Chromalox Unveils Heat Trace Control Panels for
Hazardous Class 1 Division 2 Locations

New products ideal for controlling temperature in tubing and piping for process fluids and for freeze protection.

PITTSBURGH – Chromalox, a leading manufacturer of electric heat and control products, today announced the availability of heat trace control panels designed for Class 1, Division 2 hazardous locations. This means the control panels may be applied where flammable gases or vapors are present under abnormal process conditions. The panels contain no components capable of electrical arcing and are designed for use in such industries as chemicals, plastics, power generation, oil and gas, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical, and water and wastewater.

"These panels join our intelliTRACE family of Heat Trace controls and are functionally equivalent to existing Chromalox ITLS (line sensing) and ITAS (ambient sensing) heat trace panels," said Scott Treser, director, Control & Panel Development. "We've given them the designation ITLSC1D2 and ITASC1D2 to denote their Class 1 Division 2 status.”

Structurally, the new panels differ in the size and rating of the display – a human machine interface (HMI) in the form of a color touch screen. Additionally, the enclosure dimensions and the internal distribution of heating circuits have changed.
Treser points out that the 12-inch color touch screen display provides Chromalox customers with features that are unique. "This interface allows for easier trouble-shooting, since it simultaneously displays the alarm status, set points, and process temperatures for six control loops, as well as their circuit IDs, manual/auto override controls, and heating circuit current loads. Users can quickly navigate to any six-loop circuit grouping."

The menu-driven, Windows-based screens let the user easily set up RTD sensor and heating circuit configurations and view the status of communications and ground faults. They can use the touch screen directly or configure the panels through their PC notebook or desktop computer literally from anywhere in the world. "The touch screens are very user friendly and intuitive," said Treser. "Users will find them easier to operate than their cell phones."

Additionally, the intelliTRACE family of Heat Trace control panels can be characterized by:
• up to 72 circuits at 40 amps each (more circuits with panel extensions)
• PID or On/Off control with solid state (SSR) power switching
• Modbus and Ethernet communications (wireless Ethernet pending)
• Enhanced input/output (I/O) mapping.

Improved I/O mapping permits users to easily assign any RTD sensor or sensors to any heating circuit or set of circuits. This means they can set up sensing and control functions for ambient conditions (typically for freeze protection) and process lines in the same panel. Additionally, the panels provide output mapping. In this case, the output values of certain heating circuits can be tied to the percentage output of others. Users will gain great benefit from the ease of set up and the flexibility of the output and sensor mapping.
Aside from their Class 1 Division 2 certification, the new panels are UL and CUL listed and CE certification is available as an option. Additionally, the panels comply with the T4A temperature rating, which means that cabinet skins never reach temperatures above 248°F (120°C).