Aluminum Enclosures
Aluminum enclosures are lightweight and possess a remarkable strength-to-weight ratio. They are not only light but also offer superior conductivity for heat dissipation. For these reasons, aluminum is an ideal material for enclosures and is commonly used in many different electrical housing applications. It keeps the contents cool and safe and is mostly found in equipment designed for outdoor environments and in industrial applications. It is also highly resistant to corrosion.
An essential feature of aluminum instrument enclosures is how well they deal with heat. This is important because many of the components that rack up an elevated bill on the thermal account do their work inside an enclosure. Because this is a crucial moment of intersection for performance, power, and the lifespan of your device, you want excellent heat transfer to ensure that the enclosure itself doesn’t become a heat reservoir.
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More Information about Aluminum Enclosures
Extruded Aluminum Enclosures
Aluminum enclosures that have been extruded are a unique type of aluminum enclosure but are created using an extrusion manufacturing process. This involves pushing molten aluminum through an opening to create the required cross-section, or profile. Machining can be performed on the end of an extruded shape to create pockets, screw bosses, and other features that don’t fit the straight and linear profile of the extruded shape. The end products, when finished with a durable surface treatment, are very similar in appearance to sheet-metal enclosures.
Aluminum Sheet Metal Enclosures
These enclosures are fashioned as a box from aluminum sheets. They are welded at the seams, which makes the whole structure reasonably solid. Examples of aluminum sheet metal enclosures include: terminal wiring enclosures, pneumatic control housings and electrical junction boxes.
NEMA 3R, 4, 4X Enclosures
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 3R Enclosures
The NEMA definition of a 3R enclosure is as follows: ‘Enclosures constructed for either indoor or outdoor use to provide a degree of protection to personnel against access to hazardous parts, to provide a degree of protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against Ingress of solid foreign objects such as falling dirt, to provide a degree of protection with respect to harmful effects on the equipment due to the Ingress of water, rain, sleet or snow, and that will be undamaged by the external formation of ice on the enclosure.' NEMA 3R enclosures provide adequate outdoor protection while providing significant cost savings over NEMA 4 and NEMA 4X enclosures.
NEMA 4 Enclosures
They provide all of the same protections found in the NEMA 3R enclosures with two additional protection elements, protection against wind-blown dust particles and protection against hose directed water. NEMA 4 enclosures provide this additional protection using a gasket material to prevent water or dust from entering the enclosure, while the NEMA 3R enclosures rely on enclosure design and gravity to assist in diverting water and dust.
NEMA 4X Enclosures
They provide all of the same protections found in the NEMA 4 enclosures with one added protection element, corrosion resistance. NEMA 4X enclosures are typically made of either stainless steel or fiberglass.