Tropicalization of equipment

Equipment is sometimes used in very harsh environmental conditions, where high humidity and temperature predominate (30°C and 85% relative humidity may be average values). These constraints lead to more or less long-term degradation, either through direct effects, or indirectly if synergies exist (e.g. mold growth, corrosion, electromigration).

The process of protecting equipment from the damage caused by living and working in harsh environments is generally referred to as "tropicalization". This term is a misnomer, as it seems to imply that equipment is protected for operation in tropical zones (areas where humidity is generally low).

In fact, tropicalization provides protection for use in harsh climatic environments that can also be found in temperate regions (e.g., in special industrial environments, dye works or sugar factories).

High temperature and humidity conditions exist in certain artificial environments and in equatorial zones. If a piece of equipment has to operate in an air-conditioned room at 23°C and 40% relative humidity located in an equatorial zone, there will be no reason to tropicalize it. On the other hand, equipment operating in a dyeing plant will be tropicalized. The environment of the place where the equipment will be used must be taken into account to a large extent, but analysis of the local climate alone is insufficient to decide whether equipment should be tropicalized: it is necessary to take account of its use. In addition to conditions of use, we also need to analyze transport and storage conditions prior to commissioning or during maintenance operations (e.g. condition of air-conditioning equipment). Equipment that is likely to be exposed to high temperatures and relative humidity only during transport does not need to be tropicalized if it is packaged in a sufficiently airtight manner, with a desiccant inside to prevent the build-up of humidity. What's more, it won't generally have time to deteriorate.

Tropicalization of equipment is therefore not confined to those operating in equatorial zones, but is also intended for natural or artificial environments where certain climatic constraints are predominant.

Tropicalization can be a relatively costly operation. Caution should therefore be exercised to avoid excessive equipment costs. On the other hand, the absence of tropicalization can be detrimental, sometimes in the very short term.

Equipment must be protected against the effects of various stresses, the main ones being heat, humidity, micro-organisms and thermal cycling.

When it comes to tropicalized equipment, there are two possibilities: either you have standard equipment and treat it specially, or you...