Protecting delicate electrical components in proper enclosures is essential for any application, especially in solar projects which are often located in harsh environments. Here are six reasons non-metallic enclosures are a good choice over metal enclosures in renewable applications, according to Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures .
1. Protection from corrosion and environmental damage
Non-metallic enclosures provide superior corrosion and chemical resistance compared to metallics, such as aluminum and painted or galvanized steel, and are comparable to that of stainless steel. With non-metallics, enclosure maintenance is virtually eliminated.
2. Cost effectiveness
Non-metallic enclosures are significantly more cost effective than stainless steel (as much as 40% less) and are competitive with other metallics.
3. Durability
Thermoplastic enclosures have a low weight / high strength characteristic that make the enclosures easy to install and durable. Strength measures the resistance of a material to failure, given by the applied stress (or load per unit area, tensile and compression). Strength is a measure of the material’s ability to withstand stretching or compressing under load. On the other hand, the material’s toughness is its ability to withstand sudden impacts.
Increasing strength, tensile or compression, usually decreases toughness and vice versa. Whereas steels often have high strength, they exhibit low toughness that means they dent easily and are difficult to drill or penetrate. Thermoplastics and thermosets (composites) exhibit average strength but high toughness. This means that they can withstand sudden impact and maintain their shape in renewable applications.
4. Protection from degradation
In addition to proven protection from weathering and environmental impact such as dust and moisture, some non-metallic enclosures are molded from the most unique compounding formula available on the market, such as SolarGuard from Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures.
5. Diversity of enclosure choices
Fiberglass enclosures come in a range of options and sizes to meet all needs and standards required for applications within the renewable energies market.
6. Made in the USA
Non-metallic enclosures are available manufactured in the USA that maintain a balance between appealing aesthetics and stringent physical property performance standards for completeness of protection of internal components from external elements.
Contributed by Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures, a subsidiary of Robroy Enclosures. Robroy Enclosures provides two non-metallic enclosure brands: Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures, pioneers of the original fiberglass enclosure, and Attabox Industrial Enclosures featuring thermoplastic polycarbonate enclosures.
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