WEG commonly refers to its special outdoor enclosures as ?Bear Proof? units. Now we know why.
A panel supplied by WEG and installed in the north of New Mexico was recently subjected to a mauling by a hungry Black Bear. Chancing his paw in the hope of finding a potential meal inside, the bear decided to attempt to break through the twin door glass-fronted unit. However, unlike car windows, which regularly succumb to the will of hungry bears in the region, the WEG enclosure stood firm. As a result, the company has received an order for several hundred more units for use in the same region.
The panel design was originally a specific answer to the harsh climate in the Americas, where outdoor installations are routinely subjected to nature?s extremes. To protect the panels they are designed with twin glass-fronted doors, which enable the enclosure with its drive and associated equipment to operate at high latitudes in regions subject to snow and very low temperatures, and also in regions with high ambient temperatures up to 40?C.
Variations in temperature are accommodated by thermostat-controlled space heaters and an internal cooling system, while a positive pressure system is used to deny air entry in different parts of the panel. These measures, says WEG, keep the system in good order and ensure the panel door stays demisted.
?We do not have too many bears in the UK,? admits WEG UK product manager for drives, Graham Perry. ?But we do have enough applications that require special protection against the elements.?
