Potting boxes are among the most commonly used types of electronics enclosures. Like all electronics enclosures, they help protect the components inside from environmental conditions. Unlike most other types of enclosures, they’re made to be filled with a semi-solid compound that preserves and protects those components. This process is known as potting electronics.

What factors do you need to consider when choosing an enclosure for potting electronics (also known as a potting box)? This edition of our TechTalk blog will cover what you need to know and show you some of Polycase’s top options for potting boxes.

Young Female Blue and White Work Coat is Using Plier to Assemble Printed Circuit Board for Smartphone. Electronics Factory Workers in a High Tech Factory Facility.

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What Is a Potting Box?

Potting boxes are small to medium-sized plastic cases used to encapsulate a PCB or electronic assembly. These assemblies are often part of a larger electronic product. The PCB or electronic component is held in place and protected with a potting compound.

Why do device designers use potting boxes? Potting your circuit board provides protection against tampering, moisture and voltage leaks, thus improving the performance and reliability of the circuit. When your circuits are reliable and protected by potting boxes, it helps improve overall system reliability.

Sometimes, depending on the application, potting boxes don’t require covers. In other cases, a potting box needs a cover to prevent moisture and dirt from getting into the enclosure. If your application requires potting boxes to be covered, look for an option offering glue-on or snap-together lids.

Choosing a Potting Compound

The potting compound can be made from a variety of materials, such as epoxy, silicone or acrylic. Some of the common aspects device designers look for in potting compounds include:

  • Heat resistance
  • Moisture resistance
  • Chemical resistance
  • Rigidity or flexibility
  • Cure temperature
  • UL certification

Here’s a brief rundown of the most common potting box compound materials:

  • Epoxy: A stable and predictable potting compound resistant to heat and most chemicals, but vulnerable to impacts.
  • Silicone: A compound offering excellent resistance to both high and low temperatures, but is of the most expensive options.
  • Acrylic: A fast hardening and chemical-resistant compound, but one that also comes at a relatively high cost and has a thickness limit.
  • Polyurethane: A highly versatile potting compound that cures at low temperatures and is inexpensive, but has less resistance to high temperatures and chemicals.

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Polycase BX-2210 Potting Box

Polycase BX-2210 Potting Box

Potting Boxes from Polycase

Potting boxes can come in a variety of styles, sizes and materials. Polycase offers many potting boxes in ABS plastic, a durable, flame-resistant material. (You can read more about the properties of ABS plastic here.) We also offer a line of diecast aluminum potting boxes for applications where durability, appearance and EMI shielding are of elevated importance.

Several different series styles are available:

  • TX Series: Economical ABS enclosures for electronics potting
  • BX Series: ABS potting boxes suitable for a wide variety of indoor applications
  • BF Series: Another line of high-performance ABS potting boxes
  • AL Series: Aluminum potting boxes for your most demanding potting box applications
  • SN Series: Snap-together enclosures incredibly easy to assemble and use

Finding the Best Potting Box Options for Your Project

Finding the right potting box means choosing the one with the right features. These are some of the features Polycase includes on our potting boxes:

  • Molded on flanges for surface mounting are standard on the BF and BX Series and optional on the TX Series.
  • Most series offer an optional glue-on cover. The snap-together SN Series requires no glue, and the AL Series attaches using screws.
  • All plastic potting box sizes are molded in black ABS plastic with a UL94V-0 flame rating.
  • Many of our potting box models include built-in mounting bosses, so you can quickly and easily add a printed circuit board.
  • We have robust enclosure customization options available for potting boxes, including custom CNC machining and digital printing.

Polycase SN-22 Snap Together Potting Box

Polycase SN-22 Snap Together Potting Box

Learn About ABS Plastic in Our Guide!

Check out all available potting boxes from Polycase to get started on your project today. Questions about how to incorporate our potting boxes into your project or which potting box to choose for potting electronics? Our experts are always happy to help, so call 1-800-248-1233 to speak to us live or contact us online.

In Potting Boxes