UP TO 3 m³
miniClima EBC10
The EBC10 is recommended for display cases of up to 3 m³. It comes with a 0.5-litre water bottle, with a 2.0-litre bottle available as an option, and is supplied with 3 m of hose to connect it to the case.
miniClima distributor for Australia, New Zealand and Singapore
Steady relative humidity for museum collections and display cases.
Four models
Chosen by the size of the case.
European Museum Technology (EMT), based in Braeside, Victoria, is the miniClima distributor for Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
miniClima controllers keep the relative humidity inside a closed display case steady, without changing the temperature. EMT has used them in its own showcases for decades. It supplies the EBC10, EBC11 and EBC12 for cases of different sizes and, where a case is small or needs to be moved, the water-free EBCeasy. Each can be bought on its own or built into the showcases EMT makes. EMT coordinates servicing through its Braeside facility.
Objects in mahogany, iron and brass, with relative humidity controlled by a series of linked miniClima units.
A library puts a bound volume on display in a new case. For the first few weeks, nothing seems to change.
Then the season turns. A run of wet days leaves the gallery air heavy and damp. A few weeks later the heating comes on and dries it out. The air inside the case follows, more slowly, but it follows. The pages take up moisture and give it back, over and over, and by the end of the season they no longer lie quite flat. In the cases beside it, objects in mahogany, iron and brass have sat through the same damp weeks.
None of this happens suddenly, which is why it is easy to miss. What has been changing is the relative humidity, which measures how much water vapour the air holds compared with the most it could hold at that temperature. Organic materials such as paper and books respond to it, and so do metals such as iron and brass.
A well-sealed case slows those swings. Holding the level steady, season after season, is the job of a humidity controller.
miniClima controllers are ready-to-install devices that regulate relative humidity in museum showcases, storage cabinets and other enclosed spaces. Each unit connects to the case by two hoses, with a small sensor placed inside. The sensor reads the air, and the unit dries or humidifies it as needed to hold the level the conservator has set, anywhere from 30 to 75 per cent. The temperature inside the case is left as it is. This is known as active humidity control, and some readers will know the device as a constant humidity device or a microclimate generator.
Every unit records its readings with a built-in data logger, and the miniClima Tool software, included with each order, lets staff review them on a computer. If something needs attention, the unit shows a warning light and can sound an alarm, and it can pass the alarm on to a building’s control room.
The EBC10, EBC11 and EBC12 work in the same way and differ mainly in the size of display case each is recommended for. Each has a small water bottle, which supplies water when the case needs humidifying and collects the water removed when it needs drying. The EBCeasy works without water and suits small cases and showcases that are often moved.
UP TO 3 m³
The EBC10 is recommended for display cases of up to 3 m³. It comes with a 0.5-litre water bottle, with a 2.0-litre bottle available as an option, and is supplied with 3 m of hose to connect it to the case.
UP TO 5 m³
The EBC11 is recommended for display cases of up to 5 m³. It comes with a 0.5-litre water bottle, with a 2.0-litre bottle available as an option, and is supplied with 5 m of hose.
UP TO 10 m³
The EBC12 is the largest in the range, recommended for display cases of up to 10 m³. It comes with a 2.0-litre water bottle as standard and is supplied with 6 m of hose. For larger cases, several units can be linked, with one controlling the others.
UP TO 0.5 m³ · WATER-FREE
The EBCeasy is recommended for small display cases of up to 0.5 m³. It works without water, so there is no bottle to fill or empty, which also makes it suited to showcases that are often moved. It is supplied with 3 m of hose. The manufacturer advises against linking it with the EBC10, EBC11 or EBC12.
The EBC10, EBC11 and EBC12 work in the same way and differ mainly in the size of display case each is recommended for. The EBCeasy is the fourth option, for small cases and cases that are moved. The first three each have a small water bottle, which supplies water when the case needs humidifying and collects the water removed when it needs drying.
miniClima controllers are used by museums, exhibitions, art collectors, showcase producers and industrial users worldwide.
In museums and galleries, the usual place is a display case or showcase. Libraries and archives use the same devices in deposit cupboards and storage cabinets, where paper records are kept for long periods. They are also used to control humidity in electrical switchboards and containers.
There are two ways to buy a miniClima controller from EMT.
As a standalone unit, it can be fitted to a display case that is airtight and made of non-porous materials. If you are unsure whether a case qualifies, send EMT the details.
Built into an EMT showcase, the controller is planned with the case from the start. EMT fabricates museum showcases and display units in Braeside, and can supply them with humidity control fitted.
EMT is the local service hub for miniClima in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. EMT coordinates servicing, recalibration and recertification, so owners have one local contact for the life of the unit.
The manufacturer recommends a factory inspection about every two years.
European Museum Technology (EMT), based in Braeside, Victoria, is the exclusive distributor of miniClima humidity controllers in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. EMT supplies the EBC10, EBC11 and EBC12 as standalone units or built into its own showcases, and coordinates local servicing.
Passive control relies on a material placed inside the case, such as silica gel, which takes up or releases moisture. Active control uses a powered device that measures the relative humidity in the case and works to keep it at a set level. miniClima controllers are active devices, with a set-point range of 30–75% RH.
The choice depends mainly on the volume of the case. The recommended maximums are 3 m³ for the EBC10, 5 m³ for the EBC11 and 10 m³ for the EBC12. For small cases of up to 0.5 m³, or cases that are moved, there is the water-free EBCeasy. Larger cases can be covered by linking several units, with one controlling the others.
Both. A standalone unit can be fitted to an existing showcase, provided the case is airtight and made of non-porous materials. EMT can also build miniClima into a new showcase or display unit.
EMT is the local service hub for miniClima in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, and coordinates servicing, recalibration and recertification. The manufacturer recommends a factory inspection about every two years.
Prices are not published online. Complete the price-list enquiry form on this page and EMT will send the price list for the EBC10, EBC11 and EBC12 on an EMT document.
miniClima controllers are used to protect materials that respond to changes in humidity, including books, paper, brass and iron.
