Anixter Debuts Levels for Industrial Environments

Anixter debuts its new Levels for Industrial Environments program focused on network infrastructure in harsh industrial applications. The program builds on the deep history around the original Anixter Levels program for twisted-pair cabling by simplifying the selection of the correct products in a market where there is a void in adopted standards. Anixter takes into consideration the technology around Industrial Ethernet, but then really focuses on understanding the environmental requirements where the product will be installed. "We are very excited about this new program, which allows our industrial customers to simplify product choices and deliver performance, scalability and reliability for mission-critical systems for harsh environments," said Andy Chacon, VP Marketing Solutions.

From a technical standpoint, Anixter has the engineering resources in place to help customers choose the right technology around Industrial Ethernet networking. The new Levels for Industrial Environments program offers customers an end-to-end solution, matching technology to the environment where the products will be installed. "An office environment is considerably different than a harsh environment like a factory floor. Certain factors must be taken into consideration when choosing the right industrial infrastructure for harsh environments. Our new program helps our customers simplify that process while partnering with best in class manufacturers," comments Chacon.

Within the industry, there are many performance and safety ratings that need to be taken into consideration when choosing products that will perform over time in an industrial setting or harsh environment. Specifying cable and products in these environments can often be confusing, and it is difficult to get a clear understanding of what safety or performance standards should be referenced. Anixter's new Levels for Industrial Environments is a highly engineered selection guide that has identified three distinct levels based on key criteria like humidity, temperature, oil and UV resistance, abrasion, and shock and vibration that directly impact the long term performance of the industrial infrastructure.

Anixter has created three distinct Levels categories:

    Level 1 is a controlled environment inside a factory but not to the extent as an office environment, such as a shipping office or control room in a factory.
    Level 2 is in an area that has higher temperatures ranges with exposure to light and dust that causes problems to electronic equipment.
    Level 3 is on or close to a machine, which is the harshest. Issues include lubricants, abrasions, vibrations and extreme heat and cold.

"We quickly learned that most customers are installing commercial-grade cabling and connectivity in environments where the products would be exposed to extreme harsh environments, allowing the cable to break down and fail over time. While technology requirements might be similar, the environmental conditions can vary widely and have a major impact on the performance on the industrial infrastructure. The type of product installed needs to withstand harsh conditions of a mission-critical system with no failure or downtime which is exactly what the new Levels for Industrial Environments program addresses," Bob Graham, Senior VP Wire & Cable, added.

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