Special Considerations for Quarter-Turns

When incorporating a quarter-turn (or cam lock) into your enclosure design, there are many things to consider. While there may be more things to contemplate for some applications, the below list of topics represents some of the considerations you’ll need to make during your selection process.

Likely the first question that comes up during the design of any product is how much will building it cost. While likely only a small percentage of the overall cost, hardware like quarter-turns is rightly evaluated at least in part by price.  

Many things go into the price of a quarter-turn including production volumes, production locations, material composition. Additionally, the quality of the finished product will influence the price as well, as strict tolerances, material validation and supplier integrity will all have an impact. DIRAK prides itself on providing the highest quality parts without sacrificing value. 

When choosing a quarter-turn for an outdoor application, it should be noted that the materials DIRAK uses to produce quarter-turns should be considered suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. There are some instances however where the correct material choice during the design phase can prevent potentially costly repairs and retrofits after the equipment has been deployed. 

Certain materials and coatings are better suited to handle the abuse of harsh climates and the resulting cleanups that they might cause. When working with your DIRAK representative to choose the correct part, here are a few of the types of things you’ll want to cover.

• Will it see significant amounts or rain or moisture?
• Will it be subject to salt or other corrosives? (This can be due to proximity to coastal areas of corrosives used in road clearing.)
• Will it see prolonged exposure to direct sunlight and/or excessive heat?

Make sure you cover the various climate conditions that your enclosure will reside in to ensure the right material choices can be made early on.

Outdoor enclosures aren’t the only ones that need special consideration when considering what materials to choose from. Indoor applications can see as much or even more environmental abuse than outdoor applications. There are plenty of industrial environments that will tax even the most rugged quarter turn, so make sure you’re considering them when choosing the part. Some of the questions that you should be asking might include:

• Will the quarter turn be subject to regular cleaning or wash-downs with chemical solvents?
• Will the quarter turn come into contact with food?
• Will the quarter turn be in regular contact with petroleum-based products?

Remember that even if your building equipment will spend its life safely out of natures elements, harsh environments exist indoors as well.

Quarter-turns produced from different materials won’t necessarily react the same the wear and tear that equipment might go through over time. This can be both through normal usage as well as incidental wear and tear. Some of the durability factors might include:

• How often will the quarter turn be actuated over the life of the enclosure?
• What type of tool will be used to open the latch?
• Is there a likelihood that the quarter turn will be hit or come into hard contact with other objects based on its location or use?
• Is there a chance that someone will try to force the quarter turn open?
• Will the quarter turn be subject to continuous vibration and rattling?

The applications for quarter-turns are almost endless, and equipment can end up in sometimes hostile environments. Make sure that you’re considering any and all likely scenarios when discussing the right quarter-turn with your DIRAK representative.

Most manufacturers building equipment for the North American and other global markets need to ensure that the components that they are using meet certain manufacturing standards. As a global supplier to some of the world’s largest OEMs, you can be assured that DIRAK’s manufacturing locations around the world strictly follow these standards. Some of these standards might include:

• RoHS
• REACH
• WEEE
• California Prop 65
• Conflict Mineral Declarations
• UL certifications
• US EPA Substance Restrictions

Rest assured, DIRAK will make every effort to ensure that our quarter-turns and other hardware meet or exceed the requirements of manufacturers looking to build compliant products.

There are many things that go into choosing the right quarter-turn for your application, and the above list are some of the more important. Make sure that when you are ready to choose the right quarter-turn or other piece of enclosure hardware you take the time to consult with one of DIRAK’s team of technical representative for help choosing the right part. Fill out the form below to get in touch with a rep today.