Aluminum Electrical Enclosures
Aluminum electrical enclosures are generally our most popular configuration when constructing a NEMA cabinet. Aluminum NEMA enclosures have a unique combination of strength, light weight and corrosive resistance. When you couple these characteristics with aluminum's cost-effectiveness it is the logical choice for many applications. Pure aluminum has a tensile strength of about 13,000 pounds per square inch.
So in order to be useful from a manufacturing standpoint, it is cold rolled (which almost doubles the strength) and it is alloyed with one or more other elements. These metals include manganese, silicon, copper, magnesium or zinc. Aluminum electrical enclosures made from these alloys have tensile strengths approaching 100,000 pounds per square inch.
Custom Aluminum Enclosures
In addition to standard size aluminum enclosures, Bison ProFab designs and manufactures large aluminum enclosures, also known as, large “walk-in” aluminum enclosures. These “walk-in” aluminum enclosures are sometimes called HUB buildings and they are designed to house a variety of electronic equipment, such as control devices and/or monitoring electronics.
The larger size allows for equipment redundancy for critical control applications; and they simplify future equipment expansion requirements, should they arise. These specialized buildings are used at industrial plants, chemical and oil & gas refineries, alongside railroads for wayside controllers and electronic equipment and by DOT’s at intersections that may have numerous signal lights and CCTV cameras.
Bison ProFab has many standard sizes of these buildings available for immediate manufacture – from the smaller 8’ (H) x 4’ (W) x 4’ (D) to larger 8’ (H) x 15’ (W) x 10’ (D). Custom sizes are also available. Click here to browse stock large enclosures.
Aluminum Enclosures: Applications & Versatility
Bison ProFab manufactures high quality aluminum electrical enclosures for a variety of industrial applications such as solar battery storage, telecommunication cabinets, traffic control equipment, and many other custom applications. With 20 years of experience in the design and fabrication of an aluminum electrical enclosure that can be custom manufactured to meet industrial quality standards such as NEMA, UL listed, and IP (Ingress Protection) Ratings.
Electrical enclosures that are required to perform well in harsh, high heat, high wear environments use the high strength and durability of aluminum alloys. Aluminum NEMA enclosures also provide light weight characteristics, superior corrosion resistance, and high heat dissipation. Choose from the following options and accessories for your custom fabricated aluminum cabinets include:
- A variety of finishes including wet coat and powder coat painting, and anodizing.
- Security and tamper-resistant hardware available for your aluminum enclosure
- Multiple installation/mounting options, including free-standing, pad mounted, wall mounted, pole mounted and walk-in.
Bison ProFab is proud of its reputation for high quality, high performing aluminum NEMA enclosures. Our rigorous approach to manufacturing quality and efficiency, coupled with creative and innovative designs for custom applications, ensures that your aluminum enclosure or cabinet will meet or exceed your expectations for performance, quality and value.
| Temperature & Air Control | Lighting & Interior | Mounting & Exterior |
|---|---|---|
| Thermostats | Power Supply | U-bolts |
| Sun Shields | Enclosure Lights | Lifting Eyes |
| Enclosure Breathers | Light Switches | Casters & Wheels |
| Insulation | Viewing Windows | Vibration Control |
| Heaters | EIA Racks | Back Plates/Sub-Panels |
| Air Conditioners | Shelves | |
| Axail Fans | Slide-out Drawers | |
| Vents & Air Filters |
Various Alloys for Custom Aluminum Electrical Enclosures
For the purposes of enclosure manufacturing, we use both the 3000 series and 5000 series aluminum for sheet material and the 6000 series material for extruded angle and flat bar.
The 3000 series alloys use manganese as the major alloying element. We choose the 3003 alloy, which is widely used and a general purpose material for moderate strength application requiring good workability.
Magnesium is one of the most effective and widely used alloying elements for aluminum and is the major element in the 5000 series. Our preference is the 5052 alloy, as it provides good welding characteristics and resistance to corrosion.
Alloys in the 6000 series group contain silicon and magnesium. Series 6061 is one of most versatile of these heat-treatable alloys and is a popular choice for extruded angle and flat bar.
Differences in Aluminum Alloys
In addition to the alloy configurations used in aluminum enclosures, various combinations of cold work and heat treating can provide a multitude of mechanical characteristics, or tempers. Aluminum alloys are generally designated by a series number; 1XXX up to 9XXX. There are also basic temper designations; "F" (as fabricated), "O" (annealed), "H" (strain hardened), "W" (solution heat treated), and "T" (thermally treated). There are also subdivisions of "H" temper material; H1, H2, and H3, designating the specific combinations of operations used to produce the alloy.
