Air Humidification at BOPLA Gehäuse Systeme

BOPLA Gehäuse Systeme GmbH, headquartered in Bünde, East Westphalia, is a leading supplier of electronic enclosures. As a subsidiary of the Swiss company Phoenix Mecano AG, BOPLA has an international presence and operates additional European production sites in Hungary and Romania. The Bünde site, with 240 employees, specializes in the finishing of enclosures—from machining and system integration to printing. The focus is on customer- and application-specific development and manufacturing, from prototypes to finished end products. System integration includes, among other things, the installation of touch displays and membrane keyboards, subrack assembly, and comprehensive electronics services such as THT and SMD assembly. Customers come from demanding application sectors, such as mechanical and plant engineering, medical technology, and agriculture.

“Our customers are increasingly seeking more complex turnkey solutions for enclosure technology with very specific requirements,” says Thorsten Penassa, Head of BOPLA System Integration, describing the trend of recent years. With the increasing proportion of sensitive electronic components in system integration and the rising complexity of printing processes, the need for a controlled indoor climate became clear at BOPLA. To further optimize quality assurance, the company decided in 2021 to retrofit a in-room air humidification system.

Digital printing is another key component of enclosure finishing at BOPLA and enables the implementation of individual customer requests, ranging from photorealistic designs to high-quality color gradients. The printing process takes place under cleanroom conditions in accordance with the ISO 6 standard, which ensures a controlled environment for the printing process. “Especially when printing on complex housing geometries and recessed housing surfaces, preventing electrostatic charging plays a crucial role in achieving a uniform print image,” explains Thorsten Penassa. Constant humidity effectively prevents static charging of the ink particles, enabling consistent, flawless print images even on recessed surfaces near the edges. Dust and particles that could lead to warping or an uneven finish are eliminated by the cleanroom conditions. This is particularly relevant for the final finishing with high-quality clear coat layers. Air humidification in digital printing occurs without any additional mineral content from the humidifier water. This allows BOPLA to meet cleanroom requirements in digital printing while simultaneously preventing static charge in the ink pigments. “The flexible expansion options for air humidification and the integrated water treatment were key criteria in choosing the Condair system from the very beginning,” emphasizes Thorsten Penassa.

Facility management at BOPLA does not have to worry about maintenance: As part of a full-service rental model, the housing specialist receives a fully serviced and cleaned replacement module for the Trepur water treatment system from the manufacturer every six months, which can be reinstalled in just a few simple steps. The full-service maintenance includes inspection of all components, disinfection, and, if necessary, the preventive replacement of wear parts, as well as continuous technical updates. As a result, the air humidification system guarantees safe operation without additional effort for Facility Management and meets the hygiene standards of VDI 6022 Part 6 and the “Optimized Air Humidification” requirements of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV). “This full-service offering is excellent. Replacing the mobile water treatment unit is simple and convenient, so the system runs without interruption and doesn’t create any extra work for us,” confirms Björn Elbers from Facility Management.

Image: Thorsten Penassa (center), Head of Bopla System Integration, together with Matthias Tietgen (right) and Patrick Gumnior (left) from Condair