Cool Components once again leads the way with introducing Harsh Environment Products
With an IP68 rating, we chose the highest level of protection versus those that will inevitably market 'Harsh Environment' but with lesser ratings. Our products are fully sealed to protect from water, dust, and basically anything you can put the units through. while we don't expect anyone to submerge the fans, we simply believe if going to do something, do it right, do it the best you can and the bottom line is the IP68 rating is the best you can buy. Other levels do provide some level of protection but the irony is the cost is negligible, it just comes down to if a company is fully committed to quality and thus their customers.
IP Rating Information - We like to be straight forward so lets cut to the chase, the first number in the rating addresses dust resistance. While there are levels 1-4, the more common you'll see are 5 and 6. Level 5 means 'dust protected' while level 6 means dust tight. The second number refers to moisture protection and goes like this: Level 1: Protection against dripping water, Level 2: more aggressively dripping water, 3: Spraying water, 4: Splashing Water, 5: Water jets, 6: powerful water jets, 7: immersion up to 1m depth, 8: Can immerse the fan in water to more than 1 meter. Now apply that our Rating is IP68, the best available.
Application - Now what does the IP rating really mean and how does it equate to electronic systems? The most common application for the IP fans in the residential market will be outdoor applications where heat, humidity, and perhaps salt air may be an issue. Ironically while it may seem more dramatic to have water spraying on the units, it's much more demanding to be exposed to constant humidity which permeates even moderately sealed surfaces. For this reason we believe the best choice is a fan designed to be fully and permanently sealed.
For commercial applications, the IP68 rating is a no brainer and it really is a 'one size (rating) fits all'. Be it in a dusty and dirty shop environment or with chemicals present or really any situation constituting a harsh, more demanding application where air movement is necessary. An example is in our shop we own a large CNC Router/Milling station and use the harsh environment fans for the electronics on the system.
Common applications are as mentioned, outdoor and shop conditions, but more specifically, outdoor LED lighting and solar applications, refrigeration and HVAC (extreme temperature applications), various IT/telecom, appliances, automotive, CCTV, and solar inverters.
Harsh vs Normal Fans - We're anticipating the feeling that harsh environment fans are better quality, that they add to longevity and are simply a better higher quality choice. This is not correct as our standard fans are well proven in common electronic environments, even with moderately dusty environments. We can say this with having fans out in the market for over 15 years now so please only consider and order HE fans if they are absolutely required. We just hate to see people purchase anything under false pretenses. The HE fans simply are sealed. It is the same motor and bearing system, the only difference is the sealing of the motor and electronic components.
Available Products - We are offering our HiFlo Lite, HiFlo System, and the Ceiling Vent System in Harsh Environment versions. In the near future we will have several other products available with the HE rating so please inquire if have a special need or application.
Where Available - The products are only available at Tech Supply Depot, please visit www.techsupplydepot.com
