Few industries demand more of equipment and hardware than oil and gas production, and the energy sector in general. Offshore rigs, for example, operate in notoriously exposed and hazardous conditions

Power generated from solar and wind sources use sensitive electrical components and batteries that if exposed to the elements can cause system failure. As a result, stringent safety and process restrictions are required and equipment must be kept in secure, robust enclosure units.

Most enclosures for wind and solar applications are located outside and must be able to withstand exposure to extreme temperatures, excessive humidity or dryness and weather conditions such as rain, ice, wind and snow. 

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Scenarios and sub-sectors involving Enclosure Hardware in energy, oil & gas production

• Fire systems
• High voltage and distribution solutions
• On and offshore installations for oil & gas
• Solar farms
• Wind farm sites
• Energy utilisation
• Power distribution

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Specific enclosure products and applications in the energy, oil & gas sector

Applications:

• Transformer cabinets
• Transformers
• Battery crates

Enclosure hardware products: 

• Locks
• Hinges
• Handles
• Latches
• Locking Systems

Telecoms enclosures serve a vital purpose: to house, organise and protect the valuable equipment needed for modern communications. Found in multiple locations, including outdoor and even hazardous environments, it’s crucial that these enclosures provide sufficient protection from weather conditions, theft and tampering as well as cyber security threats

Telecoms equipment includes a great deal of electronics and fragile components such as power supplies, switches, modems, routers and cables. These items must be protected from dangerous substances and environments, whether they are located indoors or outdoors, to avoid damage from factors such as:

• Adverse weather conditions such as wind, rain and ice
• Moisture and corrosion
• Dust and particulates
• Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)
• High temperatures and fire risk

In order to withstand these conditions, telecoms cabinets are often made from robust materials such as galvanised steel, powder-coated steel and stainless steel formed in different sizes and formats, often with single or double door openings.

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Common scenarios involving enclosures in telecoms

• Mobile telecoms infrastructure – e.g. satellite, 3G, 4G and 5G
• Broadband distribution - FTTH (Fibre to the Home)
• Broadband distribution - FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet)
• Enabling Internet of Things (IoT) devices
• Supporting Industry 4.0 and 5.0 products and networks

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Enclosure Hardware and applications used in telecoms

Applications: 

• Data centre
• Server rack cabinets
• Control panels
• 5G enabled cabinets

Enclosure hardware products: 

• Locks
• Hinges
• Latches
• Handles
• Gaskets

Heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) operations span a wide range of applications, involving numerous pieces of equipment and controls, all of which need to be secure, protected and accessible. From heating controls to industrial ventilation units, refrigeration systems and air treatment centres, the equipment used in this sector is often large scale, sensitive and in need of careful protection

Enclosures for this market must be robust, secure and able to endure a variety of conditions. Our range of Enclosure Hardware, including Locks, Hinges, Latches, Sealing Profiles and Inspection Windows offers all the solutions needed for these applications, all tailored to your exact requirements.

HVAC settings can vary in terms of conditions, often involving hazardous environments and requiring specialist enclosure features such as secure locks and robust materials. 

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Scenarios involving Enclosure Hardware in HVAC operations

• Heating systems
• Ventilation units
• HVAC cabinets
• Cooling systems
• Refrigeration units
• Filter technology equipment
• Control centres

• Cabinets

• Locks
• Locking Systems
• Hinges
• Handles
• Latches
• Gaskets
• Inspection Windows
• Connectors
• Accessories

Enclosure and Locking Hardware has a multitude of uses in transport settings, including in-vehicle and road or trackside cabinets for trains, buses, trucks and agricultural vehicles such as combine harvesters and tractors

From control and power cabinets to door locking systems and secure panels, our full range of Enclosure Hardware products offers the ideal solution, whatever your requirement. Our full range of products, from on-board applications in trains, buses and trucks to trackside cabinets and signalling panels, ensures vital equipment is safe, secure and protected.

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Scenarios and sub-sectors involving Enclosure Hardware in the transport sector

• Housing and protecting vital railway equipment
• Infrastructure for rail applications, e.g. signalling
• On-board applications in trucks, buses, trains and agricultural vehicles
• Road and trackside storage
• Access panels for maintenance staff
• Passenger furniture
• Control panels
• Heavy duty handles and locks
• Compression locks for vibration reduction
• Passenger transport manufacturers
• Construction and agricultural industry vehicles

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Specific enclosure products and applications in the transport sector

• Secure door Locking Systems on public transport vehicles such as trains and buses
• Locks, Hinges, Handles and Gaskets on board public transport and agricultural vehicles
• Locking Systems and Hinges on trackside and roadside cabinets and storage units
• Locks and Hinges on access panels
• Locks, Hinges and Gaskets on control panels
• Hinges on passenger furniture
• Heavy duty Handles and Locks
• Compression Locks for vibration reduction

Our Enclosure Hardware such as Locking Systems, Latches, Hinges, Inspection Windows and Connector Accessories can be used in a number of sheet metal applications across varying industry sectors

Sheet metal applications, regardless of size, type, or sector, often require Enclosure Hardware components such as Locks, Locking Systems, Hinges and Latches.

Our full range of Enclosure Hardware offers numerous solutions that sheet metal fabricators can use, whatever their application or requirement.

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Fasteners for the sheet metal industry

TR Fastenings manufactures and distributes an extensive range of components for the sheet metal industry, including our own branded range of Hank^® Self Clinching Fasteners and Rivet Bushes. 

Find out more about our range of Sheet Metal Products here

 

The energy industry covers a wide range of specific sectors, from wind and solar power to oil and gas production. Whilst these disciplines differ widely in terms of the energy they produce and the equipment they use, there are also commonalities - the most prominent of which is the fact that they often operate in extreme and even hazardous circumstances

From off-shore environments to exposure to severe weather conditions, the teams working in these fields and the equipment they employ are consistently in need of protection from the hazards they face on a day to day basis.

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Valuable assets

As a result of these conditions, stringent safety and process restrictions are required to protect the materials, equipment and technology utilised in these working environments.

From specialised electronics to cables, computer hardware and machinery, this equipment is often bespoke and extremely valuable and could be subject to tampering, theft, damage or even failure if not kept protected.

As a solution, robust and secure enclosure units are always a priority to house equipment on sites in these industries. Location of these enclosures is key; where equipment is stored has a large bearing on the level of protection required to keep it safe. For example, most enclosures used in wind and solar energy applications are located outside and must be able to withstand conditions such as:

• Extreme temperatures
• Excessive humidity or dryness
• Rain and moisture
• Snow and ice
• Heavy winds
• Exposure to chemicals and corrosive substances

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Keeping enclosures secure

How an enclosure is designed and the features and hardware used to secure them is vital when considering how to protect the equipment used in these environments. Hardware such as sophisticated Locking Systems with either quarter or half turn mechanisms can ensure that doors are safe from tampering and forced opening.

For added security, many structures can have two or even three locking points, allowing the locking rod to run all the way from the top to the bottom of the door, thus avoiding the risk of tampering or theft which can be common where only one locking point is present.

Depending on the depth of the door return, the locking rods will need to be set at different distances, for example 20mm or 26mm. In the past, customers needed to purchase individual rod guides to cater for these different measurements.

The new rod guide from TR Fastenings seeks to eliminate this complication and avoid frustration by providing a simple solution which can be adapted for use, simply twisting the guide to adjust the distance accordingly.

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Designing in safety

Enclosure hardware goes beyond just Locks and Locking Systems.

From Latches and Hinges, to Clamps and Gaskets, there are multiple components which can be customised and tailored to suit specific requirements, sizes and designs. Simply changing what side a door opens on or at what height a hinge is fitted can result in added security for the components housed within each unit.
 
With oil, gas and other energy sector environments, the materials used in the units are of great importance, as they need to be resistant to certain conditions and corrosive substances or chemicals. By adding in the extra assurance of robust and sophisticated locking and opening hardware, these units become even more immune to the dangers faced in these industrial settings, providing even more protection for the valuable equipment they contain.

Published September 2019

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The demand for enclosures and data centre racks is on the increase, thanks to rapidly expanding infrastructure around IT and telecoms systems

In July, O2 became the UK’s last mobile network to announce its forthcoming rollout of 5G technology, which will expand to 50 towns and cities across the country by summer 2020. 5G technology will not only enable faster mobile phones and improved network connections, but will also facilitate and support advanced ‘smart’ technology in homes, workplaces and public places. Enabling more than one connection at once, 5G will allow devices and networks to talk to each other, supporting the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart systems in all aspects of our lives.

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As this sophisticated technology is developed and 5G capabilities become more widely rolled out, there is a need for larger and more complex storage and enclosure solutions to house the equipment and components involved.

As the telecoms systems become more advanced, more data is generated and stored, hence the requirement for more data centres and storage units. Keeping this data and the equipment facilitating it secure is also paramount. Enclosures must not only be robust and large enough to house the systems within, but must be equipped with the right locks, opening mechanisms and precautions to prevent damage, tampering and potential theft.

Using a range of hardware options, such as multiple locking points and sophisticated Locking Systems is the best way of ensuring that the enclosure’s contents are secure. The location of each enclosure also needs to be considered. Many telecoms units will be stored inside, but roadside and outside cabinets are also widely used, so it’s vital that materials and mechanisms are used that can withstand and protect contents from harsh conditions or severe weather.

Telecoms equipment includes a great deal of electronics and fragile components such as cables, switches, modems, routers and wires. These items must be protected from dangerous substances and environments, whether they are located indoors or outdoors, to avoid damage from factors such as:

• Adverse weather conditions such as wind, rain and ice
• Moisture and corrosion
• Dust and particulates
• Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)
• High temperatures and fire risk

In order to withstand these conditions, telecoms cabinets are often made from robust materials such as galvanised or powder coated steel and stainless steel components.

As 5G and other industry developments continue to gather pace, it’s crucial that enclosure technology keeps up with demand and provides sufficient solutions to cater for this growth. In comparison to the technology itself, cabinets and storage may seem like a small part of the wider puzzle, but the significance of housing and protecting this technology should not be underestimated.

Published September 2019

Click here to download this article as a PDF

The HVAC industry is a wide-ranging sector, involving a multitude of equipment and operations that vary from tiny components to vast refrigeration units and heat treatment centres. On an industrial level, the need to house and protect all of this hardware and electronics is therefore significant and varied

Enclosure units must be able to withstand a number of different conditions, settings and environments and provide different levels of security and protection: all vital for the equipment inside.

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Hazardous environments

The electronics and systems at play in this sector are often sensitive and fragile, so careful consideration is needed to determine how they are stored, accessed and maintained.

Many HVAC systems are located in hazardous environments and require specialist enclosure features such as secure locks and robust materials. Conditions such as extreme temperatures, both internal and external, call for specialist measures and protection from corrosive atmospheres and chemicals is, in some cases, essential.

The vital role played by Enclosure and Locking Hardware within the rail sector cannot be overemphasised when it comes to the protection and continuity of equipment, signalling and controls, as well as the Locking Systems used on board trains

Not only does this hardware ensure that such essential equipment and systems – from trackside cabinets to signalling panels – are kept secure at all times; it also shields them from hazardous environments, corrosion and extreme weather.

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Rail: the digital revolution

Against this backdrop comes a new era of digitalisation, which is set to transform the rail industry.

With massive investment already made in such projects as the £7 billion Government sponsored Thames Link and 117 kilometre Crossrail (excessive and extremely costly delays not withstanding), the challenge the industry faces is that this massive investment must be matched by the hardware supplied to support these initiatives, in terms of their sophistication, reliability and low cost of maintenance.

Digitalisation may well be the proving ground for a new way of interacting with suppliers, aptly exemplified by the first implementation of digital interlocking technology on a UK passenger-carrying line in June this year, which involved new technologies, software systems and working methods being specifically developed, tested and coming together at the same time. The control system covers a short section of line between Fulwell and Strawberry Hill in southwest London and forms the first stage of Network Rail’s Feltham area re-signalling project.

Undoubtedly, digital transformation in the railway sector over recent years has been accelerated by the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, Big Data Analytics (BDA), automation and robotics, as well as Industry 4, and, more recently, Railway 4.0 and Digital Railway. They have become the gauntlet that digitalisation has thrown down, reflecting the technological advancements fast becoming accessible to the rail sector – the latest embodiment of a long tradition of development and change in the industry.

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Enclosure Hardware: safe and secure

The role played by enclosures in the sector largely remains the same: to house and protect crucial equipment.

However, as the technology changes and the equipment becomes arguable more sophisticated and complex, the need to ensure the enclosures are robust and secure becomes greater.

In addition, Enclosure Hardware such as Locks, Hinges, Handles and Gaskets can also be used actually on board trains: on door locking systems, secure control panels and on passenger furniture such as tables and seats. Keeping the trains themselves and their passengers safe is as vital as safely housing the equipment and systems which help to keep the trains running.

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Extensive product range

As a recognised specialist in the design, engineering, manufacture and distribution of a wide range of high-quality industrial fastenings and assembly products for the rail sector, our expertise on Enclosure and Locking Hardware – from control and power cabinets to door Locking Systems and secure panels – has positioned us at the leading edge of global supply.

Certainly, the solutions required for a rapidly modernising, increasingly digitalised rail sector are embedded in our extensive enclosure hardware range, including:

• Secure door Locking Systems
• Locking Systems and Hinges on trackside and roadside cabinets and storage units
• Locks and Hinges on access panels
• Locks, Hinges and Gaskets on control panels
• Compression Locks for vibration reduction
• Housing for the protection of vital railway equipment
• Infrastructure for rail applications – eg, signalling
• On-board applications.

We are living in a world where real-time tracking and tracing systems for trains and freight cars, along with the use of drones to monitor trains and ensure the safety of cargo, are likely to become the norm. Only those suppliers who move at the same speed in support of a digitalised rail sector will ensure they are not left behind on the platform.

Published September 2019

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