Plastic Electronic Enclosure: Defining NEMA

One of my favorite lines from my favorite movie is “Define ‘irony’.” This line is spoken by a newspaper editor as she is walking an interviewee to the elevators. Obviously the interview has not gone well and the poor girl stammers around a response but finally spits out, “I don’t know the actual definition but I know it when I see it.”

We hear the term “NEMA” tossed around a lot here at Polycase. Most customers think it has something to do with outdoors but don’t really know what the actual definition is. Many customers are looking for a NEMA rated enclosure to be able to use this enclosure outdoors. But NEMA isn’t just limited to outdoor enclosures. What types of applications have you used NEMA rated products in?

Let’s take a look at what NEMA really means:

NEMA is an association that is headquartered in Rosslyn, Virginia. NEMA stands for National Electrical Manufacturers Association. They set standards and protocols for common electrical components, outline manufacturing processes and standards for electrical components including electronic enclosures. They also have several initiatives including working to set up international standards that would be the same across all countries, and a program that promotes saving energy and reducing energy costs.

The various grades of enclosures are rated by number designation which defines if a product protects against specific environmental conditions. These conditions can include such things as water and dust, but also oil, coolants, or corrosive agents that might be used in an industrial application.

Polycase has enclosures designed to meet the NEMA 4 and 4X rating, which is the designation for watertight products. For our international customers, this is the equivalent of the IP65 enclosure rating. While for many customers, this means the enclosure will be used outdoors, with this specific rating, the enclosure can be used in a variety of other places. For instance, under sinks or in shower stalls.
For more detailed information about NEMA, visit the NEMA website.