Feature Specifying enclosures Standard housing benefits


To ensure an enclosure suits its application, there are a number of issues to consider – including the overall footprint, its design outline and its internal layout – but a bespoke solution is not always necessary. Alan Lewis, business development manager for Retex UK, looks at the design criteria of modern electrical applications and explains how some companies have developed their standard ranges to suit market demands


W


The term ‘box’ to describe an


enclosure may be misleading as it summons images of a uniform


rectangular shape


hen it comes to sourcing an enclosure to house electromechanical devices, each application will have a


slightly different set of requirements. After all, today’s devices are available in a myriad of shapes and sizes – from key fobs used to disarm alarms, to desk- top control and monitoring equipment, to medical devices, etc.


Some projects may therefore justify a bespoke enclosure but the majority won’t – so it is vital that designers and production teams have an under- standing of how an existing enclosure design could meet their needs. As technology develops, users are placing increased value on how small a device can be. Ultimately, the size of the enclosure defines the overall dimen- sions of the product, so it is important to consider the ideal size during specifi- cation. While there is no point in specifying an enclosure which is too small, you may reduce the functional- ity and desirability of your product by speci- fying an enclosure with


larger dimensions than necessary.


Being aware of the pressure on design engineers to reduce sizes, enclosure manufacturers should offer numerous dimension options for their leading product ranges. Retex UK, for example, offers users a range of sizes which spans from small key fobs all the way up to 19” instrument cases which are compatible with industry standard racks as well as suitable for desktop applications.


A wide range of solutions When asked to describe an enclosure, the first word that many people reach for is ‘box’. This term, however, may be misleading as it summons images of a uniform rectangular shape which offers little room for flexible design innova- tion. While it’s true that many enclo- sures do match this shape – it is after all the optimal design in terms of maxi- mum volume for internal wiring – a well developed product range should accommodate the many varying requirements which may be found. Many manufacturers offer a range of enclosures which are designed specifically for hand held devices. By


Enclosures from the smallest to the largest.


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