Key Considerations When Specifying Custom Solenoids

You may be wondering about the key factors that you should emphasise as you develop a list of specifications for the custom-made solenoids that you would like to order. Read on and discover the important elements that those new solenoids should be based upon.

Life Expectancy

Every solenoid, like any other component of a machine, has a defined service life. Routine maintenance of equipment therefore involves replacing all those components that have reached the end of their service life. The service life of solenoids is usually measured in duty cycles.

Specify the largest number of duty cycles that the manufacturer can build into the components. For example, consider ordering solenoids with 10,000 duty cycles if the previous stock solenoids you were using had a service life of 2,000 duty cycles. The longer service life will limit the chance of equipment downtime due to solenoids that have failed. Preventive maintenance will also take a shorter time because there will be fewer components to replace.

Temperature

Consider the operating conditions of your equipment when ordering custom solenoids. Specify maximum and minimum operating temperatures that go beyond or below the actual temperature range at your facility. That built-in excess capacity will cater for unforeseen events, such as overheating in defective equipment, which may occur as your facility operates.

Space Constraints

What is the ideal amount of space that a solenoid should occupy in your equipment? Consider ordering the smallest solenoid possible. This is because you should allow as much space as possible to exist between the different components in your machines. That space will make it easy for the cooling system to channel away the heated air around the different components. Sufficient cooling usually has a beneficial effect on component life.

Electrical Connections

You should not forget to specify what kind of connections the custom solenoids should have. For instance, stipulate how many lead wires the solenoids should have in order to facilitate the transmission of the power that they need to operate. The number of terminals requested should also coincide with the number of terminals that are available in the machine.

The new solenoids are likely to perform to your expectations if you include details about the factors above in your specifications. You can also go over the strengths and weaknesses of the previous solenoids as you talk to an expert. That professional will then help you to design specification sheets that address the challenges you previously had when using stock solenoids.


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