Analysis
Schroff case provides sturdy housing for Owlstone modular calibration gas system
A Schroff desktop case with integral 19in. subrack and plug-in units is being used to protect the sophisticated electronics of a modular calibration gas generator developed by University of Cambridge spin-out Owlstone Nanotech.
The During the development of the OVG-4 instrument, Owlstone identified three key requirements for the enclosure: as well as being sufficiently robust, it would have to accommodate the modular design of the system and also have an external appearance that created the right impression.
It was decided that these criteria would all be fulfilled by Schroff's sturdy and stylish Comptec desktop case, in conjunction with the versatile Schroff europacPRO 19in. subrack and plug-in units.
The 6U-high Comptec case features a steel top cover, base plate and rear panel, with die-cast aluminium front and rear frames. The side panels are made from extruded aluminium and incorporate handle shells with a load-carrying capacity of 50kg.
Inserted into the Comptec case is a europacPRO subrack, which features a robust aluminium construction and is designed to accept 19in. plug-in units in accordance with the IEC 60297-3 standard.
The enclosure solution provided by Schroff has enabled Owlstone to develop a fully modular system, allowing users to complement the OVG-4 with optional modules such as the OHG humidity generator and OFC flow controller or to simply start with a single OVG-4 unit, blank off the spare slots and add other modules as and when needed.
Owlstone says it is extremely happy to have partnered with Schroff in the development of the OVG-4, not only because of the quality and design of the enclosure products but also because of the efficient support the company has provided.