Spelsberg ’ s e-bike charging station , the BCS , is a complete battery charging unit , ready for public installation and use by an e-bike rider . The BCS includes not only a durable IP54 / IK08 industrial enclosure , but also the electrical charging sockets , ready for connection direct to a 230 / 400 V power grid . Providing completed products like an electric battery charging station means close partnership with electronic component specialists , such as PCB designers and manufacturers , as well as wider technology specialists such as mobile app developers . Each BCS unit can be located by an e-bike rider thanks to the connection of a smartphone app .
The demand on enclosure manufacturers for complete products is increasingly seeing a need for wider skills recruitment as well as additional partnerships with new types of suppliers . Manufacturers like Spelsberg are not only investing more in terms of electronic component development and manufacture , but system design is increasingly coming to the fore . Where previously a customer may have presented their design for the enclosure manufacturer to produce , increasingly the customer gives only their challenge or desired outcome , tasking the manufacturer with the design and development of the solution .
Rapid delivery of turn-key projects
Particularly for end users such as large utilities suppliers , their requirements are increasingly for turn-key solutions . The enclosure of switchgear for solar farms is a tested example , and the renewable energy sector is also creating further demand for complete solutions for wind and tidal power . Telecommunications networks also have similar requirements . Providing major utilities with readyto-install , completed units , not only gives them benefits in terms of speed and cost reduction , it also improves the efficiency of their procurement process by reducing their supplier count .
While customers increasingly want a near-ready or ready product , this hasn ’ t reduced the demand on timescale . Producing a customised prototype as a customer sample is often needed on a same-day basis . When it comes to providing the manufactured batch , the operation might typically be required within one to two weeks . This not only means fast production , including customised aspects such as CNC machining , but also involves carrying a flexible stock of items such as membrane keypads , in addition to the actual enclosures .
Specialised enclosure technology In terms of the industrial boxes themselves , as customer requests become increasingly specific , so do the enclosures . To suit the varied nature of demanding applications , the range of standard enclosures has had to grow to accommodate products such as enclosures for concrete installation for the construction industry , through to fire-proof boxes for security devices such as alarms and sprinkler systems . More specialised still , applications for the military can require non-reflective , self-extinguishing , radar-proof , ‘ stealth ’ enclosures .
While there will remain a need for providing enclosures alone , for example to electrical installers , from the perspective of OEMs and end-users , the electrical enclosure industry will continue to move towards partially assembled and complete solutions for specialised applications . Not only is this approach saving the customer cost and time , ultimately it ’ s helping to create better completed projects .
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