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Enclosures


Configurable enClosures Cut lead times, Costs


Enclosuremanufacturers are giving new product development teamsmore options tomeet their time-to-market and cost requirements By Gina Roos


If custom enclosures are too expensive and standard off-the-shelf parts don't exactly meet your needs, some enclosure manufacturers offer the best of both worlds -- speedier delivery and a lower cost -- by offering base unit designs that can be configured or modified to meet both the designer's and buyer's requirements. To make it even easier, several box makers also provide online tools to speed up the entire process from design to purchase.


One of the key benefits of choosing a


Targeting smaller instrument case applications, OKW's Art-Case is configurable for handheld, desktop, wall or ceilingmounted electronics equipment


Cost and time savings


OKW's Interface Terminal Enclosures are configurable for handheld, desktop and wall-mounted electronics equipment


configurable or modified standard is that there is a lot less engineering involved because the customer is starting with a predesigned product.


"You don't have to start from scratch and have a manufacturer


build all the custom tooling, jigs and fixtures so cost will be significantly lower for the end user, at least for small volumes," said Sheldon Butts, sales and marketing manager for Hammond Mfg. Co. Ltd.'s electrical business, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.


Several enclosure manufacturers such as Hammond, OKW


and Protocase are offering configurable and/or modular solutions, each with their own special services to meet specific customer requirements.


36 | June 2011


OKWEnclosures Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., offers plastic configurable enclosures that allow customers to buy several individual modular parts to create different versions of the same product for wall-mount, handheld and tabletop solutions, depending on the end customers' requirements.


"It's also a benefit to the OEMbecause the manufacturer


doesn't have to develop completely different models for use in different applications," said Robert Cox, vice president of marketing, OKWEnclosures Inc., in the UK.


They can use one base unit or platform that will hold the


printed circuit board and base electronics as well as the interface -- display, keypad, controls, etc., as the basic housing and then select different modular front and back panels, Cox added.


For the interface terminal, OKWoffers three base unit sizes, along with all the typical accessories.


www.electronics-sourcing.com


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