(Redirected from Electrical enclosure)
A city council electrical enclosure.
An 'electrical enclosure' is a
cabinet for
electrical or
electronic equipment to mount
switches,
knobs and
displays and to prevent
electrical shock to equipment users and protect the contents from the environment. The enclosure is the only part of the equipment which is seen by users; in many cases it is designed not only for its utilitarian requirements, but also to be pleasing to the eye.
In the United States, the
National Electrical Manufacturers Association publishes standards for the performance of various classes of electrical enclosures. The NEMA standards cover corrosion resistance, ability to protect from rain and submersion, etc.
For IEC member countries, standard
IEC 60529 is classifying the
ingress protection rating of enclosures.
Electrical enclosures are usually made from rigid
plastics,
metals, particularly
steel and
aluminum, and natural or processed
wood. They may be made for a specific purpose (e.g., the metal, plastic, or wooden box of a particular
radio receiver) or to accommodate any equipment to which they are suited.
Enclosures for some purposes have partially punched openings (
knockouts) which can be removed to accommodate
cables,
connectors, or
conduits. Where they are small and primarily intended to conceal electrical junctions from sight, or protect them from tampering, they are also known as
junction boxes; the larger,
street furniture type is often called a ''cabinet'' or, in United States telephone jargon,
Serving area interface.
See Also
★
Utility vault
★
Fiber to the Telecom Enclosure
External links
★
NEMA website.
★
NEMA definitions (from NEC webpage)
★
IEC IP definitions, and a comparison of IEC<>NEMA definitions