What is a metal enclosure?
A metal enclosure is a protective enclosure made of metal, which is often used to house and protect electrical equipment and some other mechanical system components.
Depending on the application, metal enclosures come in various shapes and sizes, including small metal enclosures for applications such as cables and batteries; metal enclosures for industrial electrical systems; and metal enclosures for large mechanical equipment.
Metal enclosures are widely used in industries such as industry, photovoltaics, and electronics. Common ones include photovoltaic combiner boxes, electrical panel enclosures, and large cabinets.
Metal enclosures can provide protection for various components in these industries, protect internal equipment from external dust and rain, and provide protection from physical impact and temperature isolation.
Metal enclosures that require a key to open can provide additional security to prevent unauthorized opening.
Best materials for metal enclosures
Common materials for metal enclosures are carbon steel, stainless steel, galvanized steel, and aluminum. Before choosing the best material for a metal enclosure, you need to consider the conditions of the actual application scenario.
1. Is the metal enclosure outdoors and exposed to direct rain and snow?
2. Are there any special requirements for the appearance of the metal enclosure?
3. Is there a risk of physical collision with the metal enclosure?
4. Does the metal housing need have other functions?
In many application scenarios, metal enclosure made of different materials have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Next, I will introduce the advantages and disadvantages of metal enclosure made of four materials: carbon steel, stainless steel, galvanized steel and aluminum.
Carbon steel enclosure
Carbon steel is a material that is strong but not corrosion-resistant. It is widely used due to its affordable price.
However, it can be coated with a powder anti-corrosion layer, which can greatly enhance the corrosion resistance, improve resistance to harsh environments, and increase the service life of the carbon steel housing.
Stainless steel enclosure
Stainless steel is made of metals such as chromium and manganese, which have good corrosion resistance and scratch resistance. Stainless steel is more expensive than carbon steel.
The housing made of stainless steel is relatively smooth, and the silver polished appearance makes it more beautiful.
The most widely used 304 stainless steel is commonly used for electrical metal enclosure. 304 stainless steel has poorer electrical and thermal conductivity than carbon steel but is widely used because it is easier to form.
Galvanized steel enclosure
Galvanized steel, as the name implies, is a layer of zinc coated on the surface of steel, adding an anti-corrosion coating, which is one of the most economical and effective ways to avoid rusting of steel to a great extent.
Among various coating materials, galvanizing has a low processing cost and is a cost-effective solution. Galvanized steel is also widely applicable, and it is easier to carry out secondary processing such as mechanical welding and has a high recycling rate.
Galvanized steel is not as durable as stainless steel, and the color selection is relatively monotonous. The surface of galvanized steel usually shows a silver-gray matte feeling.
Aluminum enclosure
Aluminum is extracted from bauxite and is a lightweight metal with a silvery-white luster. Although aluminum is not as strong as steel, it is more corrosion-resistant than steel.
Aluminum has a very good shielding effect on EMI and RFI. Aluminum housing is an ideal choice for protecting internal electronic products and is very suitable for application scenarios with strong electromagnetic interference.
Aluminum has strong thermal conductivity and can effectively dissipate heat.
Aluminum has strong electrical conductivity and there is a risk of electrification during thunderstorms or electrical failures. It is not as hard as steel and has poor resistance to physical shock.
What are the advantages of metal enclosure over plastic enclosure?
In various power distribution systems, industrial applications, photovoltaic applications and other scenarios, the proportion of metal enclosure is much greater than that of plastic enclosure, which means that in most cases, the advantages of metal enclosure are far greater than those of plastic enclosure.
Metal enclosure are stronger, have better electromagnetic shielding, better corrosion resistance and are more cost-effective than plastic enclosure.
Metal enclosure are stronger than plastic enclosure
Metals are stronger and more impact-resistant than plastics. This can provide safer and more stable protection for internal accessories.
Especially for application scenarios that require impact resistance, metal enclosure are more suitable than plastic enclosure.
Metal enclosure have better electromagnetic shielding than plastic enclosure
Most metals are good conductors, and the metals used for enclosure can provide good electromagnetic shielding functions.
Plastics are insulators and cannot provide electromagnetic shielding by themselves. If electromagnetic shielding is required, metal coatings can be used.
If the internal accessories are susceptible to certain electromagnetic interference, such as RFI and EMF radio wave signals, it is very necessary to use specific metal enclosure directly.
Metal enclosure are more corrosion-resistant than plastic enclosure
In harsh outdoor environments, metals are more suitable than plastics. Because the metal used in the housing is more corrosion-resistant than plastic.
Aluminum metal enclosure have a naturally strong corrosion resistance, which makes aluminum enclosures a common metal housing for outdoor use, and stainless steel metal enclosure are also the first choice for outdoor enclosure.
Metal enclosure are more cost-effective than plastic enclosure
Metals are more durable and have a longer service life than plastics, which makes metal enclosures more cost-effective than plastic enclosure in the long run.
Metal enclosure have stronger tensile and temperature resistance than plastic enclosure, especially in harsh outdoor environments.
What are the disadvantages of metal enclosure compared to plastic enclosure?
Metal enclosure also have some disadvantages compared to plastic enclosure, mainly including higher initial cost, heavier weight, poor processing flexibility and the need for additional grounding.
Metal enclosures require higher initial costs than plastic enclosure
The material cost and processing cost of metal enclosure are generally higher than plastics.
The processing technology of metal enclosure (stamping and welding) is more complicated than the processing technology of plastic enclosure (injection molding), especially some high-strength alloys.
Of course, in the long run, metal enclosure have a longer service life, so they are more cost-effective.
Metal enclosure are heavier than plastic enclosure
In the same volume and size, metals are generally heavier than plastics because their density is usually greater than that of plastics.
This makes plastic enclosure more suitable in certain applications where weight is required.
In addition, heavier weights lead to increased transportation costs.
Metal enclosure are less flexible in processing than plastic enclosure
There are huge differences between metals and plastics in melting point, ductility, and plasticity.
Plastics are easier to process into complex shapes and structures, while metals are difficult to process into complex shapes and structures at one time and usually require multiple processes to form.
Metal enclosure require additional grounding than plastic enclosure
Metal enclosures need to be electrically grounded, while plastic enclosure do not.
Because of their conductivity, metal enclosure need to be grounded to prevent electrical hazards such as leakage.
The plastic enclosures themselves are insulators and do not need to be grounded.