EDITOR ’ S CHOICE ENCLOSURE SOLUTIONS
SPELSBERG
Rapid availability and tailored designs provide industrial enclosure customers with what they need
While the general concept of the industrial enclosure hasn ’ t significantly changed since Spelsberg was founded nearly 120 years ago , innovations in design and materials - combined with customisation services - have enabled Spelsberg to continually provide UK customers with enclosure solutions that protect any application in any environment . With customers facing continued pressure to quickly deliver , enclosure manufacturers such as Spelsberg have increased availability and the speed of fulfilment .
From one perspective , an industrial enclosure is a relatively simple concept . It demands durable construction that can protect its contents , which typically includes sensitive electrical components , from challenging conditions over the long term . Of course , the boxes also have to be fast and straightforward for installers to fit . But enclosure designs don ’ t always stay simple for long .
“ Frequently , there ’ s a need to customise a box to achieve the optimal enclosure requirements specified by the customer ,” says Chris Lloyd , Managing Director of Spelsberg UK . “ An enclosure might need adaption to house whatever it ’ s protecting , from security cameras to electrical junction boxes at a railway , meaning that CNC machining is required to securely retain the equipment , as well as providing cable entry points in the most appropriate positions .”
Spelsberg ’ s UK operation was established in 1997 , and its CNC capability followed soon afterwards . Today , the Shropshire based operation comprises a complete machine shop with qualified engineers who can quickly turnaround virtually any customisation requirement . Spelsberg typically provides a customised prototype in-house within a day for the customer to take away , trial and approve , before confirming a full scale production run . While in-house CNC machining means fast availability , it also achieves a more cost effective outcome .
“ The reason behind our onsite CNC machining is because it removes the need to involve a third-party ,” Chris explains . “ We
For customisation to be effective , the basis of design at outset and the materials used must meet high standards .
retain the responsibility for customisation , which not only makes the project faster and simpler for the customer , with accountability kept to one party , but it also provides a more cost-competitive outcome . It removes the mark-up of an additional service provider and simplifies the procurement process .”
Customisation also requires a design capability , and Spelsberg ’ s engineering team is able to create a wide variety of enclosure styles . Even for designs that require a completely bespoke enclosure not based on any existing model , the UK team works closely with Spelsberg ’ s headquarters to provide tailored boxes and systems . This might even call for special materials and finishes , such as militarygrade non-reflective coatings , plus varied colours and labelling .
For customisation to be effective , the basis of design at outset and the materials used must meet high standards . Spelsberg ’ s enclosures are mainly constructed from polycarbonate , selected for its toughness combined with light weight , making the enclosures fast and simple to adapt and instal . The origins of polycarbonate began with Spelsberg ’ s developments with Bakelite enclosures in the 1930s , progressing to thermoplastic boxes by the ‘ 50s . Today , over 400 raw material types are used across Spelsberg ’ s range , 95 % of which are developed according to the company ’ s own recipe . The most resilient enclosures bear the iQ mark for industrial quality .
While achieving the highest ingress protection and impact ratings are a given among the leading enclosure manufactures , along with UL certification and conformance with the German VDE standard , specialisation has enabled Spelsberg to develop industrial housings dedicated to specific conditions and applications . This has given rise to developments such as the fire-proof
22 PECM Issue 58