Enclosures
Specifying high-performance plastic enclosures for measuring, control and automation
By Robert Cox, marketing director at OKW Enclosures I
t’s a tough world out there for test, measurement and control electronics: bad weather is never merciful. And indoor industrial environments can be just as challenging – hardly the place for sensitive electronic instrumentation. It’s a wonder that devices survive and remain accurate. Specifying a robust enclosure is vital. But sheer strength is not enough – your elite, high-value equipment must also look great. This can create a challenge for electronics designers; they must specify enclosures that are both tough and smart…for what may be only a small batch of niche instruments. And compromise is not an option.
Fortunately, standard enclosures for measurement, control and automation no longer look ‘standard’. It’s now very easy to specify high-quality standard plastic housings that look bespoke. They need very little customisation because they’re already so application-specific to start with (and yet remain versatile enough to suit a wide range of roles).
Tougher materials, superior aesthetics
Electronics designers have benefited from an acceleration in the pace of enclosure design and development in recent years. Specialist enclosure manufacturers such as OKW have ushered in range after range of new modern soft-contoured housings.
Expect to see enclosures with higher ingress protection ratings and tougher plastics that can withstand the surprisingly rapid destructive power of the sun’s rays. Not so long ago, ABS was the plastic of choice – trusted for its dependable resilience. But now
OKW’s CARRYTEC handheld enclosures for portable instrumentation
OKW’s DATEC-COMPACT enclosures for outdoor measurement and control electronics
the latest soft-contoured models tend to be moulded from UV-stable ASA (or an ASA blend for added strength).
Handheld enclosures for measurement and control OKW’s CARRYTEC (IP 54 optional) is the perfect example of a tough enclosure that’s designed for one role – handheld instrumentation – but is also well suited to other tasks. These large attaché-case-style enclosures feature a strong integrated handle with a soft insert for added comfort. They can be docked in wall/desk stations for charging and data transfer; interfaces are protected by inset areas on the underside. Probes, sensors and cables can be stored in optional side bags (and used without having to continually connect, disconnect and reconnect them). CARRYTEC can also be mounted (inverted) on a suspension arm; the carrying handle becomes a grip for easy adjustment. This versatility enables designers to specify the housings for more than one role – creating economies of scale and ensuring continuity of design language. DATEC-COMPACT enclosures for mobile electronics take easy charging and data transfer to another level; integrated contacts are available on demand. These tough but comfortable ASA+PC-FR housings can be sealed to IP 65. SD cards and USB connectors can be inserted within the sealed compartment. Tamperproof Torx screws
46 April 2022 Components in Electronics further enhance the security.
SENSO-CASE is one of the most highly specialised standard handheld enclosures you’ll ever see. It’s a prime example of how an off-the-shelf enclosure can be geared to a pre-defined role and yet still suit a wide range of applications. These ergonomic hand scanner housings can be specified with or without a trigger for easy data recording, measurement, control, stock and sales logging.
Wall-mount enclosures for control and automation
Intelligent building control and monitoring systems call for equally smart (but discreet) enclosure solutions. Elegant SMART-PANEL exemplifies the thinking – blending seamlessly into modern residential, commercial and industrial environments.
These slim and sophisticated touchscreen enclosures are designed to fit standard flush-mounted cavity wall boxes. Screwless assembly means they snap into place, speeding up installation times. And they can be opened just as quickly, using a dedicated opening tool (accessory).
Alternatively, there’s SMART-BOX. It has many of the features you’d expect to see on modern diecast metal electronic enclosures – IP 66 protection, concealed mounting screws, DIN rail pillars – but it’s manufactured from plastic (UV-stable ASA+PC-FR). That places it firmly within the realm of IoT/IIoT, Smart Factory, Industry 4.0 industrial electronics.
www.cieonline.co.uk
Accessories include pressure equalisation elements and also security plugs to prevent tampering.
Convex-fronted NET-BOX also ticks lots of boxes as a wall-mount enclosure for control units. It offers a capacious interior, an easy three-point mounting system, a deeply recessed area for interfaces, hidden fixings for enhanced aesthetics, and an optional IP 65 sealing kit.
And just like CARRYTEC, NET-BOX is not just restricted to its obvious primary role – magnetometer specialist Sensys specified NET-BOX for its MagBase tripod-mounted measuring station. So, an enclosure designed to be fixed vertically and permanently to a wall is serving very well mounted horizontally on a highly portable tripod for a mobile application.
Choose the right enclosures partner It makes sense to partner with an enclosures manufacturer that provides the full range of customisation services including machining, finishing, digital printing and laser marking. Your customised housings can be shipped straight to your production line ready for the installation of components. One expert manufacturer is fully accountable for the consistent quality of your enclosures from start to finish. You’ll get peace of mind and a more streamlined order process.
www.okw.co.uk
OKW’s SMART-PANEL enclosures for building control systems and smart factory automation
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