While prefabricated components are available to make electrical metal enclosures, there are certain types of components that require custom metal fabrication as opposed to machined fabricated material. Some of these include parts for electrical metal enclosures for industrial equipment, such as wind turbines, or parts for trains, custom cars, or other modes of transportation.
Cost drives some of these considerations since custom work is involved. But it's important to note that certain pieces of electrical metal enclosures cannot be machined, either.
Here are a few aspects to take into account:
The location and environmental condition of the electronic components can play an important part in the metal enclosure design requirements for electronics. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association sets the standards for these requirements in the United States and sets the design requirements apart by type.
For instance, a Type 1 metal enclosure is only classified for indoor use, whereas a Type 3R classification can be used both indoors or outdoors and is fit to protect against the elements, such as:
If you need protection against splashing water or circulating dust, and other forms of ingress from water or foreign objects that are solid, then it's important to take into consideration the location and environmental condition the electronics will be in. Also, consider the pressure the electronics may take. This will help you consider the type of metal enclosure you need.
Whether you're building electrical metal enclosures for the electronics housed in a custom car or a telecom device, it's important to consider the measurements required for the metal enclosures. That's because the size of the enclosure matters in order for parts to fit correctly. It also is important to understand the unique specifications of the metal enclosure for electronics to determine whether or not a custom metal fabrication is required to achieve the desired fit.
Before moving forward with an electrical metal enclosure project, always consider the design requirements first. By planning carefully, you can identify if your enclosure requires custom metal fabrication for the best performance that will help your electrical metal enclosures stand the test of time.