Potted Control Board
Placing the control electronics not in a separate box but directly inside the motor body and sealing them. No connector, solder joint or exposed cable splice is left outside; the weak points attacked by moisture and vibration are eliminated. On the AXI LFT54 the control board is embedded inside the motor in this way.
The potted construction protects the electronics in two respects. The first is against moisture: there is no chain of separate cover gasket and cable gland between the board and the outside environment, so the number of leak paths through which water can enter is reduced. The second is against vibration; because the board is mechanically supported, the likelihood of fatigue cracks forming in component leads is lower.
- Advantage: reliability increases on a cabless tractor, at exposed mounting points.
- The price: a potted board cannot be repaired in the field; in case of a fault the unit is assessed as a whole.
- Heat: since the board's heat is transferred to the body, ventilation of the mounting surface is still important.
For the LFT54 the manufacturer has not declared an IP code; the product description mentions a "fully waterproof control board embedded inside the motor" and a galvanised sheet-metal box. For this reason it would not be correct to write a code such as IP66 or IP67 for the LFT54. The product with a declared IP code is the LFT20 and its value is IP66.
Context in which this term is used: Converting a tractor hydraulic lever to electronic control