We’ve come a long way since the homing pigeons of Ancient Rome, the beacons of the Middle Ages, and the electrical telegraph of the 1800s. These days, the telecommunications industry makes long-distance communication possible through cables, signaling, layered networks, multiplexing, cellular telephony, wireless transmission, broadcasting, and much more. A century ago, this would have been regarded as remarkable. Today, we view it as just another marvel of our modern world. Like most technologies, many different products, procedures, and minds must come together in order for telecommunications to work. For example, what would the industry be without telecommunications enclosures?
Telecommunications Enclosures
Purpose
Telecommunications enclosures protect equipment needed for communication conducted over a distance. For example, cables, switches, modems, routers, and wires all need to be protected from the dangerous features of an environment. Whether located indoors or outdoors, these products can be damaged by a variety of environmental factors, jeopardizing the condition of the equipment and the quality of communication. For example, your enclosure may need to protect your equipment from the following elements:
- Moisture
- Splashed water
- Submersion in water
- Dust, lint, etc.
- Corrosion
- Ice
When shopping for telecommunications enclosures, you must know and understand the environment in which your enclosure will rest. By identifying potentially dangerous features in the environment, you can purchase an enclosure with the protections needed to safeguard the telecommunications equipment.
Although their primary purpose is to protect their contents, electrical enclosures offer other benefits as well. For example, telecommunications enclosures can organize equipment, keeping it tidy for efficiency and ease of use. Custom shelving and equipment racking assist with this. The cabinet can also ensure that the equipment remains accessible to anyone authorized to access it and that it won’t accidentally harm someone.
Features
Every enclosure is different. Although manufacturers design all telecommunications enclosures with “telecom” equipment in mind, some products offer additional features. As you shop for an enclosure, consider the following features:
- NEMA Standards: To help you access the specific protection offered by an enclosure, most companies use NEMA rating standards. Each NEMA standard offers different protective features. To learn more about the various types, visit NEMA’s website.
- Customization: Although standard telecommunications enclosures cost less and arrive sooner, many companies use customized cabinets that suit the needs of their sensitive equipment. To decide whether or not you need a custom enclosure designed, explore available standard enclosures and discuss your needs with a manufacturer.
- Ventilation/Cooling: Heat can damage electrical equipment, so many enclosures offer customized cooling solutions. For example, they can include built-in air conditioners and external coolers for ventilation. These features prevent overheating and can sometimes extend the life of the products.
- Form: Enclosures provide flexibility in regard to form and structure as well. For example, in the telecommunications industry, you will find wall-mounted enclosures, junction boxes, flour-mounted enclosures, and free-standing enclosures.
- Safety: Because the equipment contained within telecommunications enclosures can present a significant risk for fires, safety features are crucial. To prevent short circuits, power surges, and malfunctioning power supplies, the right materials must be used.
Purchasing
If you’re on the hunt for a company that can manufacture metal enclosures on your behalf, check out American Products Contract Manufacturing. Manufacturing metal enclosures for the telecommunications industry is our specialty. 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 3-X, type 4, and type 4-X metal enclosures, and we form these enclosures from aluminum, galvanized steel, carbon steel, and stainless steel to create a rugged and reliable structure. Give us a call at 1-877-960-3703 to learn more, or request a free quote online.