New Technology Increases Benefits of Factory Enclosure Customisation
Generally, customisation was seen as an expensive procedure and limited to the drilling of a few holes, but advances in technology have reduced tooling costs, eliminating the need for customers to deal with a long chain of suppliers and specialists.
Even though enclosure manufacturers now offer vast product portfolios, standard off-the-shelf goods are still rarely enough, and modifications are essential before the enclosures are ready for termination. The customer must decide how to proceed, but with new technologies, choosing to tailor your enclosures with the manufacturer, rather than out-sourcing or machining in-house, now delivers a greater range of benefits.
Technological advances
Moving aside the benefits of factory customisation for a moment, the wealth of enclosure tailoring services available today, we find, often surprises many. Technology has moved on in recent years with numerous new high-tech tools and machines, which enable silk screening, painting, chemical treatments and other processes that we were unable to perform not so long ago.
3D printing, for example, although it is not a new concept, the way in which it is utilised for our industry has changed in recent times. At Deltron Enclosures, we print 3D enclosure prototypes, providing customers with an opportunity to touch, see and test the final design proposal, which offers peace of mind when signing the project off.
Back to the benefits of factory customisation
Ensuring a project will be cost effective and feasible is always the first priority, and although immediate reductions in carriage, administration and time expenditures may be obvious, other savings can be overlooked.
When several suppliers are involved, the cost to raise a purchase order is multiplied, but raising just one with a ‘one stop shop’ can significantly help to cut costs from the beginning. For value added projects, cost effective component sourcing is essential, but the manufacturer will have a regular supplier of mainstream parts at low prices, passing this saving down the customer. In addition, as the manufacturer already owns the necessary equipment, customers benefit from shorter lead times and know that once the enclosures are on site, they are ready for immediate termination.
Having the chance to work with experienced engineers is also a great advantage. Engineers will provide assistance in problem solving, offer reverse engineering solutions and unique product reference codes and drawings. The product can then be finished to meet exact specifications and combined with shorter lead times, enables customers to maintain a competitive edge in their market.
Finally, for long-term benefits, choosing a manufacturer that has the potential to become a strategic partner may add security and sustainability to the customers’ supply chain.
Of course, outsourcing the machining or completing the process in-house has its advantages too. Considerations should include the significantly increased lead times, administration and carriage charges if outsourcing some of the work to third party specialists, plus, having to manage this supply chain adds more time to the project. It is possible that machining in-house can cut the aforementioned costs significantly, but only if it is a regular process, otherwise there are cost implications associated with allocation of time, under-utilised skilled workers, and the necessary machinery and equipment need to be made available.
In summary, new technologies combined with an increasing range of enclosures on offer by manufacturers, enables customisation to be more accessible than it used to be. Added together, all the key benefits generate more advantages including reduced time to market, an increase in profitability and the competitive edge needed to succeed.
Have an upcoming project?
Deltron Enclosures has a vast portfolio of enclosures from aluminium IP66 ranges to waterproof IP68, heavy duty, plastic and more, suitable for an array of industries and applications. All of which, can be machined and painted, including other manufacturers’ enclosures (view the machining and finishing options here), or you can take advantage of our complete enclosure assembly service.
Downloadable 3D CAD models are available for all our enclosures on our website, or you can utilise our product specifier tool to find the appropriate enclosure for your project. To obtain a quote, all you need to do is send a technical drawing, sketch, or list of specifications to our sales team.
Custom electrical enclosures from Deltron Enclosures means you may be able to take advantage of low medium order quantities or high volume production runs and competitive pricing, saving both time and money throughout the process. We can build to meet industry standards and regulations, plus, you will receive first class technical support from our experienced engineers.
For more information, you can contact our sales team on +44 (0)1724 273206 or email sales@dem-uk.com
Article first published : 26|1|2016
