Production & Laboratory Enclosures

Some people consider "panel building" to be simple.  We consider it an art.  It's not easy to  correctly terminate hundreds of wires per day.  Some advice we can give is:

1. Keep AC and DC wiring separate, cross at right (90 degree) angles
2. Keep empty space (buffer) around equipment to allow air to flow and circulate
3. Have at least one small fan to circulate air inside the enclosure.  Even better - fans blowing across electronics can lower their temperature by 30 degrees. 
4. Keep electronics heated when cold and cool when hot.
5. Uses circuit breakers and fuses liberally.  This not only protects equipment but makes it easier to troubleshoot when you can individually power down equipment.
6. Make sure conduit does not come into the top of the cabinet.  Any water, condensation, or other moisture will drip into your electronics. 
7. TTL or other signals of 5 volt or less should be treated as analog signals (shielded)
8. Communications signals should be shielded, twisted pair
9. Analog signals should be shielded.  Use differential inputs for higher accuracy. 
10. Do not over tighten wire ties since they can deform and alter the cable.
11. Do not bend cables tightly.  Observe minimum bending specifications. 

• Adalet -- manufactures stainless steel, aluminum and carbon steel industrial electrical enclosures, explosion proof enclosure systems and cable accessories
• AD Products -- enclosures, industrial pilot devices, cord grips, cable connectors, air conditioners and fans
• Allied Moulded Products -- line of fiberglass reinforced boxes & enclosures
• Automation Direct -- NEMA 12 industrial enclosures
• Bel Products -- Industrial enclosures and electrical boxes
• Bud Industries -- full line of electronics enclosures
• Comark -- Industrial computers, peripherals, enclosures
• Gorilla Systems -- Wide range of enclosures
• Hammond   -- major supplier of industrial enclosures
• Hoffman   -- major supplier of industrial enclosures
• Ice Qube -- NEMA enclosures and cooling systems
• ITS Enclosures -- ICE Stations, Net Station, Ice Box
• Melcor -- thermoelectric cold plates
• Noren Products -- heat exchangers
• OP Station -- floor standing computer enclosures
• Richard Wohr -- huge variety of aluminum, plastic, DIN rail mount, connector shells, electrical boxes, keyboards,
• Rittal  -- major supplier of industrial enclosures
• Rose+Bopla -- line of electronic and electrical enclosures, suspension arm systems, and machine control housings
• Stahlin -- non-metallic enclosures
• Strongarm -- adjustable mountings for flat panel displays
• Touch Controls -- huge variety of enclosures for computers, monitors, explosion proof, NEMA 4, 4X, 12, 
• Wiegmann  -- wide range of industrial enclosures

See Also

• NEMA Enclosure Ratings

We try to offer a fair and balanced opinion on every page of our website.  We would appreciate more information from other users to express their opinions which we will then incorporate.  If you have questions or comments please post them on our message board (see button in left hand column) so that others can read and benefit.