Networking Outside Plant Products

More Information about Outdoor Network Cabinets

To ensure comprehensive protection, outdoor enclosures are rated according to industry standards, such as NEMA ratings in the United States for environmental protection and IP ratings internationally for ingress protection. These ratings provide a guideline for the level of protection the cabinet offers against ingress of solids and liquids, including dust, rain, and snow.

Accessories and features like roof fans can be added to enhance the functionality of the outdoor enclosure, creating an optimal environment for the equipment. The inclusion of such accessories helps to tailor the enclosure to specific operational requirements, ensuring that the network remains functional and protected, even in challenging outdoor conditions.

FAQs

Does an outdoor rack or outdoor cabinet come with a standard single door?

Outdoor racks or outdoor cabinets often come with a standard single door, but they can also be available with double door options depending on the model and the specific needs of the installation.

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.