OKW


IP-Rated plastic enclosures for marine, aviation and defence electronics


Plastic enclosures strike a balance between ruggedness, weight, manufacturability and compliance, these are core design principles that overlap.


M


echanical strength, sealing, thermal management, electromagnetic integrity and ease of integration (mounting, connectors, access) are vital for any good plastic enclosures for demanding environments.


Devices destined for these roles need enclosures that can resist shock, vibration,  Fortunately, modern engineering-grade    counterparts.


Robustness matters because marine, aviation and defence electronics are   Equipment can be dropped or bumped during installation, transportation or maintenance.


   the internal electronics. The IK rating scale originally ran from IK00 (no protection) to IK10   Each level corresponds to an energy value measured in joules (J). It represents the kinetic energy of an impact that the enclosure can  •


 object dropped from 400 mm


 object dropped from 300 mm These might sound small but the impact energies simulate realistic knocks or drops encountered during maintenance or handling.


•


 also prevent the ingress of dust, salt spray, moisture or pollutants. Consider housings    EMC shielding is equally essential – most defence-related environments remain   spacing, mobile platforms and ad-hoc deployments all contribute to elevated EMC


risk.


 RFI. Any peacekeeping, stabilisation or humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR) deployment that uses modern electronics  environments should be treated as a high-risk scenario and the right shielding  civil contingency operations are ‘medium  complacency.


Marine platforms are notoriously   and coupling of electromagnetic energy.  sonar, satellite and navigation systems – all transmitting simultaneously. Small patrol boats and unmanned surface vessels (USVs) are highly susceptible because their systems are tightly packed. Furthermore, salt  grounding, complicating EMC management.      satellite communications, Instrument Landing System (ILS), GPS, VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) navigational technology, and cabin Wi-Fi.


Enclosures such as SOLID-BOX, ROBUST-BOX, IN-BOX and SMART-BOX are ideal for these 


     electronics. These PC+ABS enclosures feature snap-on trims that conceal the tamperproof   


   pre-moulded threads. As a result, users can  case is used as the base. Trims to conceal  colours as standard.


IN-BOX (IP 66, IP 67, IK07 ABS, IK08 PC) is a  mount enclosures. They are available in ABS  transparent option) is secured by quarter-   Accessories include pressure equalisation  brackets.


     dropping the lid or trims.


 https://www.okw.co.uk/en/Products/ Plastic-enclosures.htm


MARCH 2026 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS 23


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