NEMA 12 ENCLOSURES

Powder coated steel NEMA 12 Floor Mount Enclosure fan cool

Powder coated steel NEMA 12 Floor Mount Enclosure fan cool

TYPE 12 DEFINITION PER NEMA 250 STANDARD

Nemaco manufactures NEMA 12 cabinets to be constructed (without knockouts), for many indoor used applications to protect your electronics inside against access to hazardous parts. NEMA 12 enclosures provide protection for equipment inside from harmful effects on the equipment due to the ingress of dripping and light splashing water. Also gives a degree of protection against ingress of solid foreign objects, falling dirt and circulating dust and provide protection against oil and coolant percolation.

These enclosures type don’t protect hazard part for corrosion, however, Nemaco also offers them in powder-coated steel, powder-coated aluminum and stainless steel whereby corrosion resistance is required.

NEMA 12 TESTING REQUIREMENTS

In order to pass NEMA 12 criteria of UL 50, 50E & NEMA 250 Ratings, enclosures and cabinets are required to be tested in method and prove to provide protection against circulating dust, dripping, light splashing liquid and oil.
The testing method of NEMA 12 rating consists of 2 tests:

  1. 30 min. Dripping Test
  2. 30 psi (200 kPa) Spray Test

Both tests must result in no water getting inside the cabinets.

COMMON MATERIALS & PROTECTIVE COATINGS

POWDER COATED CARBON STEEL

Carbon steel must be protected with powder coated finishes or epoxy paints for corrosion resistance. Nemaco offers NEMA 12 enclosures made from premium carbon steel with durable powder coated finishes. Other metal coatings (wet paints, marine epoxies) are available on request.

ALUMINUM & STAINLESS STEEL – MATERIAL UPGRADES

In order to better serve customers, we offer material upgrades that include powder coated aluminum and 304 stainless steel for more corrosion resistance. Additional corrosion resistance can be obtained by requesting a 316 stainless steel upgrade that includes passivation cleaning. Stainless steel passivation is a process to remove and clean residual oxidation caused by welding stainless steel.

For customers working on special projects, they can send an email to Nemaco for assistance and we can possibly offer new “out of the box” solutions. Call us if you have any questions about material selection or cabinet selection for industrial applications.

FILTERED AIR & AIR CONDITIONING OPTIONS

Filters and fans can be added to Type 12 enclosures whereby the fans and filters are protected from dripping and light splashing of water or oils. Sometimes NEMA 12 cabinets are used near machinery or other equipment that might be using coolant or cutting fluids for machining metals.

NEMA 12 ENCLOSURES SUMMARY

Nemaco offers NEMA 12 electrical enclosure series ranging from the wall mount, floor mount, freestanding designs to custom cabinet configurations. The cabinets can be used for indoor or outdoor environments. These products are designed to provide protection from dust, falling dirt, windblown dust/dirt and dripping from leaking pipes for indoor or outdoor locations. Type 12 enclosures and cabinets are commonly powder-coated steel and therefore provide fair corrosion protection with a powder coat finish. For customers needing more corrosion resistance they should consider using (304/316L) stainless steel instead.

  • Indoor resistance to dust (airborne circulating dust and settling particles)
  • Indoor protection from falling dirt and dripping water from pipes
  • Provides protection for electrical equipment from incidental contact
  • Additional protection is corrosion resistance when upgraded materials are used
  • Powder Coated Carbon Steel (Material Grades HR / CRS) – Strong & Durable
  • Powder Coated Aluminum (Material Grades 5052, 6061) – Low Weight
  • Stainless Steel (Material Grades 304/316) – Strong, Durable, Corrosion Resistant

Fan cool information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporative_cooler

We usually use NEMA 12 cabinets for indoor applications because of their environmental protection characteristics. Type 12 rated enclosures provide a degree of protection against the following: falling dirt and circulating dust. Nemaco manufactures using a NEMA standard to ensure that our customer will get quality enclosures. Furthermore, NEMA 12 gaskets are designed and tested to protect against oil and coolant seepage.

There might be confusion about NEMA 12 rating and others such as 3R, 4 and 4X; we have explanation and comparison between different NEMA ratings here: click for more>>