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FEATURE


ENCLOSURES


OutdOOr sOlutiOns: Why nOt all enclOsures are created equally


The need for outdoor enclosures is increasing. But with such systems protecting critical infrastructure equipment, why is some equipment still being housed in enclosures that aren’t specifically designed to work in that environment? Emma Ryde, Rittal’s product manager for industrial and IT enclosures, explains why you need to think of the enclosure as a critical piece of equipment


D


ue to the ever-expanding requirement for all things to be connected, the need for outdoor systems is increasing. However,


it is paramount that when a system is to be placed outside, serious consideration is given to the design of the housing that the critical infrastructure equipment will sit in. Whether it be telecommunication, rail, airports or highways, the overriding factors are the same. Outdoor enclosures usually contain critical


infrastructure equipment and, as such, we need to ensure that we are protecting that equipment. The key question from within industry is, why would you put equipment in an enclosure that isn’t specifically designed to work in that environment? So why do people continuously put important pieces of equipment into an enclosure that will


most likely leak, allow the equipment inside to overheat, or cause condensation during the winter months? This is also the case for enclosures that offer no form of security protection against individuals who wish to damage or even remove the equipment. In larger or more critical


applications, the equipment placed internally will cost in excess of tens of thousands of pounds. But, more than ever before, in industry today we are seeing businesses choosing enclosures based on cost, rather than the ability to protect critical equipment. The enclosure itself is just as


important as the equipment it is protecting – bear in mind that if


Simple ◾ Digital configuration ◾Consistent data quality ◾ Intelligent engineering


2 DESIGN SOLUTIONS APRIL 2022 6


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