ELCOS Energietechnik, headquartered in Hannover, Germany, specializes in low and medium voltage systems for energy distributors, drives, and controllers all around the world.

Challenge in industrial safety

The supply voltage which connects to the energy systems often lies in the potentially fatal range of a couple hundred to a few thousand volts, presenting a large risk to operating personnel. To address this risk in the past, ELCOS Energietechnik utilized a conventional lock and key system to control access to the medium voltage  systems. These basic locks were not an adequate solution to ensure the operating personnel’s safety. To come up with a long-term, effective solution that ensured safety in the work place, ELCOS engineers primarily focused on a modular access control solution that could flexibly integrate into their energy systems. After researching, the engineers decided on an access control solution which only allowed entry to the energy systems when they were de-energized, E-LINE by DIRAK.

„A purely mechanical access solution does not issue any feedback. We were looking for a possibility to make the systems freely accessible only when de-energized, in order to improve personnel protection.”

“We initially thought about the connection of a rod latch on the door with a sensor, but the DIRAK MLR swinghandle is perfect. It guarantees completely safe access  control for the medium voltage systems.” 

Sven Kappelmann, ELCOS Energietechnology

Customer advantages

E-LINE by DIRAK’s newly integrated MLR swinghandle provided a secure solution that only allowed the ELCOS medium voltage systems to be unlocked when there was
no danger to the operating personnel. The swinghandle could be actuated only when the power supply was interrupted, creating a next level security solution. Additionally, the circuit breakers cannot be activated when the door is open, safeguarding the system against operating errors.

MLR: Mechatronic Locks for Racks

The MLR1000 handles can be integrated into any management system via an input/output system. The handles unlock under dry contacts or by applying voltage. The end user supplies authentication method to ensure compatibility with the existing management system. Additionally, the handle displays open/close status and relays information to the management system.