3 Considerations for Sizing Enclosures
Many make the mistake of sizing an enclosure slightly larger than the equipment they need to protect. They are not trying to reduce cost, although that is important. They just don’t account for user interaction with the enclosure. Here are 3 important considerations needed when sizing enclosures.
- Getting your hands inside. Many people don’t think about the ability to put ones hands, or arms, around the object. This is especially important with heavy objects. Objects that weigh more than 25-lbs will require personnel to get their arms inside so they can confidently remove or insert the equipment into the enclosure.
Front view of NEMA-4X enclosure with left hinged door. The rain gutter edge results in reduced opening for inserting or removing devices
- NEMA-4X enclosures have smaller openings due to the rain guard. Remember that there is reduced opening size due to the rain guard that all NEMA-4X enclosures have. For example, the opening on a 12-in W x 12-in H enclosure is about 9.5 inches across (see adjacent drawing). If your device is 6-in high x 8-in wide, placing the device into the enclosure will be a challenge.
- Opening the device inside the enclosure. Some devices, such as printers, have a cover that will open permitting change-out of a label roll. If you want to change the label stock while the device is inside the enclosure, you need to increase the size of the enclosure to account for open device covers.
When considering a final size of the enclosure, often times the enclosure will need to be 3-4 times the volume of the actual device inside. This will facilitate a better user experience with the devices inside the enclosure.