Designing applications for extreme conditions
5 Focal points in the drive and control system
Some machines require high levels of endurance. Think of agricultural or sorting machines that need to withstand shock, moisture, dust and temperature extremes, or machines used underwater, such as underwater robots, that must be able to withstand high pressure and large temperature differences within short periods of time, or vending machines that stay outside, regardless of the weather, from freezing cold to full sun.
In the aviation and space industries, machine parts are also put to the test. For example, aircraft have to deal with large temperature fluctuations and high altitudes, which means high atmospheric pressure. An aircraft taking off from an area with a continental climate may land a few hours later in a maritime climate, where the salt will impact metals and signal system connections. So how do you protect electronic systems and moving parts from environmental factors?
