Electronics supplier Actum Electronics will launch railway technology manufacturer Pentair’s three-dimensional (3D) configurator tool program to customise racks and front panels in railway infrastructure at the Africa Rail exhibition on June 13 and 14 at the Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg.

Actum Group director Greg Barron tells Engineering News that the program – designed by Pentair and distributed by Actum Electronics, a division of Actum Group – uses online configurations and virtual simulation to do cutouts, and cabinet accessories as well as colour changes and more customising options for designing customised racking solutions.

“The newest 3D configuration from Pentair will be on display, using drag and drop, customised front panels that can be configured and visualised in 3D. The 3D data, drawings and part lists can be created at a touch of a button.”

Products on Show
Actum Electronics will also showcase Pentair’s Calmark, which designs and manufactures rugged printed circuit board guides, condition frame assemblies and extractors for use in rugged design and optimal extractor systems.

Pentair Schroff product specialist Moses Sibanda highlights that the company supplies Calmark to the rail industry. Customers prefer the Calmark product for its rugged design and optimal extractor systems.

He adds that feedback on the Calmark product performance has been uniformly positive and the company plans to continue marketing this product to potential customers and engineers at the event.

Further, the Pentair Schroff subracks and electronic cabinets will also be on show at Africa Rail. The subracks – also called card cages – offer protection for electrical components and are frequently used for the reception of printed circuit boards in the 19" euroboard form factor or 19" plug-in units.

Applications for subracks vary from standard industrial to robust transportation, light military and telecommunications use, as well as ruggedly made products for harsh applications.

They are also shock- and vibration-resistant, and offer modular construction and optimal cooling of electronics, with maximum shielding and robust Ingress Protection (IP) standards. The subracks are aluminium and have been anodised to handle harsh environmental conditions.

Further, the Varistar electronic cabinets are larger than the subracks, with the latter being able to fit into the cabinets.

Varistar is a versatile welded steel frame cabinet platform, available in a range of dimensions, different door designs and cover parts, with a comprehensive range of useful accessories.

The cabinets also conform to IP20, IP54 or IP55 standards, and have undergone seismic, vibration and electromagnetic shield testing. It also comes with cooling options such as fan units or air-to-water heat exchangers.

“Protection against shock and vibration and shielding requirements is paramount when it comes to the longevity of critical electronics, particularly for rugged applications in the railway industry.”

The cabinets are also spacious, energy efficient and have a high static loading of up to 1 600 kg.

Actum Electronics offers Pentair products that have dependable power supplies, superb mechanics and are easily adaptable to specific operating environments.

Barron further mentions that, owing to the generous budget allocated for rail development in South Africa, which includes State-owned freight utility Transnet’s Market Development Strategy and the National Infrastructure Plan, Actum Electronics wants to showcase its products that are most beneficial for these upcoming projects.

This will be the company’s second time displaying products at Africa Rail, with Barron noting that representatives from Pentair will also attend the event.