Successful communication even under the most adverse conditions

In industrial plants, employees often have to communicate with each other over long distances. For optimum communication in this noisy environment, the pa equipment specialist TOA Corporation from Japan has developed a powerful, easy-to-use wall-mounted intercom station. Since the device should be very robust due to the harsh operating conditions, they decided in favor of a housing from ROSE Systemtechnik. The experts from Porta Westfalica not only adapted it to the requirements of TOA, but also equipped it with the necessary electronics.

ROSE enclosures protect industrial stations from water, dust and dirt

For more than 80 years, TOA has been developing and manufacturing sound systems for a wide range of applications. In addition to office buildings and shopping centers, the Japanese also equip numerous industrial companies with communication and reporting systems. The company attaches great importance to high-quality components and therefore chose a housing from ROSE Systemtechnik for the housing for its new industrial main station N-8065MS Q-TEE. “ROSE is known for the very good quality of its products,” says Sebastian Vogt, product engineer at TOA Electronics Europe GmbH, explaining the decision. “It was important to us to build a housing ‘Made in Germany’ that was exactly tailored to our requirements.”

“It was important to us to build a housing ‘Made in Germany’ that was exactly tailored to our requirements.”

The TOA industrial station is designed for hands-free communication and can be decentrally integrated into a LAN / IP network via an IP-capable central technology. If environmental conditions so require, a high quality TOA loudspeaker, e.g. a horn speaker, which allows for clear communication even in a noisy environment. The industrial station is therefore suitable for both internal communication and announcements as a PA system. In addition, it is possible to completely monitor the system. In case of a fault, this error can be displayed individually. The device is mounted on the wall and is equipped with an LED status display, a numeric keypad and large call buttons. “This allows a worker to comfortably operate the microphone unit even while wearing gloves,” explains ROSE sales representative Mirko Nuhanovic.
However, the high quality of the housing was not the sole reason for the choice of ROSE as a supplier. The extensive service provided by Westfalen was also very important for TOA.

Much more than just enclosures

At its headquarters in Porta Westfalica, the company not only produces high-quality industrial enclosures. “We also develop system solutions for mechanical and plant engineering, the food industry, automation technology and potentially explosive areas,” says Nuhanovic. Each customer can choose between numerous standard housings, partly or completely assembled housings. “Our designers closely look at each application and then recommend the optimal solution,” says Nuhanovic. Because as different as the applications of the housing are the requirements. In the case of TOA, the supplier should not only be able to adapt his enclosures to the requirements of the station. “Since we do not have our own production facility in Germany, our partner also has to equip the housings with the electronics himself,” says Sebastian Vogt from TOA.

Competitors do not supply system technology

For ROSE, these conditions were not a problem: “Unlike many competitors, we not only manufacture standard cases, but also modify them according to the customer’s wishes,” says Mirko Nuhanovic. And if the basic enclosures are all out of the question? “Then we like to design a special housing,” says the specialist. With this individual offer, ROSE sets itself apart from the competition, which does not offer this service. Another great advantage of housing specialists is their good networking. ROSE works together with well-known suppliers and can therefore equip all housings with the electronic components requested by the customer.

Concentrated know-how and best manufacturing conditions

Almost 200 employees in Porta Westfalica refine around 14,000 cases each week, which contain considerably more than you can see at first glance. For example, many products are provided with a high-quality alloy that optimally protects them from environmental influences. In contrast to many competitors, ROSE performs this production step itself and operates its own paint and powder coating plant. The company also manufactures the standard housing in 40 sizes from six different materials – from aluminium, stainless steel, ABS, thermoplastic, glass-fiber reinforced polyester and polycarbonate. ROSE not only produces, modifies and assembles housings, but also carries out dust, water and impact tests in its own laboratory. “Although we are not allowed to carry out a certification process, we can guarantee through tests in our laboratories that our enclosures can easily pass the certification,” explains Frank Dorpmüller, Head of Quality Management.

At the intercom station, the choice fell on an aluminium housing

The housing of the microphone unit had been chosen because of the high demands on the robustness of the device for the “ROSE aluminium industry standard” housing. It is an aluminium industrial series design that is particularly suitable for mechanical engineering and automation in harsh industrial environments. The housing conforms to the DIN EN 1706 EN AC-AlSi 12 (Fe) standard and has a 7-J impact resistance. Depending on the sealing material used, it can also be used in high-temperature environments. The degree of protection corresponds to IP 65, higher protection ratings are possible on request.

ROSE Systemtechnik offers its basic housing of the aluminium standard series in many different designs and dimensions as well as with a comprehensive range of accessories. These include mounting rails for terminals, external fastening straps or silicone cover seals for use at temperatures up to 130°C.

ROSE takes over the mechanical and wiring job

Since TOA made very special demands on the housing for the industrial microphone unit, ROSE adapted its aluminium standard housing precisely to this. The specialists from Westphalia not only took over the mechanical processing of cable glands, microphone and buttons. They also assembled the outer joints and coated the housings in the desired special color RAL 2011 (Tieframe) to match the corporate design of TOA. Last but not least, ROSE took over the complete assembly and wiring of microphone, circuit board and push button.

High quality assures follow-up order

The comprehensive service provided by ROSE has impressed the TOA executives in a lasting way: “Not only that we have fulfilled all our wishes for the case design without any problems,” says Sebastian Vogt. “The mechanical services on the devices also worked flawlessly and saved us a lot of work. We will always be happy to work with ROSE again.”