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NEMA Enclosure Types Determine Performance
What all equipment manufacturers want is reliable performance for their components. Efficiency means reduced maintenance costs, durability for your parts, and happy customers. NEMA enclosure types follow a rating system that matches the application and environment to design. Innovative NEMA-compliant boxes from a trustable brand like West Tool Enclosures (WTE) can help you stay on top of your project goals. With a vast catalog
of sizes and configurations to choose from.
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NEMA Enclosure Types Determine Performance & Durability
A NEMA enclosure is a metal box with a lid for housing and protecting your electrical components. Depending on the intended application and environment for the box, there are specific NEMA stipulations that these enclosures should meet. NEMA enclosure requirements help to:
- Protect personnel from shock and injuries
- Achieve the needed protection for your components from environmental factors
- Optimize the performance of your components
- Improve the durability of your installations
Familiarity with the NEMA ratings can help you get the right enclosure for your intended application. There are different NEMA enclosure types for your indoor and outdoor environment applications.
NEMA 3
These enclosures shield your components against the entry of windblown or falling dust. They also offer optimal protection against the entry of water, rain, sleet, snow, and external ice formation.
NEMA 3R
This standard offers protection against the entry of falling dirt. This outdoor weather enclosure further prevents the entry of rain, sleet, snow, water, and the formation of ice.
NEMA 4
Our NEMA 4 enclosures can be used outdoors with excellent protection against all forms of dust and the entry of water, including splashing water, hose-directed water, snow, and sleet. These enclosures similarly resist ice formation.
NEMA 4X
The highly configurable NEMA 4X enclosure can be used outdoors with guaranteed component shielding from the entry of water such as rain, splashing water, hose-directed water, snow, sleet, and ice.
NEMA 8
This is a mostly outdoor weather enclosure meant for use in hazardous places with guaranteed protection against the elements and the ingress of oil.
Why Stainless is the Material of Choice for All NEMA Enclosure Types
Buying the wrong NEMA enclosure can cost your customers three times the original price of your product. A lot of money goes into maintenance and replacement of not only the box itself, but also of the internal components.
Your choice has to enable them to have a low cost of ownership for your manufactured equipment. At West Tool Enclosures we specialize in stainless steel enclosures for these reasons:
- Strength and durability both indoors and in harsher outdoor environments
- Corrosion resistance, which means they can be used in chemical or acidic environments in oil, gas, or water treatment companies
- Resistance to extreme temperatures - the boxes can be used in deserts for solar applications or in cold climates as junction boxes that never fail
- Germ resistance - this quality makes our boxes safe for use in seafood companies and pharmaceuticals
- UV stability - you can use our boxes where there is continuous exposure to UV and never have to worry about degradation
The Best Stainless Steel Grades for Your NEMA Enclosure Types
At WTE, we primarily use two types of stainless steel for your indoor and outdoor NEMA enclosures:
304 Stainless Steel
You get more value for your money. 304 stainless steel is affordable but still heavy-duty and durable, however it’s not as corrosion-resistant as 316 stainless steel in acidic environments. We recommend 304 stainless steel NEMA boxes for your indoor applications.
316 Stainless Steel
These enclosure types will protect your installation in acidic or harsh environments for many years to come. 316 stainless steel protects against corrosion and from chemicals and wear-and-tear. We recommend these enclosures for outdoor use.
You Can Save Big Money with Configurable NEMA Enclosures
Ready-made NEMA enclosures may not match with your project requirements. At West Tool Enclosures, we understand that OEM and equipment installation projects can be extremely diverse. We give you the chance to create the ideal design for your enclosure.
You understand your project’s needs better than we do. So, we make it simple for you. Go to our design tool and choose a base configuration. Our design tool software will then work with you every step of the way to create an enclosure that aligns with your requirements. Once you get the right design, you will get the pricing, and our engineers will get to work as soon as you give the go-ahead.
Why A Customizable Enclosure is A Real Deal
Assured Performance
You are in charge of design. You get the features you need for your application type.
Cost Savings
You can prioritize critical features and limit the inclusion of unnecessary accessories.
Built for Performance and Durability
When the environment of use and application matches enclosure design, the result is superior performance and durability for your components.
Future-Proof Versatility
Technology changes at a rapid pace. Thankfully, with a custom NEMA enclosure type, you can quickly reconfigure it in the field for newer or differently sized components.
Stress-Free Design and Ordering Process
With our modern design tool, you can create your desired enclosure in a matter of minutes. Our designers and engineers will do the rest perfectly while attaining NEMA compliance for your order.
What We Do Differently at West Tool Enclosures
We Save You Time and Money
Our turn-around time for all orders is two weeks. Compared to our competitors who can take up to eight weeks to deliver, we are the best enclosure manufacturer to work with for time-sensitive projects. All projects are time-sensitive in the eyes of WTE.
We Make Things Easier for You
We don’t just deliver the NEMA enclosures to your doorstep; we deliver them fully assembled and ready for wiring. Do you know what that means for you? A stress-free component installation process, that’s what you can expect. It also saves you the time and labor that you would spend in enclosure assembling.
Built Just How You Want Them
We take care of cutting and drilling so that you don’t have to do these things yourself. The cutting of holes in an enclosure can affect its NEMA rating, and at WTE, we understand that. We ensure that we handle the technical drilling of holes for conduits, air ducts, and buttons, among others while minimizing errors and the possibility of the ingress of water and foreign objects.
At West Tool Enclosures, we are well-equipped to handle all projects, large or small. Whether you need indoor or outdoor NEMA enclosure types, we have the expertise and resources to meet your needs.
Let’s help you meet your project needs in an efficient, affordable, and timely manner. Contact us to learn more.