Enclosures 101: An introduction to electrical enclosure specification DMA Europa

Enclosures 101: An introduction to electrical enclosure specification DMA Europa

Enclosures 101: An introduction to electrical enclosure specification

Whether you’re an electrical installer, design engineer or an OEM, the chances are that you deal with electrical enclosures on a day-to-day basis. While on the face of it the humble enclosure may seem to be one of the simplest components to specify, in reality the variety of choice available on the market may mean that the most obvious solution isn’t always the best in terms of reliability and long term profitability.

Chris Lloyd, General Manager of Spelsberg ELS, explains the basic decisions which need to be made when specifying an enclosure and how the right choice can reduce installation time and cost, and improve reliability.

To many end-users an enclosure is simply a box in which to store electrical components or connections, and the specification process needs to take no more time than is required to decide on the right size. However, if you look at the range of options on the market it becomes apparent that there are many more variables to take into consideration. Spelsberg alone has over 4,000 standard products and each one of them has been designed with a unique set of requirements in mind.

Enclosures are available in many different materials, shapes and sizes and all of them are relevant to different sectors of the market. The suitability of each enclosure depends on the application that it will be used for. Some may need to provide protection from external knocks; some may need to provide suitable external mounting options; and some may need to offer quick installation to keep on-site labour costs low. By understanding how the different options affect performance the end-user can avoid making an unsuitable selection which could cost them in the future.

Enclosure material is the first, and probably most fundamental, choice to be made. The two basic choices are plastic vs. metal but in reality the two groups can be broken down further: eg. polycarbonate, ABS, polystyrene, glass reinforced polyester (GRP), aluminium, steel, and even cast iron.

About Spelsberg

Spelsberg is one of the largest manufacturers of electrical enclosures in the world. With over 4,000 enclosures available as standard and further customisation possible, it offers solutions for almost any application.

With the largest supply of non-metallic enclosures, ex stock in the UK, its products are often available for delivery within 24 hours; customisation is possible on any product, including bespoke entries, engraved corporate logos or fitted terminals, within 48 hours. Products can be ordered direct from Spelsberg or from most leading supply specialists including RS, Rapid, Farnell and CPC.

Editor Contact

DMA Europa Ltd. :
David Bedford
Tel: +44 (0)1562 751436 Fax: +44 (0)1562 748315
Web: www.dmaeuropa.com
Email: david@dmaeuropa.com

Company Contact

Spelsberg els UK Ltd. :
Chris Lloyd
Tel: +44 (0)1952 605849 Fax: +44 (0)1952 670814
Web: http://www.spelsberg.co.uk
Email: cll@spelsberg.co.uk

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