IN INDUSTRY, poor temperature control can spell disaster. Chemicals and oils can solidify or coagulate in colder temperatures - and for companies that need to keep supplies or machinery outdoors, there’s a risk of large financial losses.

As forecasters predict a chilly February in the UK, businesses need to guard against the cold. Frozen supplies make transportation more complex, and for any business dealing with water-based materials, there’s a risk of wastage and large financial losses.

Agriculture, the food industry, oil and gas providers, chemical businesses - they all need to ensure constant temperatures for their materials.

Nexus supplier EL.CO. supplies customers worldwide with high quality components for use in heating, ventilation, refrigeration, and mechanical applications.

The company’s most recent innovation is the patented ELK22S series temperature controller, which will be shown in April at Hannover Messe, the world’s leading trade fair for industrial technology.

Though EL.CO. produces both analogue and digital temperature controllers, most users now need digital control, which offer the widest range of functions. Ergonomic, easy to use, and reliable, EL.CO.’s controllers allow temperatures to be stabilised with minimal user input.

Any temperature controller calculates the difference between the temperature it measures, and a set point entered by the user. It is connected to a control element, for example a fan or heater.  Three basic types of controllers exist - on/off, proportional, and PID.

•    On/off - as the phrase suggests, this is the simplest kind, and tends to be used where precise control is not vital, or where the temperature rarely varies. This kind of controller will trigger the output heater/ fan when the temperature drops below the set point, and will power it down then it rises above that point.

Though simple and effective, the process involves a lot of ‘cycling’ on and off, which can wear down parts in the rest of the system. One way around this is to set a differential - a few degrees ‘grace’ before the output turns on or off.

•    Proportional controls - this kind of control can slow down the heater as it approaches the set point, avoiding the cycling of an on/off system, and working within a series of temperatures around the set point.  

•    PID Control - a more complex controller, this offers Proportional control but with two extra checks (Integral and Derivative). For small systems, or those where control is required to be very specific, this is the most reliable kind. If your system is highly changeable, this is the one to choose.

With the ELK22S, the choice is yours. The ELK22S can provide on/off and PID, and - as with all Nexus products - can be configured to your specification. It also has an autotune function, meaning that parameters can be automatically calculated by the technology.

This innovative design offers easy panel mounting in both standard sized round or square holes, and is programmed by a front keyboard or by a programming connector via a Micro-USB.

For a full range of EL.CO. temperature controllers and accessories, visit our website http://nexuscomponents.co.uk/Products/Solid-State-Relays/Temperature-Controllers