When to choose a custom fabricated enclosure?
Have you had to compromise on some of the features provided by your off-the-shelf enclosure?
Whilst off the shelf enclosures come in many different forms and are manufactured to tackle many applications and industry requirements, sometimes they lack certain features, benefits or even aesthetic. So, when that is the case, what else is out there?
It is a misconception that fabricated enclosures, or custom designed housings are a lengthy or expensive process with a lot of upfront costs - this is far from the truth. A custom enclosure is in fact a cost-effective alternative to standard injection moulded products, especially for low to medium manufacture. There is no need for an expensive mould tool to be created as everything is fabricated from flat sheet plastic or metal – creating a huge cost saving from the start.
Mould tools are also semi-permanent in the respect that they are difficult to change or rework, should your product need to incorporate new features or keep up with industry standards. A bespoke enclosure option provides you with the freedom of making changes to your product during the development stages, with no restrictions on last minute design changes. With a fabricated enclosure you are able to remain flexible and responsive to the industry you work in or the market you target.
Designing in an enclosure to fit your PCB can also present challenges with finding the right fit, with a custom housing the enclosure can be designed around the pre-existing PCB to get the right layout to suit your needs.
But what about restrictions and special requirements? Are you able to achieve a high level of quality or meet certain approvals? In short, yes.
Fabricated housings are capable of being manufactured to the highest levels of protection. Take outdoor enclosures for example, weatherproofing is required to certain levels depending on where the enclosure will be situated – a fabricated solution can offer just as good, if not better, protection to what is currently available on the market. Levels as high as IP67/IP68 can be reached, ensuring that your enclosures can be used in even the harshest environments.
A bespoke solution is not tied to one particular material. With a moulded product, the mould is generally locked to using a certain material; with a custom enclosure the material choice is up to you and can be carefully selected to ensure your required standards are met. Special materials such as antimicrobial can be selected for use in medical environments, whilst UV stable properties can be used in outdoor applications. Coatings can also be applied to meet requirements such as EMI/RFI.
The beauty of a custom designed solution is being able to finetune your enclosure to suit your target, before it hits the market; something that can be difficult to achieve when using an off the shelf solution.
Another brilliant reason to go down the route of a custom designed enclosure is that you are able to test the market before investing in injection moulding. As a bespoke solution can be run in very low to medium and high quantities, you are able to batch produce a product and test the market - using feedback generated through sales or field use. Changes can be made before large investments are made towards a moulded design and when you are ready to make the change – CamdenBoss can help with this too.
Is there a restriction on size? Typically, there are no restraints on the size a fabricated enclosure can be. CamdenBoss manufacture custom enclosures in all shapes and sizes, from miniature electronic housings to large scale trolleys, cabinets and POS systems using a variety of materials.
The possibilities are generally endless and offer a far more flexible approach to standard electronic enclosures. At CamdenBoss we want you to know that choosing the bespoke enclosure route isn’t as scary as it may first seem. We have a dedicated design team that will work alongside you every step of the way, from initial concept that could be a simple hand drawing, right up to production. Prototypes can be rapidly produced in next to no time and at the end of the project, you receive exactly what you set out to achieve.