DS200LDCCH1ALA GE | New Surplus Stock

Description

Product Introduction

The Arctic oil field had Zone 1 wellheads. -40 °C. Explosive gas present frequently. No keypad existed for this combination — Arctic cold plus Zone 1. The AGA was Arctic but Ex nA (Zone 2 only). The AFA was marine only. GE built the ALA. Ex d (flameproof) cast enclosure. Arctic-grade components. Heated window (25 W). Transflective LCD. The wellhead operators now have local control at -40 °C in Zone 1. The oil field bought 12.

The DS200LDCCH1ALA is the Arctic Zone 1 flameproof operator interface for Mark V drives. It has a cast aluminum Ex d enclosure (flameproof, 15 kg), transflective LCD with 1,500 nits boost, heated window (25 W for extreme cold), and Arctic-grade components (-40 °C to +55 °C). The ALA board has no external connections — flameproof cable glands (Ex d) entry. It’s the most extreme-environment keypad GE ever built.

What makes the ALA different from every other keypad? Ex d (flameproof) + Arctic (-40 °C) + sunlight-readable. The enclosure weighs 15 kg (33 lbs). The window is 15 mm laminated glass. The keypad operates through magnetic switches. The heater is 25 W (double the AGA). For Arctic Zone 1 applications (wellheads, gas compression, refineries in Northern climates), the ALA is the only solution.

Key Technical Specifications

Quality Inspection Process (SOP Transparency)

Arctic Ex d testing combines flamepath measurement, -40 °C cold start, heater validation, and overpressure test.

Incoming Verification: OEM packing slip and ATEX certificate (Ex d IIC T6). Visual inspection: cast enclosure (no cracks), flameproof joints (ground surfaces, no burrs), window (15 mm glass, no chips), cable entries (M25 threads, clean), keypad (magnetic switches), terminal chamber (Ex e, separate). The enclosure weighs 15 kg — handle with care.

Flamepath Measurement (Gap): Measure gap between cover and enclosure. Must be <0.15 mm (IIC group). Test at multiple points. Use feeler gauge.

Arctic Cold Test (-40 °C, Ex d): Place board in chamber at -40 °C for 12 hours (soak). Apply power. Heater turns on (25 W). Window clears ice within 8 minutes. LCD warms to 0 °C within 15 minutes. Image appears. Operate keypad (magnetic switches). Run full functional test for 2 hours at -40 °C.

Heater Performance Test (-40 °C): Measure window temperature. Must reach 0 °C within 10 minutes (spec), +10 °C within 15 minutes. Heater power: 25 W ±10%.

Temperature Test (55 °C Ambient, T6, Boost Mode): Run at 55 °C, boost mode (1,500 nits), heater off (thermostat open), for 4 hours. Measure surface temperature (enclosure) — must be <80 °C (T6: 85 °C). At 55 °C ambient, surface temp 76 °C — passes.

Overpressure Test (Reference): Enclosure tested to 1.5 MPa (15 bar) at factory — verify certification. No structural defects.

LCD Response Time Test (-40 °C, after warmup): <2.5 seconds. At 25 °C: <50 ms.

Keypad Test (Magnetic Switches, 32 Keys): Operate all keys through the flameproof barrier. Each key must register. No electrical path.

IP67 Test (Ex d Enclosure): Submerge in 1 meter water for 30 minutes. No ingress (flameproof joints are watertight).

Cold Cyclic Test (10 cycles): Cycle from -40 °C to +55 °C ten times. No cracks, no flamepath gap change, no heater failure.

Field reliability note (from our RMAd board tracking): We sold 2 units of DS200LDCCH1ALA over 12 months. Zero field failures. 0% failure rate (tiny sample).

Field Replacement Pitfalls

Get these five right and you’ll cut rework time by 90%. Arctic Ex d is the most demanding hazardous area installation.

Flameproof Joints — Do Not Paint or Grease
❗ The flameproof joints (ground surfaces) must remain clean and unpainted. One site painted the enclosure for corrosion protection. The paint filled the flamepath gap (0.15 mm). The enclosure was no longer flameproof. Remove paint from joints. Use only approved anti-corrosion grease (thin layer, non-hardening). The gap is critical for IIC gases (hydrogen).

Cable Glands — Ex d Certified, Torque to Specification
The cable entries require Ex d certified glands (Pepperl+Fuchs, Bartec). One site used standard IP66 glands. Not certified. The gland must maintain the flamepath. Torque to specified value (gland-dependent, typically 80 Nm for M25). Use a torque wrench.

Enclosure Weight — 15 kg, Use Two People to Mount
The ALA enclosure weighs 15 kg. One site had one technician mount it. He dropped it. The corner cracked. The enclosure was scrap. Use two people. The mounting bracket is heavy-duty (4 M8 bolts). Torque to 20 Nm.

Terminal Chamber — Ex e (Increased Safety), Wire Carefully
The ALA has a separate Ex e terminal chamber (for wiring). One site stripped wires too long — exposed copper. Ex e requires full insulation (no exposed copper). Cut wires to correct length (8 mm strip). Use ferrules. Tighten terminals to 0.8 Nm.

Heater Power — 25 W (1.04 A at 24 V), Dedicated Supply Required
The heater draws 1.04 A (25 W). One site connected the heater to the keypad’s main supply (1.2 A + 1.04 A = 2.24 A). The supply overloaded. Use a dedicated 24 V supply for the heater (3 A minimum). The heater cycles via thermostat — peak current 1.04 A.

New Original vs. Refurbished: Why It Matters

Arctic Ex d keypads are the rarest. Refurbished boards cannot replicate flameproof joints and Arctic components.

What “New Original (New Surplus)” means on this model:
GE manufactured the LDCCH1ALA in single-digit quantities (<5). Our stock comes from an Arctic oil field’s overstock — original GE cartons, ATEX certificate included. The flameproof enclosure is pristine (unpainted). The window is unscratched. The heater is untested.

Refurbished risk in plain terms:
One “refurbished” ALA board we saw had painted flameproof joints (gap filled with paint). Not safe for Zone 1. Another board had a scratched window (replaced with standard glass, not 15 mm laminated). The window could shatter under pressure.

Real cost of a refurbished failure:
A non-flameproof keypad in a Zone 1 Arctic wellhead could cause an explosion. Loss of life. Facility destruction. A refurbished ALA board sells for 4,000-6,000 online. Our new surplus price is 9,500. The difference is $3,500-5,500. The cost of an explosion is not measurable.

What we provide as proof:

• Original GE carton with ATEX seal
• ATEX certificate (Ex d IIC T6, Zone 1, Arctic)
• Flamepath measurement report (gap <0.15 mm)
• Overpressure test certificate (15 bar)
• Arctic cold test (-40 °C, heater validation)
• Temperature test (55 °C ambient, surface <80 °C)
• Heater power measurement (25 W ±10%)
• Window inspection (15 mm laminated glass, no scratches)
• 12-month warranty (certification remains valid)

Our price sits roughly 30% below GE’s last list price ($13,600) and about 100% above typical “refurbished” listings (which don’t exist legitimately). The delta pays for ATEX Ex d traceability, flamepath verification, Arctic testing, heater validation, and certification indemnification.

Performance Benchmarks & Test Results

Test environment: ATEX Ex d test lab, -40 °C to +55 °C chamber, flamepath measurement tools, overpressure test rig.

Flamepath gap (cover to enclosure): 0.10-0.12 mm (spec: <0.15 mm for IIC). Pass.

Cold start (-40 °C, heater on): Window clears ice: 7 minutes. LCD thaw: 14 minutes to 0 °C. Image at 14 minutes. Keypad magnetic switches functional at -40 °C.

Heater power (24 V): 24.5 W (spec: 25 W). Thermostat cycles at -20 °C ±3 °C.

Surface temperature (55 °C ambient, boost mode, heater off): Enclosure 76 °C (spec: <85 °C for T6). Pass.

LCD response time (-40 °C, after warmup): 2.1 seconds (spec: <2.5 seconds).

Boost brightness (-40 °C, after warmup): 1,530 nits. At 55 °C: 1,350 nits.

Overpressure test (15 bar, 1 minute): Enclosure intact. No deformation.

IP67 water immersion (1 meter, 30 minutes): No ingress. Flameproof joints are watertight.

Cold cyclic test (10 cycles, -40 °C to +55 °C): No cracks, no gap change, no heater failure.

Keypad magnetic switch operation (32 keys): 100% registration. No electrical path.

Terminal chamber (Ex e, wiring): Creepage distances >8 mm. Pass.

Field reliability note (from our RMAd board tracking): 2 units sold, 0 failures. Refurbished boards: 0 found (too rare). The ALA is the holy grail of Mark V keypads. Buy new surplus only.

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