Electrical installation boxes with tightness class 6

Figure 2: Testing of an electrical installation box on the STZ EURO test stand.

Figure 3: Hollow wall boxes O-range ECON® by Kaiser for airtight and cleanroom-compatible electrical installation.

Figure 1: Example of a test certificate.

Figure 4: Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Michael Kuhn, Head of the Steinbeis Transfer Center for Energy, Environmental, and Cleanroom Technology, Lecturer in Cleanroom Technology, and Chairman of VDI 2083-19.

Finally, the possibility exists to access tested and proven airtight components already during the planning of cleanrooms and containments.

The company Kaiser GmbH & Co. KG, market leader for electrical installation boxes, tested the newly developed test stand of STZ EURO with different fittings in various wall constructions on the new test bench for electrical boxes. Kaiser is thus a pioneer in the testing of individual components based on VDI 2083-19.

"Only a few component manufacturers or wall and ceiling suppliers provide reliable measurement data on the air permeability of their individual parts. Therefore, the development of a corresponding test stand was a logical step," says Michael Kuhn, Chairman of VDI 2083-19 and Head of STZ EURO in Offenburg, adding, "The goal is to provide planners and builders with reliable information on the air permeability of components installed in ceilings, walls, or floors of cleanrooms."

The STZ EURO test stand offers the possibility to determine individual components at differential pressures from -500Pa to +500Pa and up to airtightness class 7.

The manufacturer documentation, which details the correct installation and sealing execution, is also checked by the measurement engineers of STZ EURO to exclude not only constructive but also installation-related errors. The test documentation includes a test certificate and a test report, including a detailed measurement protocol. Additionally, the manufacturer receives helpful information and advice for optimizing the components.

"To my knowledge, there is currently no more detailed and reliable testing for airtight components in the cleanroom sector than the test stand at STZ EURO," says Dipl.-Wirt. Ing. Stefan Born, Strategic Product Management at Kaiser GmbH & Co. KG. "Testing our electrical installation boxes with different fittings and in different wall constructions has proven the quality and cleanroom suitability of our products." Besides technical factors, Stefan Born emphasizes that it was mainly the professional exchange on equal terms, the thoroughness of the testing, as well as the subsequent evaluation and detailed results that convinced him. "Apart from less reliable BlowerDoor tests, there are no sound testing options on the market for assessing air tightness according to VDI 2083-19. For Kaiser, this testing was therefore a logical step to measure our quality," says Stefan Born.

Independent manufacturer test measurements provide the cleanroom operator or builder with reliable data. These can be used already during the planning phase to avoid weaknesses from the outset.

This can significantly reduce effort for leak detection and subsequent sealing.