What exactly are enclosures, and why does sealing them matter so much? It might seem basic, but it's important we start off our discussion by defining what an enclosure is and explain why we created a whole educational series on enclosures.
Keep reading to see our break down of the role of enclosures across a range of industries, from battery to medical to electronics and more, and get an introduction to some of the organizations that set the standards for enclosures all over the world.
What is an Enclosure?
An enclosure is anything that is designed to protect some kind of sensitive internal components from external forces or contaminants, whether that's liquids or moisture, pressure, vibration, or etc. Oftentimes, the components within the enclosure that are being protected are electrical and vital to proper function of the enclosure.
Enclosures are everywhere. From the minute you wake up in the morning and turn off your alarm clock to start your day to when you climb into bed at night and grab your phone for some late-night scrolling, you're relying on enclosures in your daily life all the time.
Some common enclosures are:
- Your favorite handheld electronics like cell phones, tablets, and e-readers
- Control panels like thermostats, light and sound boards, and security systems
- Access panels, electrical boxes, and control boxes
- Sensors and meters
- Enclosure cabinets for data centers
- Lighting fixtures
- Medical devices
- Display screens in your vehicle and on your appliances
- And much more
So, you might be asking yourself, "what's the purpose of the seal in an enclosure? Enclosure seals do more than just protect sensitive internal components; they also protect nearby people and other devices from physical harm like electrical shock. Seals can also be designed to prevent the escape of EMI or RF interference.
Who Sets the Standards for Enclosures?
There are variety of standards in place that enclosures are required to or recommended to meet for sale in the marketplace, especially if your enclosure is electronic. Some of the key organizations include:
- NEMA - National Electrical Manufacturers Association (US)
- IEC - International Electrotechnical Commission (International)
- UL Solutions - Previously known as Underwriters Laboratories (Global)
- CSA - Canadian Standards Association (Canada)
We'll go into more depth about each of these organizations and their focuses in our next blog and video: NEMA, UL, CAS, & IEC Ratings for Enclosure Explained.
If you like this information and want more like it, sign up for the Enclosure Institute! You'll get access to all the useful technical topics and tools to help you design better enclosures.
Read the full blog on Rogers’ website here.
Enroll in The Enclosure Institute™ today!
Coming Up Next in Module 1 of the Enclosure Institute™
- Key Organizations That Set Enclosure Sealing Standards
- Design Guidelines for Enhancing Enclosure Performance
Why Register for the Enclosure Institute?
So, why should you register for the Enclosure Institute? You'll learn the basics of sealing design, common use cases, and see why effective implementation goes far beyond just choosing the right material. Backed by decades of converting and materials expertise, Marian and Rogers Corporation share all the details you should know to design the most effective seal the first time.
Are you curious now? You should consider registering if you're a:
- Design engineer
- Product engineer
- Manufacturing engineer
- Industrial or manufacturing engineer
- Quality engineer
- Or any other kind of technical or engineering role
you'll find content relevant to you, especially if you work with enclosures. The best part is that all the content published through the Enclosure Institute is available on demand, so you can access the blogs, videos, and downloadable tools as your schedule allows. Once you register, you gain access to the entire content library and are also the first to know when new content is published.
Working on an enclosure application and not sure where to start or knee-deep in an active project and not sure what's next? Contact us and we'll put you in touch with a Sales Engineer in your area. Our teams can help make sure you've answered all the important questions to make sure your application is ready to go to market without issues.
