If you're tasked with dealing with electrical installations in industrial control applications, you've probably used DIN rail, have heard about DIN rails, or have read about DIN rail mounted products, like terminal blocks or contractors. While DIN rails have been around for quite a while now, and there's plenty of information about DIN rail mountable products, there hasn't been much discussion about the backbone of the system - the DIN rail itself. By understanding DIN rail applications in control environments, such as foot prints, materials available, options, etc. new and old users can have an easier time taking advantage of this industry standard.
DIN is an acronym for Deutche Institute von Normen, or German Institute of Standards, which is a standard adopted worldwide for dimensional uniformity of products regardless of their manufacturer. The DIN rail itself is the metal rail used to mount different electronic components, such as terminal blocks, relays, circuit breakers, motor starters, power supplies, etc. in a control cabinet. Since the rail is standardised, the end user can choose DIN rail mountable products from multiple manufacturers and mount them on the DIN rail. This provides users the freedom to pick electrical components without having to commit to one supplier. Furthermore, this saves space and time, and it provides a central location where internal and external wiring can be connected efficiently and quickly.
DIN rails can be made of a variety of base metals, the most common ones being aluminium, copper, steel and stainless-steel. Additionally, they are available in a variety of finishes for extra protection from the elements. The most common finish and base metal combination is zinc-platted, yellow-chromated steel. Since zinc is less noble than steel, it will sacrifice itself in order to protect the steel content from corrosion and elements. The yellow chromate will protect the zinc against forming of zinc oxide and wear.
Meanwell power supplies offers a wide range of DIN rails suitable for a variety of industrial applications. In order to pick the right Meanwell power supplies DIN rail, you have to consider a few factors, such as the enclosure material, environment, products to be mounted and the grounding requirements for the short circuit. For instance, if you pick an aluminium enclosure, you'll also need an aluminium DIN rail. If you picked an aluminium enclosure, it was probably because it's going to be in damp or corrosive environments, so you need the corrosion-resistant properties of aluminium.
If you choose an enclosure and DIN rail of different materials (such as aluminium enclosure and steel DIN rail), you risk getting galvanic cell, which can lead to galvanic corrosion. Galvanic corrosion will deteriorate the aluminium enclosure, resulting in electrical grounding issues. If you're mounting heavy components like large PLC's, then you should consider a steel rail for its superior durability and strength. And even though all metal rails can be used as ground bus bars, copper DIN rails provide the best conductance for creating paths to ground.
Besides the materials, DIN rails come in a variety of footprints, the main three being - TS-15, TS-32 and TS-35. TS-15 DIN rails are used for mounting terminal blocks where space reduction is necessary or in confined spaces. One typical application for this DIN rail footprint would be small junction boxes.
TS-32 DIN rails are referred to as C, J or G due to their shape. This is the first generation of DIN rails and it's renown for its strength for retaining components. Many newer DIN rail mounted products don't accommodate this footprint, or they may require extra accessories for mounting. However, it's still commonly used for large transformers, PLC's, power supplies and contactors.
TS-35 DIN rails are the industry standard, and most components are mountable on them. PS-35 comes in two profiles - high hat, which is 15mm in height and standard, which is 7.5mm in height. The standard profile is suitable for most applications and is more cost-effective, but mounting heavier components on it is difficult, and this is where the high hat profile comes into play.
As far as mounting options go, DIN rails are available with and without mounting slots. Pre-manufactured slots come as standard (6.3x18mm slots) or long (5.2x25mm slots). These slots allow for easy and quick fastening of the rail into the enclosure, eliminating the need to use a punching tool. Most DIN rail suppliers also offer custom punched holes to customer spec. Some extra value services can include cut to length DIn rails and PEM stud mounted DIN rails. These services are especially beneficial if you want to speed up installation time and don't have the tools necessary for cutting and punching the rail.
As you can see, DIN rails can be very beneficial pieces of mounting equipment used in a wide range of industrial applications. They save time and money, as long as you choose the right one, so carefully considering your options is key to making the best buying decision.
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