Excessive Panel Temp

[AGENTTINFOIL]

I have a problem with excessive temperature inside a panel on an oven, I have had to replace 3 touch panels in 6 months due to the problem. Currently we have a cabinet cooler that uses compressed air and it is just not doing the job. I have tried to reroute the air line to blow air directly onto the back of the panel through the vent holes on the last one I installed which did help because the panel did last longer this time, but I need a permanant solution. Has anyone experienced this problem? what are some good alternatives the market has to offer?

 

[George Graziano]

Could the problem be from the outside in? Is the screen itself going bad, or just the electronics?

George

 

[AGENTTINFOIL]

I would not think so. It is hotter inside the panel than outside the panel, and I would not think it is the electronics I could see that as a possability on the first panel I replaced but not the last two. I am convinced that it has got to be the temp inside the panel.

 

[Ken J]

Why is the TC the only item affected by ambient temp? Don't you have other electronics on the panel.....like a PLC? Maybe you need to find a TC with a higher ambient rating.

Could the problem be from the outside in? Is the screen itself going bad, or just the electronics?

George

 

[Mickey]

Just air or do you have something like this. I have use these
and they work great.

http://www.vortec.com/vortex_coolers.php

 

[keithkyll]

1) Mount an Aluminum plate behind the TC to act as a heat shield. This will help more than you think. Make it about 1 inch larger than the TC.
Another option is to make a 'U' shaped cover. You want more cooling air on the panel than the rest of the electronics. Any kind of baffle will help you isolate the TC so it is in a cooler environment. The attempt is to duct the cold air from the Vortex cooler first on the TC.

 

[darrenj]

what kind of touch screen is it?

 

[jstolaruk]

I like the baffle idea. You're piping in cold air, but does the hot air have an exhaust path out of the cabinet?

 

[olias]

When I build my panels, I always put a vent at the bottom and top of the panel. Sometimes right under the drives, so the fans will draw air into the panel. Also, is the panel sized right? Nothing is worse for heat then a tight panel.
Another thought, I built several panels for a project in a dusty, hot enviroment. I put a compressed air cooler in the panel,and ran the air tube to the bottom and vented it at the top. This way the air kept the exhust vent clean, and there was no intake to plug up.
WORD OF CAUTION ABOUT COMPRESSED AIR COOLERS: make sure you have good filters for your incoming air! I had a panel fill up with oil from poor air and wimpy filter.
Good Luck!

 

[elevmike]

How you cool your panel depends on the heat developed in it and the exterior enviroment. The idea that your using a compressed air driven cooler seems to indicate that you might need to isolate the interior & exteror enviroments. If that's the case then maybe you just need to upsize your cooler. Do an audit of the equipment in the controller (btus developed), the exterior ambient temp, the cabnet size, and talk to one of these people.
http://www.exair.com/cabinetcooler/cc_page.htm?source=google&group=cabinetcooler&type=GoogleAdWordsSearch

http://www.pelmareng.com/Vortex_Enclosure_Coolers.html?gclid=CN2orpSphIQCFSeGIgodDVEsew

http://www.iprocessmart.com/itw/itw_vortec_enclosurecoolers.htm

http://www.adproductsco.com/koolstart.asp

 

[danw]

I once had a severe overheat problem because the panel was mounted to the shell of the oven itself and was overheating from conductive heat from the oven shell.

I removed the panel and remounted it on stand-offs so that there was a 10" gap between the oven wall and the back of the panel.

I put a thin sheet metal baffle plate half way between the oven shell and the back of the control panel, which prevented direct radiant heat from getting to the panel. I could feel the convection of heated air by holding my hand at the top of the gap betweeen the baffle and panel.

By eliminating the conductive and most of the radiant heat, the cooling fan was able to keep the internal panel temperature at a suitable level.

Dan

 

[CroCop]

I once had a severe overheat problem because the panel was mounted to the shell of the oven itself and was overheating from conductive heat from the oven shell.

I removed the panel and remounted it on stand-offs so that there was a 10" gap between the oven wall and the back of the panel.

I put a thin sheet metal baffle plate half way between the oven shell and the back of the control panel, which prevented direct radiant heat from getting to the panel. I could feel the convection of heated air by holding my hand at the top of the gap betweeen the baffle and panel.

By eliminating the conductive and most of the radiant heat, the cooling fan was able to keep the internal panel temperature at a suitable level.

Dan

Werd. Air is an amazing barrier to heat transfer.
Baffle gets an A for insulating the heat.
Very good thinking.