An enclosure's ability to provide both environmental protection and long service life is highly dependent on its technical design. The technical design of an enclosure is critical to meeting the highest levels of certification.
Alpha Technologies and Argus Technologies, members of The Alpha Group, are ISO 9001 certified companies that are subject to many standards, policies and procedures. Alpha Group enclosure products are further subject to strict government and vendor mandated standards and testing.
Many Alpha Group enclosure series such as Tempest, Novus, Radium, PWE, UPE and UPE-M have met the stringent safety and agency standards of UL, CSA, NEMA, NRTL, and in some cases, Telcordia and NFPA. Certain regions will also demand seismic considerations, requiring Zone 2 or Zone 4 certification.
UL (Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.) and CSA (Canadian Standards Association) are both "not for profit" product safety testing and certification organizations, the prior based in the United States and the latter in Canada. These organizations often collaborate to create a common set of requirements that enable manufacturers to build products that can be certified under both seals. The scope of requirements required by UL, CSA cover protection from hazards, wiring, connections and supply, physical requirements, electrical requirements, simulated abnormal conditions , and connection to telecommunication networks.
NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) is an electrical industry trade association in the US that focuses on the development of product standards, government affairs and market economics. While NEMA themselves do not conduct testing of potential products, The Alpha Group used the CSA International facility in Canada to complete NEMA 3R testing for its Tempest enclosures. A NEMA 3R rating ensures that Alpha Group enclosures are constructed for either indoor or outdoor use and provide a degree of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment, or a degree of protection against falling dirt, rain, sleet, and snow. The NEMA 3R rating also ensures that the enclosure will remain undamaged by the external formation of ice.
These criterium were met by subjecting the enclosures to a series of tests including: rod entry, drip, rain, dust (outdoor and indoor), external icing, hosedown, rust resistance (with a 24hr salt spray), corrosion protection (with a 200hr salt spray), submersion, air pressure, and an oil exclusion test. As result of the strict adherence to high levels of certification, exceptional attention has been put into the technical design and functionality of every Alpha Group enclosure. With enclosures installed everywhere from roof tops to mountain tops, this high level of testing ensures that Alpha Group products can be trusted to provide ultimate protection.
