Usage and Limitations of Aluminum Custom Enclosures
One of the first questions we are asked about custom aluminum
enclosures is how much do they cost? Buying aluminum custom enclosures is a bit
like buying a home or a car. The price can vary greatly depending upon the
options selected. Much like a car or a home, you’ll want to think about the
options needed for your custom enclosure design to be sure temperature, access
and few other things are considered.
Here is a list of the common options often selected for custom
aluminum enclosures:
Safe-T-Cover offers a patented slab mounted heater designed and
UL-2021 rated for wet/damp environments. To see how this thermostatically
controlled slab mounted heater is superior to wall mounted heaters, take a look
at this short video. Our custom aluminum enclosures, when the correct wattage
of heating is installed, will maintain 40 degrees Fahrenheit inside the
enclosure when the exterior temperature is as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit as
is required by ASSE 1060 Class 1. So even in the coldest environments, if you
need to keep the equipment inside the enclosure from freezing, you’ll be able
to do so with this heating option. The slab mounted heaters cost about
$500-1000 and must be purchased with the enclosure and are not sold separately.
We also offer a couple of alternate heating solutions. You can find the full
list of our hot box heaters here.
Ventilation
Often the equipment installed inside the industrial enclosure
generates heat. In that case, an exhaust fan and louver system can be
installed. The exhaust fan is wired through a thermostat and when the
temperature reaches the set point the fan will run and the louver will open to
draw air through the enclosure. Plan on a range of $1,500 to $2,000 to add
ventilation to the enclosure.
Size
The biggest factor impacting the cost of custom enclosures is the
size. Our panel design allows us to build large enclosures, including some as
large as 20’ wide x 40’ long x 15’ tall. So if a standard size enclosure
doesn’t meet your need, we can build it to an exact dimension. Likewise, a
short discussion with one of our custom enclosure specialists could help to
optimize the size and potentially reduce the cost for you. The cost can range
from about $2,000 for a small enclosure to as much as $25,000 for a very large
enclosure. You can also look through our standard industrial enclosures pricing
list to get an idea of size vs cost.
Color
An enclosure can be manufactured in many different colors to meet a
specific need of the installation. Our most popular choice is the Hartford
Green color. You can see a full selection of our color options here. Color
typically adds 15-20% to the cost of the enclosure. A lot of people ask how the
enclosure is colored. They are not painted and there is no risk of chipping
over the life of the enclosure. We work with Pac-Clad®, the largest
manufacturer of metal roofs in the United States. They apply a prefinished
sheet metal coating of 70% full polyvinylidene fluoride to the aluminum. It was
originally developed for use in abrasive environments but is also ideally
suited for custom enclosures.
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