What do you need from the enclosure in food processing or pharmaceutical environments?
01 December 2021
If your equipment is going to be installed in a manufacturing area where maintaining hygiene standards and avoiding contamination are arguably the two most critical requirements (food processing and pharmaceutical manufacturing are two obvious examples), the enclosure will play a key part.
It will need to enable the installed equipment to be cleaned to the required standards by being hosed down with high-pressure, high-temperature water jets. It will also, of course, provide its primary function of protecting the housed electronic or electrical system from contamination.
Material
Stainless steel is the default material for use in environments where corrosion resistance is a prerequisite. For internal use, 304-grade material is more than adequate. The widely available higher-grade 316 and 316L stainless materials do provide greater corrosion resistance than 304, but the additional cost is unlikely to be justified unless repeated exposure to chlorinated solutions and chlorides, such as seawater, is expected.
Read the full article in DPA's December issue
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