About the author:
Barry Nelson is public relations coordinator for Wago Corp. Nelson can be reached at [email protected].
More than 100 years ago, it was discovered that a specific wavelength of ultraviolet (UV) light could disrupt the DNA of many microorganisms. This made UV an ideal clean way to purify substances, especially water. From major cities, like New York and Seattle, to large corporations like Proctor & Gamble and Pepsi, UV technology is preferred over other chemical treatments that use harmful substances, such as chlorine.
Headquartered in Mahwah, New Jersey, Glasco UV is a manufacturer of equipment that integrates ultraviolet light to disinfect water, wastewater and other liquids and has been working for over half a century on perfecting its UV technology. Over the past decades it has installed tens of thousands of systems and is well-known for its engineered UV technology applications.
When Glasco UV introduced a municipal UV disinfection product line in 1999, it partnered with Wago for electrical interconnections. Over the last 20 years, Glasco has exclusively integrated Wago’s rail mounted terminal blocks and multi-level terminal blocks into its commercial, industrial and municipal applications.
“At the time we introduced our municipal product line, much of the wiring in the industry was done with ‘butt’ connectors and screw terminals,” said James Donnellan, founder of Glasco UV. “By switching to the Cage Clamp spring pressure connectors, we improved production times as well as made it easier for our technicians to service
the equipment.”
The Wago push-in spring pressure connection is featured in the terminal blocks used by Glasco and accommodates all conductor types. Additionally, the push-in Cage Clamp, solid, stranded and fine-stranded conductors all can be terminated easily.
As Glasco grew, so did its need for other electrical components and controls, so it now incorporates the Industrial ECO Switch to communicate to programmable logic controller (PLC) equipment via Ethernet connections. The switch is powered by an Epsitron ECO power supply.
Industrial ECO Switches come in five or eight port 10/100/1000BASE-T varieties and offer simple and upgradable solutions for small and medium-sized data networks. They require no configuration, have a compact footprint and the IP30-rated metal housing and 24-volt overvoltage protection ensures reliable operation in high risk environments.
The metal housing of the power supply also provides protection in hazardous and less predictable environments, such as those found in wastewater or water purification processes. The wide input voltage range of 90 to 264 VAC increases tolerance of voltage fluctuations within a supply network, thereby increasing reliability. ATEX and IECEx compliance for potentially explosive and fire-prone areas provides further assurance and peace of mind for end users.
“Both components are rugged enough to be installed in our industrial and municipal systems. We have never experienced any failure in the field,” Donnellan said. “We feel that we get superior components from a very responsive partner.”
For the 2, 3 and 4-pole pluggable connector system where the receptacle could snap into module designs, the Wago Winsta pluggable connectors became the ideal choice.
“I contacted my Wago rep, Tony Silvestri, and he was able to provide us with a product that uses the cage type connections that made termination easy, ensures that there are no loose wires and that are electrically safe,” Donnellan said.
“I wanted to provide Glasco with a high-quality compact connector to add functionality to their equipment,” said Silvestri. “It was important that our product give them benefit of never having any loose connections and to make sure connections didn’t need to be re-tightened in the field.”
These connectors provide ease of installation and long-term reliability when compared to crimps terminals. According to Wago Product Manager Cory Thiel, this is what makes the connectors effictive, particularly when combining them with Winsta.
“The dynamic nature of Winsta’s spring termination also means it will outperform crimp connections because of its resistance to the effects of vibration, thermal cycling and corrosion,” said Thiel. “Crimp termination is subject to connection degradation as a result of those environmental impacts whereas Winsta is not.”
The pluggable connector system family offers a breadth of options suitable for applications that need a reliable interface between power supplies and distribution to electrical loads. They are ready-made connections that save on installation and maintenance time and reduce the potential for installation errors.
Based on its origins as a modular wiring system for commercial building installation, it is often thought of as only an installation connector system. Besides the spring termination and long-term reliability, it also has advantages that include an array of configuration options and accessories for power distribution needs.
“It’s available in two sizes with simple plugs and sockets for wire-to-wire connections,” Thiel said. “It also has snap-in panel mounted configurations in either gender for through-panel connections.”
