Plastic enclosures are boxes, containers or other shapes that are used to protect, store or otherwise control objects. A plastic enclosure can be a plastic square or rectangle as well as more unusual shapes, especially in the case of small consumer electronics. Hinged boxes drilled with holes for wire access are an example of plastic enclosures; such boxes are often suspended from the sides of buildings and allow access to telecommunications equipment by technicians. Read More…
Leading Manufacturers
Equipto Electronics Corporation
Aurora, IL | 800-204-7225We are committed to excellence and our innovations in enclosure technology is an example of our commitment. Our unparalleled electronic enclosures are specialized for various tasks and our facility is ISO 9001:2008 certified & RoHS compliant.
Maysteel Industries, LLC
Allenton, WI | 262-251-1632Maysteel provides complex sheet metal fabrication with a focus on design for manufacturing. Founded in 1936, we combine our extensive engineering experience and market knowledge with an expanding supply chain footprint, allowing us to fabricate products that others can’t. We design, engineer and manufacture custom OEM sheet metal enclosures, kiosks, cabinets and racks. We have locations in the U.S. and Mexico, as well as partnerships in Europe. For more information, visit www.maysteel.com.
Stahlin Enclosures
Belding, MI | 616-794-0700With over 60 years of engineering and manufacturing experience, Stahlin Enclosures offers the most extensive in-stock selection of non-metallic enclosures, including fiberglass enclosures. We serve such industries as waste water treatment, manufacturing and architectural, among many others.
OKW Enclosures, Inc.
Bridgeville, PA | 800-965-9872OKW is a leading manufacturer of plastic and metal enclosures for OEM electronics equipment. Our US program includes the OKW and METCASE™ product lines, plus some complementary products. This combination allows us to offer our customers a truly comprehensive range of enclosures.
Mercury Corporation
Hammondsport, NY | 607-569-4632We are a contract manufacturer providing design assistance and on-site finishing capabilities. Mercury Aircraft fabricates in sheet metal or plastics and has made electronic enclosures, plastic enclosures and many more products. We assemble over 250,000 to 300,000 products every month.
Allied Moulded Products, Inc.
Bryan, OH | 800-722-2679Allied Moulded Products designs electronic enclosure solutions for industrial and residential use. We create fiberglass and polycarbonate enclosures and design custom solutions and accessories to accommodate specific needs.
Plastic remote controls are an example of plastic enclosures; they are first fabricated and then fitted with circuitry and plastic or rubber buttons. Plastic enclosures can be video game controllers, computer enclosures and electrical component housing. They can house televisions, wireless Internet routers, calculators, motors, coolers and an extensive variety of other industrial, commercial and consumer products.
Plastic enclosures offer some features that metal enclosures cannot. They are highly customizable and can be molded into a greater variety of shapes than metal. They can be more lightweight, less electrically conductive and better insulated than metal enclosures. Their lightweightness makes them especially useful in the construction of portable electronics like laptop computers. Plastic enclosures keep electronic components together and prevent them from becoming contaminated by dust or damaged by impact.
Plastic Enclosures – Attabox LLCA wide variety of plastic materials are available for the fabrication of plastic enclosures. For sturdier applications, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is often used because of its strength, durability, resistance to extreme temperatures and its relative low cost. Other sturdy plastic materials like PVC and ABS may also be used in the construction of sturdy plastic enclosures.
Each of these different materials has one thing in common: the method by which they are formed into usable enclosures. HDPE, PVC and ABS are all thermoplastics, which means that they can be formed when subject to high heat. The thermoplastic forming method most commonly used to create plastic enclosures is molding.
Plastic Enclosures – Attabox LLCDuring molding processes, a collection of raw plastic stock is gathered and heated to its melting point. At this point, molding methods deviate from each other slightly. During injection molding, the plastic can be injected into a mold cavity, which is a shape designed to be filled with molten plastic in order to give the plastic its shape.
In blow molding the process is similar, except that compressed air is blown into the cavity to make the inside of the plastic become hollow. In both methods, after the formation process is complete, the plastic is allowed to cool and harden, after which it is ejected from the mold as newly-formed plastic enclosure parts.
