
Aluminum Enclosures

Electrical enclosures are designed to house industrial components and to protect them from the surrounding environment. They are also designed to protect operators from electric shock. They come in many different shapes, sizes and materials. Some things to consider when selecting the proper enclosure would be the number of components housed inside and what material and rating will provide the appropriate protection.
Aluminum enclosures have many physical characteristics that make it an excellent choice for many industrial environments. Aluminum has a high strength-to-weight ratio, which means that it will maintain its shape when subjected to strong forces but with the added benefit of being lightweight. It also has a natural resistance to corrosion, making it an excellent choice for wet environments. Aluminum can dissipate heat, which can help to reduce the interior temperature of an enclosure housing components that can be damaged by high temperatures. And finally, aluminum enclosures are ideal for electronic and electrical equipment because of it does not react to magnetic forces, shielding internal components from radio frequency (RF) and electromagnetic frequency (EMF) interference. Aluminum enclosures can be found in water treatment facilities, marine environments and telecommunication settings.
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.