Date: 6/23/2022
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Dirty, dusty and wet environments can have a damaging effect on hoists and cranes, making it important to protect your investment by shielding components from the elements. Electrical enclosures must be able to protect against moisture and other particulate matter, which can have a long-term effect on equipment functionality. NEMA and IP are the two standard rating systems for measuring the level of protection of enclosures against foreign materials. Other protective features offered by R&M help further protect the mechanical aspects of the equipment and improve functionality in these environments.
The NEMA rating system stands for “National Electrical Manufacturers Association”, and is a standard used primarily for products in the United States and Canada. NEMA enclosures are classified by the location’s level of dust and moisture, ranking 1-13 depending on different environmental variables. An IP rating, which stands for “Ingress Protection”, is used mostly in Europe and Latin America, but is gradually becoming more common in the United States and Canada. The codes for IP ratings use two numbers – the first digit ranks protection levels against solids and the second ranks liquid protection. A ranking of 0 is equivalent to no protection and the highest-ranking digit indicates complete protection.
The appropriate rating for your equipment depends on its environment. An IP55 enclosure is suitable for indoors and provides the needed protection in a typical manufacturing environment. However, if your application is located outdoors or in a particularly wet and/or dusty indoor environment, an enclosure with an IP66 rating will protect your equipment from blowing rain, dust and snow.
Hoist and crane components are usually intended to operate indoors in controlled environments. However, when they are specially equipped with additional protection, they can operate in locations with special environmental considerations such as:
- Outdoors with or without a roof
- High humidity
- High or low temperatures
- Non-explosive dust
- High altitude
Knowing which ratings are suitable to specific environments makes it easier to purchase components based on your individual needs.
IP and NEMA rating standards help ensure that safety and reliability remain paramount during hoist and crane operation. R&M uses a package of factory recommended protection features tailored to meet needs of each unique environment while still providing a suitable IP rating. A clear understanding of application requirements allows projects to move quickly in every stage, whether design, installation or maintenance.
Download Our Applications in Special Environments Chart!
Want to learn more about how environmental application ratings apply to you? Call us at 800-955-9967 or contact us online to find a local distributor to help you.