What Affects the Cost of Manufacturing Industrial Enclosures?

Brittany Beckmann No Comments
Many contributing factors affect the cost of industrial enclosures, the first of which includes regulations set by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and International Protections (IP) Ratings.

NEMA and IP

What NEMA and IP Ratings essentially do is establish a set of codes and safety requirements for different products depending on their end use. If an industrial enclosure is built with the intention of being outside or in other harsh conditions, it needs to test to certain codes which eliminate the possibility of seepage or degrading of materials. These ratings allow us to determine how many protection precautions need to be addressed in the engineering and manufacturing process. An enclosure which is required to be protected from liquids may require a more expensive hinge type, latching, gasket type and overall sealing design versus an enclosure with only minimal protection requirements. These are all considerations to keep in front of you while searching for your enclosure needs.

 

If you are seeking more economical options for your enclosure, here are a few things to consider:

Floor vs. Wall Mounts

The difference between floor and wall mounts comes down to one basic thing: size. Wall mounts tend to be more economical because they fit less—unable to hold more space—and consequently lighter, whereas floor mounts have fewer restrictions regarding size and weight.

 

Welding

The degree to which a product needs to be welded can greatly affect the price—particularly if the weld requires finishing. If this is a concern, try to reduce welding and seek other solutions such as riveted designs using overlapping components from bottom up and designs which canopy the areas below.

 

Finish

Glossy finishes and paints don’t mask the scratches or flaws that inevitably occur as the steel makes its way through fabrication flow. Therefore, more time and money is spent on improving the quality of the steel’s surface by grinding out scuffs and scratches. Other finishes are more economical simply by their thicker consistency, textured appearance and ability to mask imperfections in the materials surface caused by many manufacturing processes.

 

Materials

HUI uses mild steel for most of the industrial enclosures it manufactures. Galvanized coated steel can also be used to reduce the overall cost of manufacturing. Although HUI does not recommend the welding of galvanized steel due to outgassing effects like coating burns away. It can be used in specific areas of the design to eliminate the need to paint a raw mild steel for corrosion protection.

 

We hope this information provides a better understanding to some of the costs associated with an enclosure design.

 

Are you seeking a cost effective solution for your industrial enclosure? If so, contact Ryan Arnold at rarnold@huimfg.com. We’re happy to help!

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