ENCLOSURES
The International Protection or Ingress Protection (hence IP) system is quite helpful in this regard where complete enclosures are concerned and one has the luxury of a full testing facility on hand, and the time, to test a completed unit.
Finding the right hardware for an IP enclosure
F
or specialist panel builders however, life is not quite that simple. Generally, it involves gathering a selection of components and using the professional skills of fitting and assembly to ensure compliance of the finished installation. The specialists at FDB Panel Fittings are pleased to offer locks, latches, swinghandles, gaskets and hinges to meet these requirements and to discuss how they may best be packaged and installed.
The key here, is to gather all components suitably rated so that when they are all assembled together the complete installation can be regarded as meeting the IP level required by virtue of all components being to that level individually and each of
them fitted to the same level. A specialist enclosure or cabinet therefore needs to be designed in such a way that when fitted with hardware such as gasket/sealing profile plus hinges and a lock/s and of course any panel instruments, switches, cable entries etc. then it will be possible for the desired IP degree to be achieved – if it is tested. So, whether you are looking for the common specifications of IP55 or IP65 or IP66 or for something else it is important to source hardware of the same rating or otherwise to carefully consider the implications of a different rating. For example, under specifying is an obvious error since the ingress tests will usually find the weakest point in the housing.
However, where protection from vertical rain is required then it may be that a feature such as a canopy and in-setting the door can offset the need for an efficient gasket. Less obviously over specifying may also be an error since it may limit the “natural breathing” of a housing, leading to a build-up of internal moisture trapped by a normal heating/cooling cycle. For this reason, an IP 55 cabinet may be specified but then require a drain or heater to deal with internal condensation.
FDB Panel Fittings and sister company FDB Electrical share their online shopping website at
www.fdbonline.co.uk. Further information on FDB products and services may be found at:
www.fdb.co.uk
14 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2026 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42
