Best switchgear enclosure options in the UK

There are a lot of different types of the best control panel (switchgear) enclosures here in the UK, let's look at the options and which ones are the best for your application.

Glassfibre Reinforced Polyester

These enclosures are made from glassfiber reinforced polyester, providing excellent resistance to corrosion, chemicals, and impacts. Their durability makes them suitable for harsh environments, both indoor and outdoor. Inner enclosure doors can be bought to give the panel a transparent outer with an inner door that has the lamps, switches and HMI mounted to. As they are suitable for outdoors they remove the need for extra protection such as kiosks.

Polyester enclosures are lightweight but are still very sturdy, making installation and maintenance really easy, a big benefit over steel enclosures, these polyester enclosures are non-conductive reducing the risk of electrical hazards, while their UV resistance means they'll stand the test of time outside.

One of the drawbacks to them is the limitations of size - that's not to say it's bad, however the polyester enclosures don't come in even close to the range of sizes the mild steel with PPC finish come in. The other drawback is the cost, while they are reasonable for their quality, they are more than a typical mild steel enclosures.

Also non-metal enclosures don't dissipate heat, so enclosures that have much heat dissipating equipment, such as inverters, soft starters, etc must be actively cooled, typically using a fan and vent, adding extra costs to the panel and more importantly requiring extra cut outs and additional covers to protect these fans from water ingress.

Mild Steel

Possibly one of the most popular switchgear enclosures in the UK - mild steel enclosures - are a great product. They find a balance between being cost effective while being a good quality with durable hinges, and a durable PPC finish and a good quality locking mechanism.

However as these enclosures aren't UV balanced, so generally aren't considered suitable for going in direct sunlight, even though they are IP65/IP66 rated. Also as they are PPC if they sustain an impact, it can remove the PPC leaving the mild steel to rust. For some environments that are likely to sustain impacts or high corrosive atmospheres, mild steel enclosures aren't a good solution.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel are corrosion resistant and hygiene grade, which means they can be used in challenging environments, and they very robust. Being stainless steel means that knocks and scratches don't so easily compromise the finish. They share the benefit of mild steel of being able to dissipate some heat through the enclosure walls, reducing the cooling requirements.

However stainless steel isn't considered suitable for outdoors, Schneider don't say specifically their stainless enclosures are suitable for outdoor use so it's usually best to avoid this. This is relatively common as Rittal for the KX stainless steel enclosures also don't say it's suitable for outdoor use. The main reason stainless steel isn't used more widely is because of the cost, they are significantly more than almost any other types of enclosures.