Custom machining helps Stonewood on land and sea

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jun 11, 2002

Spelsberg's tough TK enclosures have been specified on Stonewood Audio's new range of harsh environment communication systems.

Spelsberg's tough TK enclosures have been specified on Stonewood Audio's new range of harsh environment communication systems.

The intercoms are specifically designed for applications in marine and food industries where monitors are subject to wash downs, corrosive chemicals, impacts and extreme weather conditions.

Spelsberg's TK enclosures provide a cost effective replacement for aluminium alternatives and are supplied custom machined within 48hrs, reducing manufacturing costs as well as production time.

The TK enclosures were specified by Jonathan Abbott, New Product Engineer at Stonewood Audio, "the customisation service offered by Spelsberg really set the product offering apart for us, the enclosures could be supplied from Spelsberg ready machined to fit terminals, switch controls, with audio slots already cut and with extra screw holes at the back.

As well as Spelsberg's customisation service saving time and money at the production stage, the TK enclosure was also significantly cheaper than the traditional aluminium alternatives and provided excellent levels of sealing".

Graham Fox Managing Director of Spelsberg UK explains that: "due to the ruggedness of our enclosures they are often used as metal replacements and we have been able to supply many electronics manufacturers who specialise in supplying equipment for harsh environments.

When we were approached by Stonewood Audio, they found that our CNC machining capability enabled us to supply bespoke enclosures within 48h, allowing them to save the costs incurred by carrying out such operations in-house".

The TK polystyrene range of enclosures are sealed, impact resistant and corrosion proof, making Stonewood Audio's SA series of intercom systems ideal for both marine and industrial markets.

The bright yellow SA models are sealed to IP65, allowing for use on ships, oilrigs, marine stations and any other outdoor applications where rain or spray can affect the reliability of vital communication systems.

The waterproof characteristics of the enclosure has also enabled Stonewood to produce a range of grey monitors for industrial applications, such as clean rooms and food processing, where the working areas are frequently washed down or subjected corrosive chemicals.

Jonathan Abbott adds; "Spelsberg boxes were initially chosen due to their size range, aesthetic design and the large flat panels that could be easily modified for attaching speakers and emergency beacons whilst still maintaining a tight seal".

By offering the largest range of plastic enclosures ex-stock in the UK, Spelsberg offers designers the flexibility of being able to specify a Spelsberg box that can be customised rather than incurring the expense of having units specially made.

Spelsberg's customisation service includes cutting slots, specialist entries and drilling fixing holes in all sizes of aluminium, polycarbonate and polystyrene enclosures.

Any combination of company logos, product names, wiring diagrams, safety information and routine junction labelling can also be applied to lids or other external surfaces.

Customers can benefit from being able to obtain low cost prototypes without having to place orders for large numbers of one design and each enclosure template is then stored on disk, making re-ordering simpler, quicker and cheaper.

By having an in-house machining facility, Spelsberg can reduce lead times on bespoke enclosures to 48h for customers throughout the country.

Spelsberg UK's headquarters are centrally located in Telford, providing immediate access to technical support and next day delivery on all standard items.