Fibox Enclosures articles

As a manufacturer of enclosures used for protecting electrical and electronic components in hostile environments, we are sometimes called out into the field to assist a customer with a problem. When evaluating the field installation, we often find that the basic enclosure is fine, but some other factor has caused the problem. Sometimes the installation is not correct. For example, the improper installation of a liquid tight conduit fitting or cable gland can allow dust or water to enter the e

Standard enclosures do not remain standard for long. In no time, engineers put holes, cutouts, and recesses into pristine boxes. This process is necessary to make the enclosures functional. There are switches to mount, readouts to view and connections to be made.

Every application is unique and every solution is different, and all applications seem to require customizing the enclosure. Rather than create a custom package, OEMs often choose to modify, or customize, a standard enclosure

While the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) Directive regulates products in the European Union, RoHS compliance is rapidly becoming a de facto global standard that impacts US manufacturers.

The RoHS Directive applies to fi nished electrical products. It does not directly regulate components, for example, electrical enclosures. However, products are assembled from components and RoHS end-product compliance necessitates compliance of all constituent components. Simply put, the

How does RoHS impact on you?

RoHS means Restriction of Hazardous Substances (used in Electrical and Electronic Equipment). It is a Directive adopted by the European Parliament in January 2003 with planned effect for July 1, 2006. Legally it only applies to certain goods put into the market in the European Union after the effective date, but as a practical matter, the RoHS Directive is fast becoming a de facto standard for the industrialized world. The RoHS Directive a

Standard enclosures do not remain standard for long. In no time, engineers put holes, cutouts, and recesses into pristine boxes. This process is necessary to make the enclosure functional. There are connections to be wired, switches to mount, and readouts to view. Every design is different and every application unique. All applications seem to require customizing the enclosure.

Plastic enclosures, prized for their ability to survive hostile environments, are easily modified, making pl

Sometimes an engineer`s decision to use a plastic enclosure is clear-cut, for example when the installation will be in a paper mill, where chemical attack will rapidly destroy a metal enclosure. In other instances, the decision to go with plastic is less obvious, and depends upon the severity of the installation environment.

Cost has always been a factor in selecting a plastic enclosure over a traditional metal unit. In the harshest environments, plastic generally is cost effective co

When discussing enclosure packaging, it’s typical for a design engineer to have strong opinions about how to package a specific design. After all, who doesn’t want a new device to have the best packaging possible? Whether that package is intended to be an ergonomic beauty that aids (and impresses) the end user or an enclosure for protecting delicate electronics in hostile environments, the OEM design engineer wants it a “certain” way.

Wanting something a &ldquo