A splash of water. Flying fibers and pieces of lint. Light drips of rain. Believe it or not, these minor, forgettable, and seemingly insignificant things can wreak havoc on your electronic equipment if you let them. So when selecting an enclosure to house your equipment, think about all the ways your equipment could be harmed and then peruse the NEMA enclosure types. And if you’re worried about the items listed above, you may want to purchase a NEMA type 5 enclosure.
NEMA Type 5 Enclosure
A NEMA type 5 enclosure offers more protection than your basic type 1 or type 2. Especially when it comes to the ingress of water and solid foreign objects, the type 5 enclosure can safeguard your equipment from harm. To better understand the protections offered by a NEMA type 5 enclosure, please scroll down.
Protections Offered by a NEMA Type 5 Enclosure
INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS
You can’t take a NEMA type 5 enclosure outdoors and expect it to hold up. Despite the protections we describe below, the enclosure is only designed to work within indoor environments. If you may move the equipment outdoors in the future, consider another NEMA standard.
PROTECTION FOR PERSONNEL
Some people are so concerned about their equipment’s condition and potential damage, they forget that the equipment could inflict harm on others. If you’re worried about hazardous parts hurting your personnel, a NEMA type 5 enclosure can help. It provides a degree of protection against access to hazardous parts.
DEFENSE AGAINST SOLID FOREIGN OBJECTS
If solid foreign objects made contact with your electronic equipment, could they tamper with its function? Could they even destroy it? A NEMA type 5 enclosure provides a degree of protection against the ingress of a variety of items, including falling dirt, settling airborne dust, lint, and fibers. These enclosures are dust-tight due to the installation of gaskets (i.e., rubber sealants).
SAFEGUARD AGAINST MOISTURE
Finally, if a little water should enter the mix, a NEMA type 5 enclosure can offer some help. It will prevent the harmful effects that dripping or lightly splashed water can inflict upon electronic equipment. However, it will not protect against hose-directed water, significant splashing, or (of course) submersion in water. In these situations, you will need to upgrade to another NEMA type. For example, a type 4 can protect against harm caused by hose-directed water and a type 6 can protect against harm due to occasional submersion at a limited depth.
In addition, a NEMA type 5 enclosure does not protect against corrosive liquids. For this sort of protection, you will need a more defensive enclosure. All standards that include the destination “X,” like NEMA type 3X and 4X, indicate that the enclosure is corrosion-resistant.
Ready to Purchase an Enclosure?
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) did us all a great favor by creating their list of enclosure standards. If you know the conditions of your environment and the sensitivity of your equipment, you can find the NEMA rating that works for you. Then, when shopping for a new enclosure, you can use the rating to easily locate products that will meet your needs.
To view all of the NEMA enclosure types, please visit the NEMA website.
Finally, if you’re on the hunt for a company that can manufacture premium metal enclosures on your behalf, check out American Products Contract Manufacturing. Our high-quality, innovative enclosures enable our customers to assist the telecommunications industry in expanding and improving their network services. We offer NEMA type 1, type 2, type 3, type 3-R, type 3X, type 4, and type 4X metal enclosures. Plus, we manufacture these enclosures from aluminum, galvanized steel, carbon steel, and stainless steel to create a rugged and reliable structure and to meet your environment conditions. Give us a call at 1-877-960-3703 to learn more, or request a free quote online.
