When your machinery breaks down, everything else does too. Whether you’re dealing with pumps, compressors, or some other specialized equipment, equipment failures can bring your operations to a jolting halt. Fortunately, there is a way to give your machinery an extra layer of protection. In this article, we’ll cover what equipment enclosures are, their benefits, applications, and more.
What are Equipment Enclosures?
Equipment enclosures are protective spaces that house special machinery or equipment. They create physical space around machinery and protect it from physical damage, bad weather, and more. Enclosures can also act as controlled environments, which means that certain environmental factors can be regulated within the building, such as humidity, temperature, light, and others.
They can either be traditionally-built as a permanent structure, or prefabricated, which means manufactured off-site and assembled when delivered.
These days, prefabricated choices are becoming more and more popular due to their speed, customizability, and more.
Why Choose Prefabricated Equipment Enclosures?
Prefabricated enclosures have several advantages over traditionally built ones:
Quick Installation
Since prefabricated parts are made in a factory, most of the construction happens off site, and installation is simply assembling the parts. There is no need for long or drawn out on-site work.
Customization Choices
Each enclosure can be customized to fit whatever dimensions your equipment needs. They can also come with insulation, soundproofing, ventilation, custom colors, and more.
Minimal Disruption
Unlike traditional construction, in setting up a prefabricated equipment enclosure there won’t be dust or loud sawing noises, since the process itself is just assembly. This is great for businesses that need to stay up and running.
What are the Benefits of Equipment Enclosures?
Generally speaking, using equipment enclosures has many advantages over leaving the equipment exposed:
Protection
The most obvious benefit is that they protect the equipment, especially from the environment. This could include temperature, snow, humidity, dust, UV rays, and more. Pumps, compressors, and other machinery often need this additional layer of protection.
Safety
Unfortunately, some equipment can be dangerous. Creating a physical barrier between machinery and workers helps reduce the risk of unnecessary accidents. This may be especially important for equipment with moving parts.
Soundproofing
Further, some equipment creates loud noise, which of course can be distracting to some employees, and may also even damage their hearing. Enclosures help contain and reduce this noise as much as possible.
Extended Lifespan
Finally, they can protect your equipment from wear and tear, especially due to outdoor conditions. As a result, enclosures can extend the lifespan of your equipment, which can really improve your bottom line.
What are Some Common Applications of Equipment Enclosures?
Equipment enclosures are used in many industries, but here are a few of the most common applications we see at Allied Modular:
Data Centers and Other Electrical Equipment
Electronics, in particular, can be very sensitive to environmental changes. This is why servers and control systems often need stable, controlled environments in order to function properly. Equipment enclosures can help such equipment avoid excessive heat, dust, and more.
Precision Equipment
Machines used for tasks like coordinate measuring (CMM) or digital printing need carefully controlled environments to work properly. Equipment enclosures can help keep the right temperature and humidity levels to make sure outputs are as accurate as possible.
Outdoor Equipment
Some outdoor equipment, such as pumps, compressors, or HVAC units, can benefit from some protection. Weatherproof enclosures help keep these systems working in tough weather conditions.
Special Machinery
For unusual or oversized equipment, enclosures can help your business meet specific requirements, whether that be noise reduction, dust control, temperature control, or compliance with various regulations.
The Bottom Line
Equipment enclosures are a way to house machinery and protect it from damage, weather, and other risks. They can improve overall safety as your place of business, increase the lifespan of the machinery being enclosed, and reduce loud noises that may be distracting to nearby workers. Prefabricated enclosures are a fast and customizable choice for a variety of industries and equipment. With the right enclosure, you can protect both your investment and the efficiency of your operations.
Interested in adding enclosures to your machinery? Reach out to the experts at Allied Modular to get a quote on new equipment enclosures today.
