Polycase - Tech Talk » Plastic Electronic Enclosures

Polycase Narrows the Search for Plastic Electronic Enclosures

Polycase — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:41:39 +0000

If you are looking for plastic electronic enclosures, you have landed in the right spot. Polycase specializes in plastic enclosures and has since 1951. We manufacture the enclosures on-site in our Avon, OH facility. In addition to molding the enclosures, we offer value added services such as CNC machining and printing that is completed in-house as well.

Our website is our product catalog. Shedding the paper catalog is not only a great benefit to the environment, it allows us to provide you an interactive experience with our products. We have organized our enclosures into 10 categories based on features and functionality:

The categories are intended to lead you to a particular enclosure based on the project or application you are building. If functionality is not as important as the size of the enclosure, we also provide the capability to search for your enclosure by the size of the box or the size of your PC board.

Once on a product page, you have the option to view multiple images in the photo gallery, play with a 3D model, view engineering drawings and read material specifications. We also have an extensive video library containing short video clips on each of our series.

Is there a feature or aspect of our site you found helpful? Do you have any suggestions for ways we can improve our site?

Just leave me a question or comment. I’m all ears.

Locating Maximum PC Board Size for Electronic Enclosures

Polycase — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:33:44 +0000

At Polycase® our website is an information hub. We want to give our customers complete product information to help make their search for the right enclosure easy. And not only do we want to provide access to this information, we want to make it simple to find.

Sitting behind the select by size button that is accessible from the home page, we have listed Polycase enclosure dimensions (external LxWxH). The dimensions are sortable and listed in both standard and metric measurements. The dimensions are also listed t on each series page and individual product page, along with the weight of the enclosure.

Listed on the select by size page is the maximum PC board sizes for each enclosure – you may prefer to search for your enclosure this way. This measurement is very useful since it eliminates the need to analyze the engineered drawings for this information. These dimensions are also sortable and listed in both standard and metric measurements. Beyond the select by size chart, the max PCB size listing is visible again when you add a specific product to your cart, where it appears under the product description column. It allows you to confirm your enclosure choice for your application prior to your purchase.

Benefits of Brass Inserts in Electronic Enclosures

Polycase — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:21:54 +0000

I just purchased my Christmas tree over the weekend. We get a real tree every year so I had to dig out the tree stand from the closet on Sunday. We dropped the tree into the green plastic stand and began tightening the screws that hold the tree in its upright position. I quickly realized the metal screws had stripped the plastic holes of their threading, leaving us with a tree resembling the Leaning Tower of Pisa. So, after just two years of use, we had to scrap the plastic tree stand and get a heavy-duty metal stand.

After my experience this past weekend, it really put into perspective the reason why Polycase offers a number of enclosures with brass inserts. The durable brass inserts in the screw towers of our DC, HD, WA, WC, WP, & ML Series enclosures are designed specifically for unlimited cover on/off applications.

Without the brass inserts, its estimated the cover can be removed and reattached up to 15 times (estimated using 4 in/lbs of torque on the screw) before stripping occurs. A select number of our WA, WC & WP enclosures also offer brass inserts in the mounting bosses, allowing added security for your PC board.

Questions or comments? I’m all ears.

Small Sized Plastic Electronics Enclosures

Polycase — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:30:25 +0000

Mighty small or small and mighty?

I recently talked about the features and benefits of our largest enclosures, now it’s time for the “little guys” to shine. Polycase offers a broad assortment of potting boxes ideal for potting applications or projects requiring smaller-sized boxes. The potting enclosures range in size across 3 unique series. Let’s take an in-depth look at each:

BF Series: The BF Series is comprised of 8 small to medium sized enclosures ranging from a 1” x 1” to a 6.3” x 2.3” enclosure. All sizes are molded in black flame retardant ABS plastic with a polished finish. Surface-mounting flanges are standard on all sizes, and 2 of the 8 sizes have optional mounting bosses for a PC board. There is an optional glue-on cover available for all BF Series sizes. Six additional sizes of the BF Series have been upgraded to the newer BX Series.

BX Series: The BX Series was designed to lend a classy contemporary look to a practical enclosure. Also molded in black flame retardant ABS plastic, surface-mount flanges come standard on the enclosure and optional mounting bosses are available in all sizes. The BX Series is available in 6 sizes ranging between 3” x 2” and 3.1” x 3.1” and all sizes offer an optional glue-on cover.

TX Series: The TX Series of potting boxes hosts an equal amount of flanged and non-flanged sizes, 12 of each, for a total of 24 enclosures to choose from. Available in a 1” x 1” to 4.3” x 3.13” enclosure, the TX Series offers a convenient range of sizes for your potting application. TX Series enclosures are molded in black flame retardant ABS plastic with a textured finish. Glue-on covers are available for all sizes.

Curious about how to apply the covers to the enclosures? Read our blog on securing potting box covers.

Questions or comments? I’m all ears.

Large Enclosures for Large Electronics Projects

Polycase — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:08:23 +0000

Whoever said “bigger isn’t always better”, obviously didn’t work in the electronic enclosures industry. At Polycase® good things can come in big packages. Our 5 largest sizes of enclosures boast ample interior space with a durable exterior, perfect for your heavy-duty project requirements.

Let’s start with our DC-96 enclosure, which is available with or without surface mounting flanges. This box runs 10 x 6 x 3 inches and is available in black or gray. An optional recessed/smooth area on the cover is ideal for graphic overlays. The enclosure comes standard with 8 PCB mounting bosses in the base. The cover screws into brass inserts for cover on/ cover off applications and is molded in flame retardant ABS with a UL94-5VA flame rating. The DC-96 is ideal for projects requiring a large housing that will be used in a dry, indoor setting.

The other 4 sizes are perfect for projects that require some form of weather proofing, as they all belong to our NEMA-rated family of enclosures:

Enclosure	Dimensions
WA-35, WC-35 & WP-35	10.43 x 7.28 x 3.74 inches
WA-40, WC-40 & WP-40	9.45 x 6.30 x 3.60 inches
WA-42, WC-42 & WP-42	11.81 x 9.05” x 3.40 inches
WA-44, WC-44 & WP-44	14.12 x 7.84 x 5.96 inches

All of these boxes are designed to IP65 of IEC 529 and NEMA 1, 2, 4, 4x, 12 and 13 specifications. They come standard with both brass-threaded PCB mounting bosses and shorter plastic bosses. Captive, stainless steel screws thread into brass inserts for cover on/cover off applications. Assembly includes base, silicone gasket, cover and 6 enclosure screws. The WA series is molded in a dark gray ABS, while the WP and WC series are both molded from UV stabilized light gray polycarbonate which makes them an ideal choice for outdoor applications. (WC has clear polycarbonate cover with light gray base).

Questions or Comments? I’m all ears.

Plastic Hypothermia: How Cold is Too Cold for ABS Electronics Enclosures?

Polycase — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:30:13 +0000

One of my favorites TV shows right now is Dual Survival on the Discovery Channel. For those of you who are not familiar with it, I will give you a quick overview. A tag-team duo, composed of an ex-military sniper named Dave and a barefoot wasteland hippie named Cody (yes, this man wears no shoes…ever), travel to remote parts of the world to show viewers survival techniques under extreme environmental conditions. In one particular episode, the duo takes on the scenario of two ranchers stranded on the Northern Great Plains in Montana during the dead of winter. Cody decides to ramp up his defense against the cold and wear a pair of socks on this episode…but remains shoeless of course. I find myself gawking at the TV, thinking to myself this guy is crazy -my feet would literally snap off my legs! The extreme cold episode reminds me of a question often posed from Polycase customers, “how cold is too cold for Polycase enclosures?”

Regarding colder temperatures and plastics; the minimum temperature plastic materials can withstand does not have a specific cutoff point. According to our material supplier, after looking over various grades of ABS, it seems that the majority of them begin dropping off drastically around -20 to -30 degrees Celsius. Thus, in order to maintain a small safety factor, Polycase doesn’t recommend using ABS enclosures below 0 degrees F (-17 degrees C). It depends on what the enclosure is physically exposed to at those temperatures. Cold temperatures have significant impact on parts that are exposed to vibration or impact. Parts exposed to these conditions at low temperatures may crack. Again there isn’t a specific cutoff temperature for failure. Testing the enclosure in the specific application is always recommended by Polycase.

Questions or Comments? I’m all ears.

Shipping Estimator for Plastic Electronics Enclosure Delivery

Polycase — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:05:44 +0000

I do all my banking online. It’s quick, convenient and easy. My bank does a great job of keeping their website optimized for user-friendliness, which in turn keeps me a loyal, satisfied customer. At Polycase, we are always interested in ways we can improve our website to enhance the user experience for our customers. With that being said, I’m happy to introduce our latest addition to the website, our shipping estimator. This new feature allows users to see estimated freight costs earlier in the checkout process. By simply entering a zip or postal code and selecting a country, voilà! – an instant freight quote.

Here at Polycase we are proud that all in-stock orders ship within 1 business day of order placement, with most orders shipping the same day. Not sure if your project can wait for a ground shipment? The shipping estimator produces costs for ground, second day, and overnight shipments (UPS domestic rates) so you can easily make that call on expediting the freight without any surprises waiting for you on your invoice.

If you are a customer that orders with Polycase though a purchase order via email, phone, or fax, the estimator tool can come in handy when putting together the budget for your electronics project or application. It allows you to conveniently account for all the costs associated with an order, not just the product itself.

Questions or Comments? I’m all ears.

More Box for your Buck

Polycase — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:33:38 +0000

I frequent Target on almost a weekly basis. It’s shameful how much money I can spend during a visit. Even if I am only stopping in for one or two items, I never leave with just one or two items. However, I am not alone in my compulsions to spend at retailers like Target.

Why are stores like Wal-Mart, Target, and Costco so popular? These retailers were three of the top six retailers in 2010 according to stores.org. Is it because consumers like getting more for less? Absolutely! The idea of “more for less” isn’t rocket science….it’s straight-forward thinking. And this is the same straight-forward thinking we brought to our new value line of BT series enclosures.

The flanged BT series suits a multitude of applications, and is available at some of the lowest prices in the market for its size and durability level. While being priced up to 18% less than comparable models, this series offers more versatility and style. And unlike similar models from other manufacturers, the BT cover screws onto the base instead of visa versa, allowing the user reentry into the enclosure while it’s mounted to a surface. In addition to the screw-on cover, the BT series also features optional PC board mounting bosses, rounded flanges, and contemporary curves. All BT cases are molded from black flame retardant ABS plastic with a flame rating of UL94V-0. Four convenient sizes are available (3 x 3 x 1 in, 3 x 3 x 1.5 in, 3 x 2 x 1 in, and 3 x 2 x 1.5 in).

Questions or Comments? I’m all ears.

Determining Exact Dimensions for Plastic Enclosures

Polycase — Mon, 16 May 2011 17:45:41 +0000

We recently moved around the furniture in the living room. My dog’s crate has always been in the corner of the living room. With some new furniture, there was no longer room for the crate so we had to determine another space for it. Since he’s a medium sized Lab, the crate is rather large. Moving this to a new location took some creativity. We had to find a space large enough to slide the crate up against the wall. It reminded me of the video game, Tetris.

I was reminded of this while talking with a customer the other day. Customers call often requesting help with selecting an enclosure. This particular customer was looking for “a CD ROM sized enclosure”. When I stated that I would be happy to find something in that size range, the customer replied that he needed the exact dimensions. The customer was hoping to create a product that would slide into the same space as an optional CD ROM on your computer. In order to fit that space exactly, he did need the exact dimensions. Too large and it would not fit, too small and it would not be stable.

As we’ve discovered before, this presents difficulties on a few levels. While most manufacturers will mold enclosures in a variety of ranges to offer the most choice available to the customers, it is nearly impossible to find an exact match to dimensions within a different product line.

Take the Polycase line. We offer a vast range of sizes and styles of enclosures. Many of our enclosures are rectangular, but most do not have the same ratio of length to width to height. We have found that a popular size range is 2 x 3 inches, so there are several options within a 1/2” range, and each of them have a different depth. This is to provide you with the most options possible to help you find the perfect enclosure for your needs.

What difficulties have you had with selecting an enclosure? Drop me a line, I’m always listening.

Nylon – Strength and Durability since the 1930s

Polycase — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:44:40 +0000

Our final stop on this journey through plastic materials is the most interesting, in my opinion. Nylon has an intriguing beginning**, dating back to 1927 when the Du Pont Corporation began working on a top secret material, then known as “Fiber66”. By the 1936 World’s Fair, Du Pont had introduced the first purely synthetic fiber which we know as Nylon.

Originally used in toothbrush bristles, Du Pont was hoping to produce silk stockings, today known as women’s nylons. Because of the cost of development, Du Pont wanted to be sure to showcase this product, inspiring “nylon mania” which lasted until WWII, when manufacturing capacity was devoted to making supplies such as parachutes for the troops. After the war, Du Pont began selling to the public again, inspiring an even bigger craze for the product, and setting off “nylon riots”.

Today Nylon doesn’t create quite the same craze but it continues to be an important material for plastic manufacturers and products due to its wear-resistance. Another high-temperature resistant material, Nylon has a melting point that can reach as high as 265 degrees Celsius, depending on the specific grade or material make up.

Due to its durability and strength, Polycase offers the Cable glands and light gray NEMA mounting flange kits molded in Nylon. This material helps ensure your end product will withstand the elements while maintaining the NEMA rating you need.

Got questions? Drop me a line, I’m listening.

**Want to read this history of Nylon in full? Click here