There is once instance where a puppy playing for several us is so worn out that he was not even able to leave the couch. With this in mind, the owner was able to curl up with the puppy and make him relax without having the mind crazily roaming around the garden. While couching on the sofa, the owner was watching several commercials on TV. And it made her wonder, of all the commercials she just saw, how can customers decide on which products should they buy? Is it because of the benefits the commercial showed? How they can make sure that the product they are buying will deliver its promised benefits? Is there also a factor in what products their closest friends will recommend them? These are some of the questions the dog owner asked herself when watching those infomercials on television.
This question also applies to the current dilemma of the companies that would like to have enclosures as a way to protect their equipment from certain elements. Designs and different classifications of sizes and colors, there is almost unlimited number of enclosures available in the market. The companies can call the manufacturing company to ask for the necessary information that they need in deciding which enclosure do they need for a certain operation task. There also customization needs a company might ask from the manufacturer. It is important to ask crucial information that will help them decide which enclosure is best suitable for them.
With this in mind, there are two ways of making this selection easier for companies:
Step 1: Determine the size needed for the enclosure
To begin the decision-making process, the company should ask and determine the size of their equipment and components that will be housed inside the enclosure. Will they be needing a battery pack? If so, how many batteries does this battery pack should have? Aside from this what else does the enclosure should protect? Is it the LCDs, switches, lights? Some of the manufacturing companies offer enclosures that are easily customizable and can accommodate the needs of the companies. However, the customization of molded plastic enclosures requires a lot of time because it is time-consuming and most of the time more expensive.
Step 2: Determine the protection needed for equipment inside
With the different needs for an electrical enclosure, the right type of enclosure to give the right protection level should be determined in making sure that the characteristics of the enclosure will solve the needs of the company. So how do you know, how to compare different type of enclosures? Yes, you need the standard that you can follow. There are 2 common standards for electrical enclosures, NEMA and IP. NEMA is commonly used in the USA, IP is usually used all around the world except in North America. The common rating is NEMA 4x enclosure or IP65 and IP66, which gives the protection to heavy rain and constructed for the outdoor environment. These enclosure are also considered as weatherproof enclosures. Of cause, there are other types that waterproof which can be submerged under the water, we will talk about that in the future article. Basing from the assembled project, the company should determine which equipment or component will be housed inside the enclosure. Also, the company should take note that they need to leave extra space inside the enclosure. Some enclosure companies make only external measurements. Once the company gives the right measurement for the enclosure that they need, they should include the thickness of the material of the enclosure in their measurement.