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What to know when buying enclosures

Environment (UV) - Fiberglass and Mild steel concerns, High Traffic, Harsh Environment, inside/outside
Thermal Issues-Insulation and Dissipation
Weight-plastics and aluminum are lighter weight

Weight Chart if Boxes Dimensionally the Same Size
Material	Polycarbonate	Fiberglass	Aluminum	Steel (CRS)	Stainless Steel
Weight (1 Ib)	1	1.5	2	6,5	6.6

The following data is based on the enclosure being the same size dimensionally and the polycarbonate box weighs 1 lb. So on average, Aluminum is twice as heavy as polycarbonate.

	Metallic			Plastics/Fiberglass
	Steel	304 Stainless Steel	Aluminum Die Cast	Fiberglass	Polycarbonate	ABS
Bud Products	SN/SNB/SNC	SNB-SS	AN/ANS/CN	PIP/NF	PN/NBF	PN-DG/NBF/ HH/CU
Cost	Mid	High	Mid	Mid	Low	Lowest
Heat Dissipation	Mid	Mid	High	Lowest	Lowest	Lowest
Heat Absorption	Mid	Mid	Lowest	High	High	High
Impact Resistant	Mid	Mid	High	Mid	Mid	Low
Chemical Resistant	High	High	High	High	Mid	Low
Weight	High	High	Mid	Mid	Lowest	Lowest

Steel- typically can be used in indoor or outdoor environments. Only corrosion resistant (specified by the "x" in 4x) if powder coated or if it has experienced a chemical conversion. Metal boxes will absorb and conduct heat. Metal will dissipate heat better than non-metallic enclosures.
Stainless Steel - corrosion resistant comes from nickel composition.
Die-cast aluminum - when molded can be impact resistant and is good for grounding. Die casting is a metal casting process that is characterized by forcing molten metal under high pressure into a mold cavity.
Non-Metallic- If you have the capabilities to modify onsite though, we can to do this for you and can protect against cracking by using incorrect tools.
Fiberglass- high impact strength and rigidity and has a superior working temperature (-31 degrees F to 300 degrees F). Good moisture and chemical resistant. Tends to be more expensive than polycarbonate but less than other corrosion resistant boxes like Steel or Stainless. When exposed to UV rays, fiberglass can experience fiber bloom.
Polycarbonate (PC) – Is a higher performance thermoplastic (injection molding.) Working temperature range is less than Fiberglass (-31 to 180F). Better for fire retention or UV stability. More for Clear material (clear covers or BT series.) This is corrosion resistant. Polycarbonate is a superior insulator.
ABS- low cost alternative for indoor applications where rating not required. Temp range is less more narrow than non-metallic materials (0-125)

Our Enclosure you can find here: https://www.diverseelectronics.com/Enclosures-c1027/

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What to know when buying enclosures

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