Humidity is an issue one should always have an eye on, for all types of equipment, brands and manufacturers.
- In general, cables with elastic insulation and jackets made from plastic compounds can e.g. suffer from hydrolisis, if unfavourable humidity and temperature work together for a longer time, thus weakening the material structure over time and downgrading electrical characteristics.
- For our latest power, encoder and hybrid cable generations we use PP (polypropylene) for the internal wire insulation, PUR for the cable jacket, providing state-of-the-art material robustness and lifetime. However, cables suffer from electrical, mechanical, thermal, chemical and other stress factors (e.g. ultraviolet radiation in daylight), and thus must be considered in general as "wear parts", which might need a replacement when the time has come.
- For motors humidity is usually not a big issue too, but unfavourable conditions and operation can also do their work. One common effect could be of course corrosion on all kinds of blank metal surfaces, but also collecting condensation liquid inside could become an issue over time. If humidity and e.g. chemical and/or mechanical contamination work together, things could become uncomfortable for any product.
However, if our products are transported, stored and used appropriately, they can provide superior availability and lifetime. If you need some background information on the classification of ambient conditions given in our product manuals, then please have a look in standard EN/IEC 60721.
