclosures feature digital elements that make them the perfect match for the digital value chain in panel building and switchgear engineering. Besides high-quality 3D data and configuration tools, examples include QR codes on all the panels to be machined that make it easier to incorporate them into the production workflow, thereby paving the way for cutting-edge digital monitoring at every stage – from goods receipt all the way through to completion. The first enclosures will be available from summer 2019.
Simpler assembly in photovoltaics
To reveal what other practical benefits these new developments offer, Rittal is showcasing system solutions for housing the control and power electronics used in photovoltaics. The manufacturer is presenting the brand-new AX and KX, for example, as the ideal enclosure systems for integrating solar tracking system electronics. These small and compact enclosures simplify and speed up assembly, increase versatility and boost reliability. Fitting doors and locking systems, for instance, is now easier as generally no tools are required. Another advantage is the additional space that the AX and KX offer compared to their predecessors, with their modular design, optimised cut-outs and larger gland plates freeing up to a third more space for routing cables, on average. Rittal is also demonstrating how converter systems can be easily integrated into enclosures with the new VX25 enclosure system.
Infrastructure standards for storing energy
Rittal components are suitable for developing infrastructure solutions for energy storage systems, too. Ranging from standalone enclosure systems to end-to-end container solutions, the company’s selection of standardised, coordinated, globally available and certified components provides system integrators and plant engineers with mechanical, power distribution and climate control solutions from a single source, meaning the only thing left for them to do is to integrate their battery modules. As a case study for an energy storage enclosure, Rittal is presenting the VX25, in which all standard battery modules can be integrated with ease and tool-free. As proof of its ability to solve the challenges facing the growing energy storage market, Rittal is also showcasing energy storage enclosures from the companies Commeo and Tesvolt.
Secure charging stations for e-mobility
Equally eager to demonstrate its expertise as a system partner for e-mobility infrastructure, Rittal is showcasing an enclosure concept from Enercon for e-mobility charging stations based on the CS Toptec outdoor enclosure. The system technology used provides the electronics with maximum protection and safeguards against vandalism. The Rittal presentation is rounded off with an Edge Data Center as the ideal IT basis for all smart mobility solutions.
