Enclosure Drip Shields
Water and dust can be the worst enemies of enclosures used in sensitive environments. The wall-mount enclosures must be completely sealed to keep dripping water and settling dust from penetrating inside and affecting the components. The two most obvious potential problems—water ingress and dust accumulation—are effectively handled by the installation of an enclosure top drip shield. A top-mounted electronic enclosure with a drip shield should perform well even in the presence of mild water and dust without compromising the sensitive inner components.
Drip shields are often constructed of strong, reliable materials like 316 stainless steel. This is an excellent choice for a drip shield that will be located in an outdoor or industrial setting, where it will be exposed to various environmental conditions. The use of stainless steel ensures that the drip shield will resist corrosion, but that does not mean the drip shield will be maintenance-free.
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More Information about Enclosure Drip Shields
Drip shields do their job well, but to do it even better, they have stainless steel screws and sealing washers. This combination provides a secure, watertight attachment of the drip shield to the enclosure. The drip shield, therefore, is robust against three potential disasters: water seeping through the mounting points, corrosion of the fasteners, and "dirt" causing problems with the enclosure's interior.
FAQs
Are drip shields suitable for an enclosure that has a door?
Yes, drip shields are suitable for enclosures with doors, as they provide protection against water ingress by diverting moisture away from the door and maintaining the enclosure's integrity in outdoor or wet environments.
NEMA 3R, 4 and 4X
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.