AMNYTT amnytt.no 7/2020 | Page 157

“ In the meantime , we have reached a point where simulation can practically replace laboratory testing .”
THERMAL SIMULATION
discipline – thermal simulation . “ In most cases , developers have chosen a housing , installed their components , made all of the connections , and only noticed during the test phase that the housing became too hot . In order to identify the hotspots , it is then necessary to carry out elaborate measurements using fairly rough thermography . Then the housing is modified and tested again . This is laborious and expensive .”
Keep a cool head “ We have developed a way to simulate the development of heat sources with standardized components and values as early as in the engineering phase . Our customers specify which housing they have chosen , the environment in which it will be used , and which components will be used in the housing . We then arrange them appropriately in the simulation . If necessary , we recommend modifying the housing , for example with ventilation slots , or we recommend the use of a heatsink .” Hartmann adds , “ We have now reached a point where we can practically replace laboratory testing with simulations .”
The experts have even taken things one step further . “ Customers can also initiate such a thermal simulation for our new ICS housing system online themselves . First , the customer configures the housing according to their requirements , and then defines their own thermal conditions including heat sources . The simulation is then run automatically at our company , is evaluated using a standardized procedure , and is made available to the customer through a results report sent by e-mail . We hope that this will encourage many curious users to carry out their first thermal investigations virtually themselves .”
The topic has great potential . Housings developed in this way are already proving themselves in practice . “ One of our customers needed an enclosure for a multi-channel monitoring system . This device is used to monitor large roller bearings , for example in wind turbines or ship propulsion systems . In this case , we not only carried out the thermal simulation of the appropriate housing and thus determined the optimum arrangement of components and connection technology , but also developed the appropriate heatsink to ensure reliable operation of the components in the harsh conditions on site .” ( lo ) •
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“ In the meantime , we have reached a point where simulation can practically replace laboratory testing .”

The latest ICS housing generation with integrated heatsink
Housings are indispensable in the world of electronics
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