Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel, Or Fiberglass? How To Determine The Ideal Electrical Enclosure Material For Your Application-Part 1

The materials you chose for your industrial enclosures will impact the lifespan and performance of the electronic and automation components housed within. With numerous materials available, each offering different protective advantages, how can you be confident in your choice? The answer: it comes down to your application.

Here are some considerations to keep in mind.

Environment. 

To what sort of environment will the enclosure be exposed? Are there corrosive gas, vapor, liquid, or dust particles present? Is there exposure to manufacturing byproducts? What about weather — is your enclosure braving the elements? And to what temperatures will the enclosure be exposed?

EMI Interference. 

Will EMI affect the performance of installed components? Will the enclosure be exposed to radio or EMI waves? If so, metallic enclosures offer a higher barrier to radio and electromagnetic interference than some other choices.

Strength. 

The required material strength needs to be determined when specifying an enclosure. What is the total weight of the components to be housed? Metallic enclosures are stronger and able to carry greater loads than non-metallic enclosures but are susceptible to denting with impact. Non-metallic enclosures are resistant to some impact but cannot withstand as much weight or support as heavy a load as metallic enclosures.

Modifications. 

What modifications will you need to make? Adding cutouts and holes to stainless steel enclosures is far more difficult than modifying carbon steel enclosures.

 Fiberglass is much easier than steel to modify but can splinter and produce a very fine, potentially harmful dust.

Climate Control. 

Metallic enclosures can conduct and dissipate heat, so carbon or stainless steel is the best choice of material if thermal transfer is desired. Fiberglass and polycarbonate enclosures have much slower thermal transfer. Therefore, any heat transfer would require fans or air conditioning. The material in a non-metallic enclosure essentially acts as an insulator, keeping internal temperature warm when ambient temperature is cool and vice versa.

Conductivity. 

Metallic enclosures conduct electricity and therefore require grounding to ensure operator safety when installing or maintaining internal equipment. Non-metallic enclosures do not conduct electricity, which means the installed equipment is isolated from the enclosure, providing a safety barrier to operators. With both metallic and non-metallic enclosures, external grounding of the installed equipment is required to ensure a clear path to earth ground.