How do you protect and store sensitive electronic devices and PC equipment? Whether these devices are stored in a cold storage freezer, kitchen, mine, lab, warehouse, or factory floor, it’s crucial to keep them safe from damage. That’s why electrical equipment is often stored in enclosures. These rugged containers are graded for quality based on NEMA enclosure standards.
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) was established in 1926. Since then, NEMA has become one of the largest trade associations of electrical equipment manufacturers in the United States. To benefit the consumer and manufacturer, NEMA created industry standards so that people could find consistent information regarding the quality, design, production, distribution, and safety of products. NEMA standards vary based on the product and industry, and they cover everything from lighting equipment to utility products. You can check out NEMA’s full list of standards broken down by industry.
To determine the quality of enclosures used to store electrical equipment, NEMA rates the container’s ability to (1) protect the enclosed contents from water, dust, oil, hazardous contaminants, and more as well as (2) protect humans against access to hazardous parts within the enclosure. To view all of the NEMA enclosure standards, please click here.
DustShield offers products that meet two of NEMA’s enclosure standards: the NEMA 12 enclosure and NEMA 4 enclosure.
NEMA 12 enclosures are built for indoor use, and they are often found in industrial, manufacturing, and machining industries. They provide an excellent way to protect LCD monitors, towers, desktop CPUs, and printers. This enclosure provides a degree of protection against solid foreign objects (like falling or circulating dust, dirt, fibers, and lint) and dripped or lightly splashed water (or oil, lubricants, non-corrosive liquids, external condensation, etc.). It also provides a degree of protection to personnel against access to hazardous parts and a degree of protection to the enclosed contents against oil and coolant seepage.
The other NEMA enclosure standard available through DustShield is the NEMA 4 enclosure. Unlike the NEMA 12 enclosure, the NEMA 4 is able to withstand indoor and outdoor elements. But like NEMA 12, it also provides a degree of protection to personnel against access to hazardous parts as well as a degree of protection against solid foreign objects (falling, circulating, or settling) and water (dripping, lightly splashed). There are two primary differences between the NEMA 12 and NEMA 4. First, NEMA 4 provides a degree of protection against the ingress of water that is splashed or hosed down; NEMA 12 does not. Second, NEMA 12 provides a degree of protection against oil and coolant seepage; NEMA 4 does not.
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If you’re in the market for a computer enclosure, know that you can trust DustShield to provide protection that meets NEMA enclosure standards. DustShield has an extensive line of enclosures designed to protect LCD monitors, tower and desktop CPUs, and printers, whether you need indoor or outdoor storage. Heavy-duty and delivered completely assembled, our enclosures suit a variety of applications. We even design and fabricate custom enclosures that meet your unique requirements. To learn more, please contact us toll-free at 800-587-9557 or contact us online.
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