Electronics housing with front and Push-in connection for building automation Neuberger Gebäudeautomation GmbH uses ME-IO electronics housing
- Neuberger Gebäudeautomation GmbH is a leading provider of systems for building automation.
- The company’s industry-specific housing solutions place high demands on electronics development and on the electronics housings themselves.
- Phoenix Contact worked with key customer Neuberger to adapt the ME-IO modular electronics housing to meet all requirements.
- Neuberger uses the front-connection housing with Push-in Technology for its highly flexible room automation system Open.Room.
Customer profile
Neuberger Gebäudeautomation GmbH based in Rothenburg, Germany, develops solutions for room automation in office buildings, hotels, clinics, and schools. User comfort isn’t the only reason for individual regulation of the temperature, lighting, and shading. Energy efficiency, added convenience, and cost optimization are becoming increasingly important.
Controllers and I/O modules can be easily assembled thanks to the modular design of the ME-IO housing system
In 2015, Neuberger began work on developing a new room automation system and was looking for a suitable housing system for this purpose. The main requirement was the need to be able to connect many cables by means of front connection, and with the now widely-used Push-in connection technology. Additional requirements for the housing system were a high level of modularity for the housing variants and a DIN rail connector.
That fit well with the fact that Phoenix Contact, as a leading provider of empty electronics enclosures, had just launched a brand new product family with front connection technology: ME-IO. When searching for a suitable housing system, the Neuberger developers turned to Phoenix Contact. The requirements that had already been precisely defined by Neuberger were compared with the functions of the ME-IO housing system.
When a large overlap became apparent, a close cooperation was established. With Neuberger as a key customer and the specified requirements of the new room automation system Open.Room, the front connection technology housing was adapted successively to the requirements in the joint project.
The Push-in front connection and compact design enable devices with up to 54 positions per overall width of 18.8 mm
Solution
One of the special features of the ME-IO housing system is the connection technology on the front, which is based on the Push-in connection. Wiring is convenient and tool-free thanks to the Push-in spring-cage connector – a big advantage over conventional screw or spring-cage connection. This is because with the Push-in connection, a special contact spring ensures high contact and conductor pull-out forces and vibration-proof contacting. The front connection technology allows easy access to the Open.Room modules.
The codable PCB connectors can be released easily via the established Lock and Release technology. To do so, the plugged-in connection blocks are released and lifted out of the header by actuating a single release lever. This allows them to be easily removed from the plugged-in position when disconnected from the power supply. Error-free device replacement is therefore not a problem.
Five types of front connectors are available for the selection and configuration of the connection technology. They can be freely combined. This allows you to arrange a mixture of 4-pos. and 6-pos. connection blocks. With terminal blocks for higher voltages, it is possible to separate connection blocks with lower voltage ranges. The connection blocks and the actuating elements for the Push-in connection are available in different colors and can be arranged however the customer likes. With the 6-pos. connection elements, up to 54 connections are available.
The ME-IO housing system offers numerous possible applications, and not just because of its modular principle. If the housing modules are first configured in accordance with the device manufacturing requirements, communication between several modules can be realized conveniently via a DIN rail connector. The DIN rail connector is snapped into the standardized DIN rail. The individual I/O modules of the ME-IO housing system can then be opened unchanged on the DIN rail with the locked bus connectors and are immediately interconnected securely.
The Open.Room controller cuts costs and increases living comfort
Summary
Controlling and regulating complex buildings requires a flexible, future-proof, and intelligent room automation system. Looking for a suitable housing solution, Neuberger chose the ME-IO system from Phoenix Contact.
Open.Room performs all the functions of room automation: from lighting, shading, presence, and media technology to room climate control. The arrangement and number of modules in ME-IO housing are flexible, so all Open.Room modules can be combined with one another. With Push-in connection technology, wiring is quick and easy and does not require tools. Thanks to the intuitive locking system, the modules can be quickly replaced during operation, if necessary.
Multifunctional ME-IO electronics housings
The electronics housings from the ME-IO series are particularly suitable for applications with a limited amount of installation space and high function requirements. Tailor-made modules, such as controllers and I/O modules, can be easily assembled thanks to their modular design.