Specifying enclosures – Installed environments and enclosure materials

Here, Mandy Thompson, Sales Manager at BCL Enclosures, looks at the properties of the materials used in the company’s standard plastic enclosure ranges.

ABS is tough, aesthetically pleasing, and
available in a variety of colours and finishes. It provides good all-round protection and performance and can be standard or flame retardant, plus resistant to impact, water and dust. Its
light weight is another factor. 

Although suitable for many applications, a drawback is that ABS will eventually discolour and possibly become brittle in situations where it gets long-term exposure to strong
UV light, although this can take considerable time and should be balanced against the projected life of the system it is protecting. ABS is therefore generally more suited for enclosures
for interior use, but can be useful in some exterior situations with no risk of high UV. It is an excellent, cost-effective solution for many designs...

Read the full article in DPA's October issue