At first glance I read "junction box" as "juke box" but alas it does not play music nor does Fonzi hit it to get it started. However, it's still pretty darn cool and you don't need to insert any money to get it to work. Plus you can hum "Conjunction Junction" to yourself  while you read this!  For those of you that weren't a child of the 80s, check out the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPoBE-E8VOc to see what I'm referring to.

So, per my research, I discovered that junction boxes are devices that contain the wiring junctions or intersections that allow the wiring in the home or public building to interface with the main power supply provided by a local utility.

In addition to it's practicality, a junction box  looks more appealing than a bunch of exposed electrical wires. Also, if you have a toddler anything like mine, who puts everything in his mouth, this ensures that they won't be grabbing for the wires any chance they get. Outta sight outta mind is the way to go!

Usually constructed with the use of metal or hard plastic, the general appearance of a junction box is either a square or rectangular design. A door on the front of the box allows access to the interior. The door may be set in the front of the junction box, or the entire facing may swing upward or downward to allow access to the junctions within the device. In many homes, the junction box proper is placed into a wall, with only the front panel open to view.  This way you can hang that family photo in your matching sweaters (oh you know you all have one), deer head or singing bass fish, circa 2002, over the box to hide it from view.

Marshall Wolf Automation  carries the Saginaw Enviroline® Junction Enclosures, series SCE-ELJ . These are designed to house electrical controls, instruments and components in areas, which may be regularly hosed down or are in very wet or oily conditions. In addition they also provide protection from dust, dirt, oil, and water. Enclosures (boxes) with viewing windows are designed to house electrical controls, instruments and components that require unrestricted viewing of the gages or controls, in areas which may be regularly hosed down or are in very wet or oily conditions.

Marshall Wolf Automation also carries the Stainless Steel Saginaw Enviroline®, Junction Enclosures, series, SCE-ELJSS.  These have all the same features as the SCE-ELJ series, the main difference being the  #4 brushed finish on all exterior surfaces. The SCE-ELJ series is carbon steel while this series is stainless steel, optional panels are powder coated white.

Visit Marshall Wolf Automation on the web or call us at 800-325-9653 for all your junction box needs!  I apologize if you can't get "Conjunction Junction:" out of your head now ;)

Ok I have to be honest, I mainly chose this topic so I could write my oh-so-clever title.  I had no idea what "strain relief" actually meant in terms of electronics so I did a little digging.  No, it's not another term for a laxative but in fact it's used in reference to telecommunications cables, often PC cables, that are designed to allow the cables to move without cracking and/or breaking away from the plug or connector that connects to an electrical outlet or a hardware device.

The strain relief is typically a series of ridges at the point where the cabling meets the connector or plug that allows flexibility in the cable without putting stress on that vulnerable point in the cord.

From standard to special applications,  CONTA-CLIP, supplies an unparalleled line of high quality cord grips to satisfy practically any requirement. Not only do they provide increased strain relief but also cable protection solutions that range from single cable straight through, bend and pull/bend protection and flat and multi-cable to EMI/RFI protection.

CLIXX, from CONTA-CLIP/Wiska, allows easy cable entry while also providing strain relief. It doesn't get much easier than this - simply clip in the hole, insert cable and you are done! The space saving design requires minimal space requirements due to the flat design. External mounting from one side only means no thread, no tools or locknuts required! Easy one-handed assembly reduces installation time by 80%! No thread, no tools or locknuts required!

No need to grunt! Just visit Marshall Wolf Automation at www.wolfautomation.com for all your CONTA-CLIP strain relief needs! Or give us a call at 800-325-2623 and one of our helpful sales people will glady speak with you.

When I first heard of RIB relays I was imagining a rib shaped relay that perhaps smelled like barbeque sauce, then again I like to think everything smells like bbq sauce. Well I know it's going to be hard to believe but that is not what a RIB relay is. In fact RIB actually stands for "Relay In a Box" (no it's not an SNL skit) and is the name of its manufacturer, RIB Relays (Functional Devices, Inc.)-  easy to remember!

These RIB relays are essentially the complete package in one piece, how convenient!  They are multi-voltage so you're not up a creek if you're at a job site that requires various voltages.  They also have multi-contact ratings which will reduce your amount of inventory needed. The RIB relay has multiple installation methods such as conduit and screw mounting, unlike it's cousin the ice cube relay that requires din rail to be mounted.
 

The Pilot Series from RIB contains relays that are rated at 10 or 15 Amps. They have been packaged to save the installer the time, trouble and expense of buying separate components (relay, LED indicator, socket, mounting rail, transient protection and housing) and assembling them on the job or at the shop.One of the most popular products from this line is the RIBU1C. This  versatile relay in a box and can be used for energizing motors like fan motors, water pumps and VFDs.  Self-enclosed relays, like the RIBU1C, can even be used outside if they are housed in a NEMA 4 or NEMA 4X rated enclosure, another bonus!

The Power Series from RIB contains relays that are rated at 20 to 30 Amps. An externally visible LED indicates the status of the coil of the relay. The override switch (Closed-Open-Auto) , available on certain models, is a true override switch located on the load side of the relay. Power Series relays are available in Enclosed, T, and Panel Style packaging.

Finally, the Latching Series is RIB's newest line of relays. These relays are prepackaged in their own NEMA 1 plastic enclosure with a 1/2″ mounting nipple, LED indicator and pre-wired for fast, simple and cost effective installations. Activate latching rib relays through pulse commands from a controller.The relay contacts are mechanically latched in the closed position. In the event of a control panel failure – the load remains on. If power is completely lost, the contacts remain in their last state. The load activates upon the return of normal power or emergency power.

So no fork and knife required but these RIB relays are still pretty darn cool!  Check them out at www.wolfautomation.com or give us a call at 800-345-2623 for further information!

These breakers may not be as large as their other family members but they provide overload protection and fault current protection just like air circuit breakers, power breakers and insulated case breakers. They can also provide many other selective or special protective functions.

The WEG ACW series of molded case circuit breakers  is available with UL489 certification and comes in four different compact frames. The Weg ACW Series will assure top performance for power distribution on both thermal and short-circuit protection from 15 to 800Amps.

They may be mini but they're certainly mighty!  Altech® UL489 miniature molded case circuit breakers offer the highest rating in the industry for their type and have been engineered to deliver reliable performance in a wide range of applications. Typical applications include transit, communications, battery systems, UPS systems, cranes, among others.

Altech's TD/TS-Series of MCBs is also UL489 listed and allows for flange mount disconnect facility. This is a cable driven system with interrupt capacities up to 100 KA, on a 240 volt design and 65 KA on the 480 volt designs.Applications include power distribution, power generation and motors.

For further information on molded case circuit breakers please visit us on the web at www.wolfautomation.com or contact our helpful sales team at 800-325-9653.

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Fifty years ago the thought of humans and machines interacting on a daily basis would have been something only found in sci-fi movies, little did we know back then that this would indeed become a reality. With all this human to technology contact, it’s extremely important that safety measures are implemented to avoid mishaps.

As machine safeguarding continues to become more advanced, both in products and regulations, IDEC Corporation has created a family of safety components to meet industry demands and needs, including safety interlock switches. These switches respond when a mechanical guard opens, they feature "positive opening" contacts for high reliability and coded actuators to discourage tampering or defeat.Often used for gate and door monitoring or locking, IDEC safety interlock switches are created with a high-quality and compact design with the goal of achieving maximum personnel  safety.

When installed correctly in a safety circuit, IDEC HS safety switches ensure that doors, gates and guards are closed before a process or machine can start up. When the gate or door is opened, the actuating key is removed from the switch, therefore signaling a safety logic device.

Available in a variety of sizes, contact arrangements and functions, IDEC HS safety interlock switches can be used in a variety of safety system applications from machine tools and semiconductor equipment to packaging and material handling equipment. For further information on IDEC or safety interlock switches please visit Marshall Wolf Automation at www.wolfautomation.com or contact our helpful sales team at 800-325-9653.

The HeatSeeker® Thermal Imager from Ideal is a groundbreaking thermal imager which brings the benefits of this versatile technology to the professional, the tradesperson and the non-specialist, at a very affordable price.

The Ideal HeatSeeker® can save time and money by instantly and precisely measuring temperatures. What makes Ideal HeatSeeker®  so useful are the dual cursors that immediately locate the hottest and coldest temperatures on a live screen, and the camera's ability to overlay a thermal image on top of a digital image for easy on-the-job decision making.

Ideal HeatSeeker® can be applied to a variety of industries in order to help ensure energy efficiency, personal safety, product quality and more. HeatSeeker® comes with ThermalVision™ PC software and all of the cables and accessories you need to make detailed reports for pin-point, on-the-job accuracy.

Less complicated to use than traditional thermal imagers, the handheld HeatSeeker™ was designed to meet the strict standards for performance set by professional electricians, engineers and building inspectors. It is ideal (no pun intended) for electrical safety, energy efficiency, building maintenance and preventative maintenance.

To order or for further information on  Ideal HeatSeeker® Thermal Imagers visit www.wolfautomation.com or call us at 1-800-325-9653.

When I think “cable glands” I think of a television with a sore throat. What the heck do these little but mighty parts do in the land of electronics?Their various functions may surprise you.

Common applications for cable glands include aerospace, cleanroom, fire protection, industrial, marine, panel or enclosure, power or utility, railway, and telecommunications.  They are typically single-cable bulkhead modules that allow barrier penetration while providing sealing and strain relief. 

Marshall Wolf Automation, Inc. relieves cable gland pain with affordable and accessible product lines. Mencom cable glands, also known as cable grips or cord grips, available in metal or plastic and with Metric, PG, or NPT threading. All Mencom cord grips have a wide clamping range. We carry a large selection of adapters that not only allow you to reduce or enlarge hole sizes, but will allow you to change thread types.

We also carry IBOCO’s new cable glands which are  made of Polyamide 6 neoprene seal and are resistant to salt water, ether, gasoline, weak alcohols and alkalis.

Cable glands can be terminated, and easily installed, onto electrical cables and cords that are installed into enclosures, pumps, motors and generators. Contact Marshall Wolf Automation, Inc. today for your cable gland prescription!