Schneider Electric Enclosures
Schneider Electric provides a large range of universal enclosures tailored to various industries and environments. The enclosures are designed with performance and reliability in mind. The company boasts two premier series, Spacial and Thalassa, which come in both metal and insulating material construction. Spacial cabinets are designed for rugged use in mechanical plants, where they must protect sensitive equipment from the aforementioned conditions (dust, oil, splashing, and the like), as well as the mechanically lively plant environment itself (bumping, jostling, and so forth). In contrast, Thalassa is a lightweight alternative—with comparable protective capabilities—comprised of construction materials that are corrosion-resistant and ideal for outdoor use and other demanding situations.
Schneider Electric offers the NetShelter series for IT and data center purposes. In this series, there are many different sorts enclosures. They come in several different models, encompassing everything from the wall-mount setup in the tiniest and most remote facilities to the large open frame racks used in the enterprise. They also serve many varied real estate types because they come in both soundproof and nonsoundproof varieties.
Enclosure Selection Basics
Electrical enclosures are cabinets that are designed to house electrical components. Their main function is to protect the components, as well as to protect the operators from electrical hazards. Enclosures are typically made of solid plastics, fiberglass and metal materials, such as carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum.
One of the most important things to consider when selecting an electrical enclosure is the NEMA rating. NEMA stands for National Electrical Manufacturer Association. They have developed a rating system which determines the types of environments an electrical enclosure can be used in.
NEMA 1 and a NEMA 12 enclosures
Both of these enclosures are intended for indoor use only. They are both dust resistant. The NEMA 12 enclosure is rated for damp environments. The NEMA 1 is rated only for dry environments.
NEMA 4 and NEMA 4X enclosures
Both of these enclosures can be used indoors as well as outdoors. They are both dust resistant. They are also water resistant and corrosion resistant. NEMA 4X has an extra layer of corrosion resistance.
NEMA 7 enclosures
This is a more specific type of enclosure that is rated for use in hazardous environments. It is rated to contain an explosion within the enclosure and not cause any sort of external hazard.
Size
When selecting the size of an enclosure, it is important to consider the following: how much space will the electrical components occupy, how much space is needed around each component, is there enough room to run all of the wires and how much space is needed outside of the enclosure?
Temperature
When selecting an enclosure, it is important to consider both the ambient temperature and the temperature that is generated inside of the enclosure. When an enclosure is located outside in direct sunlight, that heat can be transferred inside the enclosure. Also, each component inside of the enclosure generates a certain amount of heat.