Ventilation and thermoregulation with STEGO solutions
TME – Review of equipment for control cabinets and automation.
The STEGO brand is a renowned German manufacturer specializing in products essential for implementing industrial automation systems. These are proven, efficient heating, lighting, and ventilation components that can be purchased directly from TME warehouses.
In the following overview, we present the complete range of STEGO in our catalog: from the smallest components such as cable glands to heaters, fans, and even sensors and IO-Link standard controllers. This assortment should be familiar to everyone looking for proven and efficient components optimizing operations in machine parks or ensuring high durability of telecommunication and IT infrastructure.
In this article, we cover topics such as:
- Optimization of environmental conditions in control cabinets
- Cabinet lighting and ease of servicing and maintenance
- Proper ventilation of industrial controllers
- Heaters and blowers for regulating cabinet temperature
- Overview of smaller STEGO installation accessories
- Automated control of temperature and humidity
- IO-Link standard controllers, hubs, and sensors
Control Cabinet Equipment
One of STEGO’s specializations, visible in a large part of the supplier’s assortment, is accessories for control cabinets – primarily in the area of lighting and temperature control.
Lighting
During maintenance, servicing, and modernization of control systems, lighting of control cabinets significantly facilitates the work of electricians. The best solutions here are energy-efficient lamps based on LEDs and maintenance-free, automatically switched on. STEGO offers several such solutions. The simplest are modules integrated with motion sensors – as shown in the photo below.
02534.1-00
In this case, the lamp fixture is connected with an American-type network socket.
The lamp has an intensity adjustment switch, but activation can occur automatically thanks to a wide-angle PIR sensor. Additionally, selected models feature built-in network sockets, typically used for connecting power tools or measuring instruments.
Another method to automate lighting in distribution cabinets is to use door switches, which mechanically open the circuit when the door is closed. Suitable, universal components of this type are also part of STEGO’s assortment.
Many STEGO lamps are adapted for chain (cascading) connection. The manufacturer supplies convenient cables with polarized connectors for this purpose. These are also available from the TME catalog.
Lighting requires DC power for operation, but there are models designed for standard mains voltages across a wide range (e.g., 100…240V AC). Among the models, different color temperatures (cool, neutral, warm), power/brightness (up to 16W and 560lm) can be found. It is also worth noting that the products are adapted to wide ambient temperature ranges (even from -40°C to 60°C).
Cabinet mounting, depending on the version, is done using screws, special clips, or with integrated magnets, attaching the device to the metal enclosure wall.
Ventilation
Components placed in control cabinets are key and often complex devices, whose operation determines the efficiency of entire production lines, machine operation, and, in some cases, even human safety. Proper cabinet ventilation is the fundamental means to ensure electronic and electromechanical modules optimal environmental conditions, and thus, long-term and reliable operation.
STEGO fans are supplied with a protective grille that prevents the mechanism from being blocked and gives the installation an aesthetic look. Importantly: in many cases, they also provide a high protection class, mainly against dust, at the IP54/IP55 level. DC versions feature performance up to 233m3/h, while AC versions reach up to 1458m3/h (available in versions adapted to mains voltages 115V AC and 230V AC, covering both global standards). A wide range of sizes is offered, from 92x92mm to 291x291mm. Connections are made directly to power cables or screw terminals.
It is worth noting the offer of complementary products, including basic accessories: ventilation grilles (in the form of housings and frames) and dust filters (spare parts for the above).
Heating Elements
Most often, ventilation serves to cool elements placed inside the control cabinet. However, often ensuring optimal environmental conditions involves the opposite problem: excessive cooling of the interior, which may negatively affect some sensors, electromechanical components, reduce battery/accumulator life, and also lead to moisture condensation, consequently causing corrosion, short circuits, etc. The heaters offered by STEGO prevent excessive temperature drops – they work perfectly both in industrial automation installations and in energy, road infrastructure, or telecommunications, where relatively sensitive circuits operate under changing weather conditions or precipitation.
STEGO heaters are based on semiconductor PTC elements (Positive Temperature Coefficient), ensuring rapid, energy-efficient heating occurring within a precisely defined range.
The supplier offers various formats of such heaters, including elements mounted on DIN rails, screwed to enclosure walls, or mounted in fan cross-sections. Many have an ingress protection rating of IP67. Available power ranges from 5W to 250W, and supply voltages range from 12V DC to 240V AC (depending on the model).
To ensure even heating of the interior, the heater typically works in conjunction with a ventilation system. STEGO also supplies blowers where a fan is combined with a heat-emitting element. A wide variety of these solutions is available in the TME catalog. They feature power up to 1.2kW and airflow of up to 160m3/h. The offer includes both screw-mounted devices (e.g., optimally positioned relative to ventilation openings) and DIN TH35 rail-mounted versions. Most products require an external thermostat (or a more complex controller) to switch the blower on, although integrated heaters with control systems are also available. The range includes solutions designed for DC circuits as well as direct mains power supply, facilitating selection and installation.
Network Sockets
The STEGO brand produces many basic components used in control cabinets, e.g., network sockets for DIN rails, often installed as additional emergency power connections or to facilitate service/maintenance work.
Sockets feature a very simple connection system: spring terminals with release buttons located on the front of the housing. The manufacturer offers, among others, models protected by a fuse placed in an easily accessible socket. Sockets are made in many world standards, not only European (British, French, German – Schuko, Italian, Swiss) but also global (Japan, USA). They support voltages up to 240V AC and currents up to 16A (depending on regional standards and the installed fuse).
Other Accessories
When it comes to control cabinet accessories, it is also worth noting many smaller products from STEGO’s offer. Via TME, one can purchase e.g. cable glands, pressure-compensating entries, and drying elements (a plug with a semi-permeable membrane allowing water vapor, accumulated due to weather changes, to escape from the enclosure/cabinet).
Environmental Conditions Control
In addition to actuators and accessories, STEGO’s portfolio includes a wide selection of solutions designed for control and regulation of environmental conditions, and even for creating systems of industrial and building automation. The basic products within this range are various types of thermostats. These include adjustable versions, as well as factory-calibrated elements set to standard temperature values. From the assortment, one can choose versions with lower or upper activation thresholds, single- and dual-channel (for example 15°C and 50°C), designed to control both heating and ventilation/cooling installations. These are universal solutions, intended for small-scale applications such as the control cabinets described above, but also for monitoring conditions in warehouses, tanks, food storage areas, etc.
Temperature and humidity sensors
HVAC installations serve not only to regulate temperature but also humidity. This functionality is desired especially in spaces where chemicals/foodstuffs, fertilizers, substrates etc. are stored. Similarly, moisture content control in the air is required,like in server rooms. Therefore, besides thermostats, STEGO offers hygrostats and combined sensors. In general, environmental controllers come in DC versions (up to 28V) and AC (mains voltages) and can control loads drawing currents up to 16A (directly), which suffices for most typical air conditioners, heaters, fans, etc.
IO-Link System
IO-Link is an open communication standard for sensors and actuators in industrial automation. Since data transmission occurs directly (point-to-point), it allows easy real-time management of multiple components. Moreover, communication is bidirectional.
Many manufacturers offer compatible, standardized Plug&Play solutions, enabling simple and cost-effective system scaling. This is further facilitated by standardized wiring.
Automation installations using IO-Link consist of a controller (serving as a gateway between IO-Link and a higher-level system; for STEGO solutions, this is an Ethernet network and a cloud service operated by the supplier), sensors (various types, most often environmental condition sensors), and hubs – passive splitters connecting multiple sensors to the input-output port of the bus.
STEGO supplies all these components.
Relay module with three outputs for circuits and an IO-Link connector.
It is worth noting that a “hub” in the context of the IO-Link system may also refer to an actuator module, for example relay type, as in the case of model 07200.2-00. It supports 3 outputs rated at up to 10A current for 240V AC and up to 30V DC, with tolerance for AC inrush currents up to 16A for a maximum period of 10 seconds. Commands are sent by the master system (PLC, server, STEGO CONNECT platform cloud), received by the hub through IO-Link, and executed at the output. This enables the implementation of a modern IIoT system (Industrial Internet of Things) using minimal resources and simplified installation.
Pressure and temperature sensor
Basic sensors compatible with IO-Link by STEGO are compact, pre-calibrated solutions boasting a high degree of protection (e.g., IP64), with a standard industrial M12 connector. They can perform their function within industrial, ventilation, building automation installations, etc. The TME catalog includes STEGO-offered pressure and temperature sensors, air quality, and light intensity sensors.
Complementing the above offer are ultrasonic (proximity) sensors and current transformers. The former operate at distances of 0.3…4.0m and are enclosed in plastic housings measuring 98x35x27mm, with universal brackets for screw mounting. Current transformers are designed to detect and measure currents up to 100A. The sensor output may be analog (current 4…20mA) or digital (IO-Link). This enables remote control of large loads and energy consumption monitoring.
Text prepared by Transfer Multisort Elektronik Sp. z o.o.
