No longer ‘ just a box ’…
How enclosure suppliers are adding value and engineered excellence in electrical enclosures
The most significant shift in the industrial enclosure market over recent years has been the demand for increased customisation and fulfilment . From CNC machining to pre-assembled electrical terminals , additional services save the customer time and money . In some cases , turnkey solutions are provided and this bespoke approach has also had a knock-on effect for enclosure technology , which is becoming ever more specific to task . Chris Lloyd , Managing Director , Spelsberg UK , explains the trend in the enclosure market and where it ’ s heading .
The most significant change for industrial enclosure manufacturers over the past 10 years has been the requirement to provide not just the enclosure itself , but a customised , partially complete or even a finished unit . This means that customers , typically OEMs but also end-users , increasingly request components to be assembled by the enclosure manufacturer , providing a product that ’ s ready – or almost ready - for installation .
Driving this trend is the reduction in the time and cost of labour for the customer . Shifting this aspect of manufacturing production to the enclosure manufacturer also speeds up project completion , meaning faster time to market .
Enclosure assembly and customisation
In addition to providing the actual enclosure , this means that manufacturers are typically requested to fit components such as electrical terminals and cable glands , through to membrane keypads and overlays . Part of the pre-assembly process can also include customisation . Using CNC machining , this can mean drilling specific sizes and locations of holes for optimal cable routing , through to countersinking and tapping to increase mounting flexibility .
Today , the enclosure manufacturer has the skills and technology that the OEM or end user doesn ’ t have available inhouse , in order to provide customised and assembled units . This increases the accountability demanded from the enclosure manufacturer - instead of sharing it with third-party machinists or fulfilment houses - which improves the speed and reliability of project completion .
The shift to complete finished products
The extent of progression in the onestop-shop demands placed on current industrial enclosure manufacturers also includes complete finished products that are ready to install . For example , as a result of the rise in electric-powered vehicles , including cars as well as bicycles and scooters , manufacturers like Spelsberg have been tasked to provide OEMs and local and municipal authorities with complete charging units .
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