Outdoor environments create many opportunities of damage and equipment failure for control panels and component enclosures alike. Manmade and natural elements are of equal concern to designers working in industrial backgrounds, leaving plenty of obstacles in the path to complete, cohesive enclosure design. 

Many of our clients build and use their electrical panels and control panels for heavy machinery and industrial purposes, which exposes them to some harmful environments not often considered during the initial design phase. If precautions are not made, electrical components within enclosures may fail prematurely in high-vibration environments. 

For many dedicated musicians, finding the right effects pedal is equivalent to locating a needle in a haystack. To truly experiment and find a sound that suits your tendencies, hunting through second-hand guitar and music shops may not be the easiest or the most economical path to take.

For designers of electrical and component enclosures, there's no element more important to the success of your device than its cooling mechanism. The primary method of controlling internal temperatures, cooling systems are relied heavily upon to ensure safe, effective operation through various external environments. But especially with cooling systems that incorporate moving parts (i.e. fans and other forced-air systems), the mechanical element of the device is often among the first parts of the enclosure to fail. 

The ho-hum designs of electrical and component enclosures are exactly that - boring, sterile, and passive. While this makes sense for most companies looking for a cost-effective solution, it does little for a start-up or smaller company trying to make a splash with a new device or invention. Even if aesthetics aren't your primary concern, there are better ways to customize your enclosure design to meet the needs of your intended application and take better advantage of an internal component's design.

Condensation is defined as "the conversion of a substance (as water) from the vapor state to a denser liquid or solid state usually initiated by a reduction in temperature of the vapor." Inside an electrical enclosure, condensation spells major trouble.

In the fight between solid-state and tube amplification there are no losers. Transistor enthusiasts love the portability and consistency of modern listening devices; others simply prefer the classic sound that tube amps provide.

Site location and selecting the right manufacturer for your solar panels are two of the most important steps in completing a solar energy project, but equal time and attention should be spent ensuring the electrical enclosures can adequately protect the important electrical components from the elements. 

NEMA, the association of electrical equipment and medical imaging manufacturers, consists of over 400 member companies and sets standards for electrical enclosures as well as nearly 600 other products. Each rating has different specifications meant to protect electrical components, property, and personnel from harm.

Make no bones about it: in this day and age, there's no excuse for premature equipment failure or needlessly inefficient operation in enclosure design. There are many factors that contribute to problems within the internal workings of an enclosure, yet despite the drive to decrease costs and streamline designs, there's something to be said for an active cooling system that's incorporated into your initial design processes.