Custom enclosures take increasing share

Fibox is ahead of its forecast that within four years over 80% of customers will be using its customisation service.

For international companies, the completion of major projects follows a well-defined route.

Specialist teams prepare a comprehensive design specification and supervisors then use the very latest project management tools to achieve the highest possible quality.

As jobs reduce in value, customers expect to spend less on preparation and control, so that by the time the local builder arrives to do a GBP 500 job, the only contract document is often the infamous estimate.

So what happens when you buy a GBP 50 enclosure and fill it with GBP 5000 of advanced electronics? Is the enclosure manufacturer expected to have second sight as regards to the customer's intentions, or worse still does the user have to spend an inordinate amount of time on the procurement and alteration of an item of small value? The exhausting time that precedes final delivery of the package may prove so difficult that both parties decide to separate forever once their current obligations are fulfilled.

Unfortunately, this is a common enough occurrence as OEMs struggle to change a standard enclosure to accommodate their latest equipment.

The fact is that every enclosure application is job specific, a reality that has long been recognised by Fibox, the international enclosures specialist, which positively encourages all its customers to use the company's extensive customisation capability.

Customisation is the delivery of a product that is tailored to the end users precise requirements, not the corruption of a standard enclosure.

The impact of the Fibox approach on the quality and aesthetic appeal of products delivered to end users has been so significant that almost half of the company's products are now customised units.

Enclosures from Fibox are now being used for everything from modest wiring terminals in wastewater treatment plants to the most advanced military avionics.

Customisation is, quite simply, the delivery of total enclosure solutions, an approach that reduces the wide range of production activities currently carried out by OEMs.

Total product costs are lower and quality is improved.

At Fibox, the customisation service has four main elements: product assessment, the development of the design, the delivery of the specification, drawings and samples, and finally, manufacture of the customised enclosure.

Customisation is backed by the Fibox Centre for Excellence, a facility that gives access to the company's global experience in design, development and production.

The Centre also holds the service performance records for enclosures and details of the national and international standards that will apply wherever enclosures are used.

Product assessment is done jointly and is the key stage of customisation.

An appraisal of the OEM's final assembly process identifies the best point of entry for the completed enclosure.

The requirements for cable glands and terminals, board mountings, and special supports for equipment are identified.

Critical dimensions are noted and the functional constraints of access, viewing panels and enclosure mounting are assessed together.

The performance standards for the box and contents are identified and the finishes specified.

Fibox then produce the preliminary drawings, specification and samples.

There are few limits in the Fibox one-stop-shop approach, the range of colours is spectacular and corporate logos of every type and size can be printed or engraved on the enclosure together with safety warnings and operational instructions.

Mouldings can incorporate internal power routes, special bosses can be provided, holes drilled and threaded, and labels to match other plant equipment can be accurately fixed to provide a seamless finish where the enclosure is part of a much larger panel.

The final unit can be dustproof, waterproof and will cope easily with climatic extremes.

The enclosures are a true advance in the move towards fit and forget, even though the final product is frequently so different from the original grey box that there is not even a hint of a family connection.

Customisation is available for enclosures made from any of the five basic materials used by Fibox, namely polycarbonate, ABS, anodised aluminium, polyester and glass fibre.

Fibox first introduced polycarbonate to the enclosures market in 1966 and customers have agreed that it is the most versatile, durable and cost-effective enclosure material devised to date, with almost two-thirds of all enclosures being made from this material.

The customisation service provided by Fibox gives OEMs access to a wealth of experience, through the Centre of Excellence, access to an international design and project management capability, and full control of the final supply chain; a real bargain for items that cost less than the last office photocopier service.

No wonder that Fibox is ahead of its forecast, that within four years over 80% of customers will be using the customisation service.

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