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STAINLESS STEEL - NEMA ELECTRICAL - ENCLOSURES & CABINETS
Nemaco Technologys's Reference Section for 304, 316, 316L Stainless Steel
Welcome to Nemaco Technology's enclosure section that provides basic technical information for the stainless steel electrical NEMA enclosures, junction boxes & cabinets.
Nemaco has dedicated this section for Stainless Steel enclosures.
List of the major topics are discussed in this section:
Stainless Steel Electrical NEMA Enclosures
In the other specialized technical reference sections there are descriptions of the each type of NEMA Enclosures and stainless steel junction boxes. And there is detailed information for the Stainless Steel enclosure that have NEMA type ratings. Nemaco provides other types of samples of the Stainless Steel enclosures in the the other sections. For example, the other technical sections provide many internal and external photos ofinternal subplates, 19" rack mounts (rackmounts) enclosures with grounding studs and custom features. Of course you can call Nemaco for additional information for any of Nemaco's Tigerbox stainless steel enclosure or any of the other electrical enclosures, cabinets or boxes. Enjoy the material that we have prepared for you, and if you have any questions, please contact Nemaco by telephone (as listed below) or complete our contact form. Take a look at the interesting stainless steel info about the history of stainless steel, metalurgy, benefits and common uses in industry.STAINLESS STEEL - NEMA RATED - JUNCTION BOXES, ENCLOSURES & CABINETS Nemaco offers stainless Steel Junction Box and Cabinet Systems for Electrical Applications.
Nemaco - Wall Mounted - 304/ 316 Stainless Steel Junction Boxes & Enclosures
Stainless Steel - NEMA 3,3R - Electrical Boxes & Enclosures Nemaco - Floor Mounted - 304/ 316 Stainless Steel Cabinets
Stainless Steel - NEMA 3,3R - Electrical Cabinets, Floor Mount Footing
Stainless Steel NEMA Cabinets
Electrical Enclosures is a general description for many types of enclosures. Junction Boxes tend to refer to smaller enclosures used for splicing power and signal wire connections. Electrical Cabinets tend to refer to larger enclosures used for power and industrial controls. Refer to the other sections in Nemaco's website for more information on specific types of enclosures. Stainless Materials, 300 Series (304, 316, 316L) THere are many different grades (for example, 300 series, 400 series) of stainless steel. For most stainless steel enclosures applications, commonly, the 300 series of 304 and 316 stainless sheet and flat plate are used for fabrication. Occassionaly, 316L is used for fabrication. The 304 stainless steel provide adequate corrosion resistion for most applications. But the 316 stainless steel has more of the chrome element and therefore provide greater corrosion resistance to oxidation (rust). The 316L is not commonly used but has similar corrosion resistance to 316 but less of the carbon element in the metal.
Enclosure Surface Finishes (2B, Grain, Orbital) The common metal finishes for stainless steel enclosures are 2B, Grain and Orbital. Basically, the "2B" finish is a flat finishes containing no grain or pattern from the the steel processing plant. Often the "2B" finish looks adequate for most industrial stainless steel enclosures. Next, Grain is simply a straight line grain pattern that is brushed by the steel mill or can be obained in some metal fabrication shops. Typically, the factory grain pattern is more uniform and small grains. Some electrical panel shops prefer grain finished stainless enclosures. Orbital finish is simply a circular brushed finish and it great for most industrial enclosures. Nemaco Technology offers all the three basic surface finishes and other surface finishes.
Stainless Steel Cross Contamination The elements of chrome and nickel provide stainless steel great corrosion resistance to oxidation. But also, stainless steel can be contaminated by using carbon steel power tools and other tooling equipment. Skilled shops with proper quality control programs and knowledgable craftsman can prevent stainless steel contamination. Nemaco Technology can offer stainless steel with no cross contamination or essentially none.
History of Stainless Steel - Interesting Info Harry Brearley, who was born in Sheffield, England, in 1871, probably invented stainless steel. His father was a steel melter and through private study and night school he became an expert in the analysis of steel and its production. In 1908 Brearley was given the opportunity to set up the Brown Firth Laboratories, which was financed by the two leading Sheffield steel companies of the day. In 1912 Brearley was asked to help solve the problems being encountered by a small arms manufacturer, whereby the internal diameter of rifle barrels was eroding away too quickly because of the action of heating and discharge gases. Brearley was therefore looking for a steel with better resistance to erosion, not corrosion. As a line of investigation he decided to experiment with steels containing chromium, as these were known to have a higher melting point than ordinary steels. Using first the crucible process, and then more successfully an electric furnace, a number of different melts of 6 to 15% chromium with varying carbon contents were made. The first true stainless steel was melted on the 13th August 1913. It contained 0.24% carbon and 12.8% chromium. At this time Brearley was still trying to find a more wear-resistant steel, and in order to examine the grain structure of the steel he needed to etch (attack with acid) samples before examining them under the microscope. The etching re-agents he used were based on nitric acid, and he found that this new steel strongly resisted chemical attack. He then exposed samples to vinegar and other food acids such as lemon juice and found the same result. At the time, table cutlery was silver or nickel plated. Cutting knives were made of carbon steel, which had to thoroughly washed and dried after use, and even then rust stains would have to be rubbed off using carborundum stones. Brearley immediately saw how this new steel could revolutionise the cutlery industry but he had great difficulty convincing his more conservative employers. On his own initiative, he than had knives made at a local cutler's, R.F. Mosley. To begin with, Brearley referred to his invention as "rustless steel". It was Ernest Stuart, the cutlery manager of Mosley's who first referred to the new knives as "stainless" after, in experiments, he had failed to stain them with vinegar. "Corrosion resisting" steel would be really the better term, as ordinary stainless steels do suffer corrosion in the long term in hostile environments.
Other grades of Stainless Steel Invented Most of the standard grades still in use today were invented in the period 1913 to 1935, in Britain, Germany, America and France. Once these standard grades became accepted, the emphasis changed to finding cheaper, mass-production methods, and popularising the use of stainless steel as a concept. This tended to stifle the development of new grades. However, after the Second World War, new grades with a better weight-to-strength ratio were required for jet aircraft, which led to the development of the precipitation hardening grades such as 17:4 PH. From the 1970s onwards the duplex stainless steels began to be developed. These have far greater corrosion resistance and strength than the grades developed in the 1920s and are really the future for the increasing use of stainless steel. Also, Nemaco has listed the common benefits of stainless steel for enclosures and many other custom junction box and metal applications.
Benefits of Stainless Steel
Corrosion Resistance
Fire & Heat Resistance
Sanitary Hygiene
Good Aesthetic Appearance
Tough Stuff ...... Strength-to-Weight Ratio Advantage
Ease of Fabrication
Impact Resistance
Long Term Value - Good Investment
Stainless Steel for Enclosures
TECHNICAL INFORMATION Stainless Steels Grades Commonly Used for Enclosures and other applications Stainless steel is not a single specific material - it is the name given to a group of corrosion-resistant steels containing a minimum of 11% chromium - varying additions of nickel, molybdenum, titanium, niobium and other elements may also be present. The mechanical properties and behaviour in service of each type of steel depends upon its composition and consequently a carefully considered choice of steel is vital. There are five classes of stainless steel, namely Martensitic, Ferritic, Austenitic, Duplex and Precipitation Hardening: The Martensitic types may be strengthened and hardened by heat treatment, in the same way as plain carbon steels, but the Ferritic steels, which in general have lower carbon and higher Chromium contents, do not respond in this way. Martensitic and Ferritic steels are magnetic. Ferritic stainless steels contain chromium usually in the range 11 to 18%. They are magnetic, have moderate corrosion resistance and are not susceptible to stress corrosion. Austenitic stainless steels contain nickel as well as chromium, and are sometimes referred to by the generic title 18/8, i.e. 18% chromium, 8% nickel, although the actual composition may vary widely from these figures. They are non-magnetic and cannot be hardened by heat treatment, although they strain harden rapidly when cold worked. All stainless steels except hardened Martensitic steels are ductile and therefore can be formed, but the Austenitic types are outstanding in this respect. They are also amongst the most highly corrosion-resistant materials available to the designer and engineer. Duplex stainless steels combine the optimum properties of austenitic and ferritic types. They contain 18 - 26% chromium plus 4.5 to 6.5% nickel and have good resistance to stress corrosion cracking. Precipitation hardening stainless steels may be martensitic, semi-austenitic or austenitic. They combine the heat treat ability of normal martensitic grades with the corrosion resistance of austenitics. They are available in bar form for the production of heavy duty engineering components.
Nemaco offers Stainless Steel Enclosures and Custom Metal Fabrication Note: Nemaco Technology, LLC has provided this information as courtesy to potential customers and engineering companies for basic conceptual information and applications. Customers should select enclosures and materials based on their particular application. All of the contents of this website is the property of Nemaco Technology, LLC. All rights reserved. The information is subject to change without notice. Nemaco Technology Reference Section: STAINLESS STEEL - NEMA ELECTRICAL - ENCLOSURES, JUNCTION BOXES & CABINETS |
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For the industrial electronics and electrical power industries there are many uses for stainless steel enclosures, junction boxes and cabinets. One of the main advantages of the stainless steel for electrical enclosures is the corrosion resistance and the metal enclosures are more durable than carbon steel (of the same metal thickness) and much more durable than most plastics. Also, a field worker can't weld metal fittings to a plastic box.