Enclosures without Limits

Units offer advanced front panel system and unobstructed side walls

Encasing system components can be every bit as critical as designing the system itself. Industrial systems are often called upon to withstand daily washdowns with harsh chemicals, operate in potentially explosive environments, or simply stay clean as dusts or other particulates fill the air. The problem lies in finding an off-the-shelf enclosure to fit as-designed systems, rather than incurring the cost and development of a custom case.

The DiamondShield family of fiberglass enclosures, introduced by Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures, Belding, MI, may be the closest yet to meeting needs for the broadest spectrum of applications. The boxes have no flange or lip on the front face for gasketing, permitting unrestricted access to the full interior volume and unobstructed use of all four sidewalls. The doors have a urethane O-ring that compresses over a formed tongue on the box, enhancing the seal integrity. And the door latching hardware is mounted without the use of hardware that might penetrate the body of the enclosure.

Critical to this enclosure is the material used in its construction. Stahlin created its own fiberglass sheet molding compound with strengthened molecular bonds and polymeric crosslinking. Mixed in with this is a sacrificial additive, called SolarGuard, that absorbs UV energy, then releases it without damage to the material’s polymer chain. The structure is also certified to UL 94 5V for high fire retardancy, as well as NEMA 4X, IP66.

There are 10 sizes of DiamondShield enclosure presently offered, ranging from 6- x 6- x 4-in. to 20- x 16- x 10-in. But size choices are not the limit for this enclosure’s flexibility. Rails in all four corners of the box where the sidewalls meet offer incremental bracket locations to permit many panel placement locations within one enclosure. There are a broad array of cover styles that include clear, opaque and viewing-window versions. And a selection of latching hardware is offered, all of which are attached without penetration of the enclosure’s sidewalls (the same applies to the door hinge hardware).

—RM

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