Feature Enclosures & air movers
Over the last few decades, the UK enclosures market has changed out of all proportion. Steve Gallon of Fibox comments
he UK enclosures industry has changed out of all proportion in the 30 years since some of us old-timers entered what was at the time a pretty limited market. Sheet steel enclosures were almost exclusively used for both indoor and outdoor control housing applications. GRP was seen as an expensive alternative, speci- fied by the large water and utility com- panies, and the use of wall mounted plastic enclosures was basically limited to electrical contractors looking for a low cost box, with PVC being the mate- rial of choice and invariably purchased from an electrical wholesaler. Although the sheet steel enclosure industry remains strong, the emergence of high grade thermoplastic enclosures as viable alternatives has completely changed the landscape of the industry.
Choosing an enclosure Today’s discerning enclosure specifier must now take into account a number of factors when choosing the most suitable product for their application. Environmental considerations are now a high priority. In the vast major- ity of cases such decisions are made by a committee consisting of represen- tatives from different disciplines within the company.
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) now demand far more from the enclosures they specify, and this in turn has ensured that those manufacturers serious about serving them efficiently must be able to offer a complete pack- age of products and services. In the past the stigma relating to
anything plastic proved restrictive. The perception was steel is strong and will last. Recently the horrors of PVC have been exposed by the RoHS Directive, but back then it was a case of Hobson’s Choice.
Nowadays, high grade materials such as Polycarbonate and ABS are readily available to those looking for more than just ‘a box’. IP, flammability and temperature ratings, UV stabilisation, resistance to corrosion and RoHS compliance top the list of requirements.
Enclosures: meeting OEM demands T
Customised solutions We are all painfully aware of how hard the recent recession hit electrical and electronic manufacturing. The resulting cutbacks now mean many companies are looking to their enclosure suppliers to provide more than just the enclosure. Specifiers also often want customised
‘Although the sheet steel enclosure industry remains strong, the
emergence of high grade thermoplastic enclosures as viable alternatives has completely changed the landscape of the industry’
products delivered to tight deadlines. From a simple hole for a cable gland or pushbutton to highly complex milling, corporate colours and graphics, internal bracketry and fixings, all of these features and much more are now the norm in the decision process. Aesthetics have never been so impor- tant. Many companies manufacture families of products and being able to standardise on a single enclosure design in various sizes is of great importance. So to succeed, suppliers must be able to satisfy this requirement from their standard product portfolio. Variety of choice is key. But, of course, Murphy’s Law dictates that however many options are available, there will always be a requirement which cannot be fulfilled from a standard range. By using modern tooling techniques a few enclo- sure companies offer the possibil- ity of developing bespoke enclosure
many other areas of the electrical and electronics manufacturing industry the enclosures sector has not been spared from the insurgence of copycat products from the Far East. But looks, and more importantly promises, can be deceptive. The old adage of ‘you get what you pay for’ undoubtedly pertains. As detailed above, there is so much more to specifying a fit for purpose enclosure than just asking for the box.
Meeting requirements
So what does the future hold for the UK thermoplastic enclosure industry? Only those manufacturers willing and able to invest heavily in market driven product development, state of the art production technology, local in-depth stocks and employee development will be equipped to offer the sort of first class customer service being demanded by the market.
There is much more to specifying a fit for purpose enclosure than just asking for the box
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And let us not ignore the impor- tance quality distribution plays, and will continue to play, in the strategy of the leading enclosure manufactur- ers. Reliance on local stock and trained sales personnel is crucial to the future of the industry. Once again, those producers willing to invest time and resource in maintain- ing a proactive distributor network will be able to serve the diverse enclosure buying market.
Fibox T: 01642 604400
www.fibox.co.uk
Enter 208 OCTOBER 2011 Design Solutions 1971-2011
solutions which are viable in terms of cost and delivery lead times. Two key factors taken into account by the specifier’s value chain relate to their production process. Many com- panies operate a JIT system, therefore confidence in their supplier’s ability to deliver is crucial. Alongside this is the issue of quality; and modern injection moulding techniques virtually guaran- tee continuity in the quality of the products being produced. A couple of manufacturers even use robots to inject molten gasket material into their enclosures to guarantee consistent quality. The result of all of this is no disruption to the client’s production due to QA rejections.
It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. As with
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