Plastic Enclosures and Higher Temperature Options

When last we left off, our poor design engineer had discovered that his ABS enclosure failed to take the heat inside the car. Here is a brief recap:

The melting point on ABS is approximately 176 degrees F (80 degrees C). This means that when exposed to temperatures near 176 degrees for extended periods of time, ABS material will begin to lose its shape. When ABS is exposed to hot enough temperatures, the material begins to degrade and soften; leave it long enough and you’ll have a cooked enclosure.

If anything happens to be laying on top of the enclosure, this could cause the entire enclosure to collapse. Not a “BOOM, whoosh” kind of implosion, more like a slow settling into the La Brea Tar Pits. Either way, an unfortunate end to a project test.

Lucky for the design engineer, there are materials that can withstand higher temperatures and maintain their structure within car interiors, and other high heat situations. I recommend using enclosures molded from Nylon or Noryl, both of which maintain their integrity in higher temperatures than ABS can. Polycase is able to mold most of their enclosures from either of these materials, so whatever your design, we’ve got the material to help you.

A third option is Polycarbonate, which our waterproof and outdoor enclosures are molded in. This flame-retardant material also maintains structure and prevents melting until much higher temperatures.

These higher-temperature materials are more expensive due to the increased abilities and characteristics. If your project does not require exposure to high temperatures, your most cost effective choice is to use ABS.

Not sure what type of material you need? Drop me a line and I’ll help you decide.