Getting Started With DIN Rail

DIN Rails

A DIN rail is a metal rail of a standard type widely used for mounting circuit breakers and industrial control equipment inside equipment racks. They are a universally interchangeable rack-mounting systems used across a wide selection of industries.

‘DIN’ is an acronym that stands for Deutsche Institut für Normung, which translates into English as ‘German Institute of Standards’.

Devised originally in Germany in the late 1920s, in the 1970’s the name DIN became the official symbol for technical standardization in Germany and has become commonplace for Automation equipment to be mounted on 35mm DIN rails ever since.

What are DIN rails?

DIN rails are designed for securely attaching electrical and industrial control products such as circuit breakers, terminal blocks, power supplies, actuators, solenoids, etc. inside a typical equipment rack housing cabinet or frame.

DIN rails are simple and easy to install, and can enable installers to create an extremely cost-effective and space-saving solution that is reliable and easy to maintain.

DIN rails exist purely for the purpose of supporting physical components, rather than as any sort of connective or conductive element within a system.

The advantages of a DIN rail system for mounting hardware components are:

• The rail saves time and effort, as components simply snap or slide into place on the rail, rather than users having to panel mount each individual component separately.
• The rail saves space because the DIN rails allow for tight configurations of components and provide a convenient site for bringing internal and external wiring circuits together, ideal in limited space applications.
• They’re cost-effective, both in terms of the pricing of the DIN rail itself and the potential it offers for high-density adjacent mounting that can contribute to a reduction in the overall amount of wiring and cabinet space needed.
• They promote neat and well-organised component layout, which is better for all-round safety and maintenance access.
• DIN rails adhere to universal sizing and mounting protocols, working to a series of universal standard widths and shapes of mounting hardware.
• Those that use DIN rails can be guaranteed dimensional uniformity across a whole suite of relevant products, regardless of the supplier.
• The DIN rail system allows the builder flexibility to mix and match components, without having to stick to a single proprietary model range to get the job done.

Types of DIN rails

Below is an example of a dimensional drawing for a 35mm Top Hat Slotted DIN Rail.

As such, one of the key things to bear in mind when looking to assemble or buy DIN rail systems is to make sure that you purchase rail sizes and types that will be compatible with the components you’re mounting.

TS35 or ‘top hat’ sections (EN 50022)

Top hat sections (resembles the cross section of a deep hat) are normally considered the industry standard in DIN rail terms, and are the type you’ll likely find most readily available. TS35 DIN rail is very commonly used for mounting a wide range of electrical industrial control products and components, from circuit breakers and motor controllers to remote I/O, transformers, drives and much more.

C-section DIN rails

Also following the above naming patterns, TS32 DIN rails are 32mm wide from edge to edge, and have a C-shaped cross-section with a symmetrical curve to their outer edges. Where it is still used, it’s generally reserved for larger or heavier items such as power supplies and transformers, due to the excellent wall support it offers.

DIN Rail connectors

When it comes to connecting together the components arranged around your chosen DIN rail mounting system, there are various connector options available.

The most common DIN rail connector type is the terminal block, that functions primarily as a linking and safety interface between different components and DIN sections arranged adjacently along any suitable DIN rail system.

DIN rail terminals are used to maintain complex control circuits in applications such as:

• • • Energy management
    • Power supplies
    • Lighting controllers
    • Telecommunications
    • Building management systems
    • Industrial and civil electrical installations
    • Heating and air conditioning control

DIN rail mounting

There are some key factors to bear in mind when assessing your DIN mounting rail setup, depending on the layout and combined weight of components along various stretches of the rail and the environment in which the system will be mounted on.

The physical mounting options for DIN rail systems are varied and incorporate a range of common materials and bracketing types covering mounting clips, brackets and end caps to help support the rail system.

The environmental conditions that the DIN rail will be mounted in needs to be taken into consideration.

For example, what is the potential exposure to suboptimal ambient conditions, is there a particular form of panel construction, is there cooling availability, what is the  working temperature range, are there specific protection requirements or connections and wiring setups?

Typically stainless steel DIN rails and mounting brackets are often considered among the most robust and reliable types in most applications, and zinc-plated steel variants are common cheaper all-rounder option.

Kvaser hardware installation

The DIN rail mounting for the Kvaser DIN Rail SE400S-X10 and its add-on modules has been designed to occupy very little extra space, thus enabling a compact system design, in particular when several units are assembled next to each other.

The Kvaser DIN Rail SE400S-X10 and its add-on modules are easy to mount and dismount from a DIN rail.

The system uses a mounting clip that will attach to the DIN Rail in a manner that ensures a rigid fixation to the rail and allows the Kvaser DIN Rail SE400S-X10 and its add-on modules to be snapped into the mounting clip.

Mounting the Kvaser DIN Rail SE400S-X10 to the DIN Rail:

The mounting clip mounted on a DIN Rail and iInserting module into clip mounted on a DIN Rail:

Mount the mounting clip onto the DIN Rail by firmly snapping it into place, and insert the module so that the mounting clip fits into the guiding rail of the module, with the option to add extra modules:

Removing the mounting clip from the DIN Rail:

To remove a module press the top of the mounting clip to the left.

Pull the module out from the DIN Rail.

To remove the mounting clip from the DIN Rail by use of a screwdriver and press.

Summary:

DIN rails support an organised, clean, safe, and efficient universally interchangeable rack-mounting system, simple to install and used in many industries.