The short answer
- Send eight things: environment and NEMA type, material, size (and whether it is inside or outside), door and hinge side, cutouts per face with a datum, mounting, finish and extras, quantity.
- Describe where the enclosure will live, not only the type you think it needs. The environment decides the type and the material.
- Give every cutout a face, a datum and a part number. A datasheet with the panel cutout beats a hand-measured hole.
- At NEMA4 Enclosure, custom work starts from one piece. You get a quote and a dimensioned drawing by email; delivery is 10 business days from your approval of that drawing.
The checklist at a glance
| # | Item | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environment and rating | Indoor, outdoor, washdown, coastal or corrosive; chemicals used; the NEMA type (and IP code, if your spec has one) |
| 2 | Material | 304 or 316L stainless, powder-coated carbon steel, aluminum, polycarbonate or fiberglass, or "not sure" |
| 3 | Size | Width, height and depth, each labelled, with units, and whether they are inside or outside dimensions |
| 4 | Door | Hinge side seen from the front, latch or lock requirement, window if needed |
| 5 | Cutouts | Face, datum, position, size and tolerance, and the device part number for every opening |
| 6 | Mounting | Wall, pole, VESA arm, pedestal or stand; what it mounts to |
| 7 | Finish and extras | Finish or colour, mounting panel, anything that must be fitted or allowed for |
| 8 | Quantity and date | How many, and the date you need them on site |
Attach whatever drawings you have. The custom quote form takes PDF, DXF, DWG and STEP files, or a photo of a sketch.
Environment, NEMA type and material
Write down where the enclosure will be and what it will face: rain, hose water, washdown chemicals, salt air, oil and coolant, dust, direct sun, possible submersion. That description is more useful than a bare type number, because it also decides the material and the gasket. Then state the type your drawing or customer requires. NEMA defines the types by environment, and there are no standard NEMA enclosure sizes: each manufacturer designs its own enclosures of any size to the requirements of NEMA 250.
- Types we build to: 1, 3R, 4, 4X, 6P, 12 and 13, as manufacturer ratings for the specified design. Not sure which? See NEMA enclosure types explained.
- Several types at once: NEMA allows an enclosure that meets more than one type to carry a combined designation, the smaller number first, for example 4X/12.
- IP codes: if your specification gives an IP code, include it. NEMA's own cross-reference runs one way only: a NEMA type can meet an IP code, but an IP code does not convert to a NEMA type.
- Listing: if the inspector or your customer requires a listed enclosure, say so before you order. NEMA4 Enclosure enclosures are not UL listed.
- Hazardous locations: Types 7, 8, 9 and 10 are never offered. Classified locations need an enclosure listed for the class and division or zone by a third party.
Material. Pick it from the environment: 304 stainless for indoor washdown and most outdoor sites, 316L for salt air, brine and chlorinated sanitizers, powder-coated carbon steel (RAL 7035 light grey as standard) for indoor and sheltered panels, aluminum where weight matters, polycarbonate or fiberglass where you need a non-metallic enclosure. Polycarbonate and fiberglass come in standard molded sizes, cut to your layout. If you are unsure, write "not sure" and describe the environment; the comparison is in enclosure materials compared. If a cleaning chemical or process fluid will reach the enclosure, name it and its concentration.
Size: inside, outside and usable
A size without a label is an easy way to get the wrong enclosure. "600 x 500 x 200" can be inside or outside, and it can be height first or width first. Write it as "W 500 x H 600 x D 200 mm inside" and the question goes away. Our quote form asks for width, height and depth in that order, in inches or millimetres; our catalog lists standard sizes as height x width x depth.
Several different sizes matter. Our 24 x 20 x 8 in (H x W x D) 304 wall-mount enclosure shows how far apart they are; its catalog size is the outside of the body:
| Dimension | Value (H x W x D) | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Body outside (catalog size) | 609.6 x 508.0 x 203.2 mm | The size you order by |
| Inside, nominal | 606.6 x 505.0 x 200.2 mm | What fits in the box |
| Mounting panel | 545.6 x 444.0 mm; usable depth 184.9 mm | Component layout and depth of devices |
| Overall, with feet, hinge and latch | 697.6 x 515.2 x 213.7 mm | Wall space and clearances |
| Door swing radius | 511.3 mm | Room in front for the door to open |
If your layout is driven by the mounting panel, give the panel size you need and let the enclosure be built around it. If it is driven by the space on the wall, give the outside envelope. How to work out the size from your components, wiring space and heat is in how to size an electrical enclosure.
Door, hinge and latch
- Hinge side: left or right, as seen standing in front of the closed door. Check that the door can open fully next to walls, pipes and neighbouring equipment.
- Latch and lock: our standard wall-mount door has a quarter-turn latch with key. If your site needs a padlock provision, a specific key or a handle, specify it in your quote request.
- Door devices: anything mounted on the door (operators, displays, windows, meters) adds depth behind the door and weight on the hinge. List it with the cutouts.
Cutouts: face, datum, size, part number
Every opening needs four pieces of information:
- Face: door, top, bottom, left, right, back or the inside mounting panel.
- Datum: where you measure from, stated once per face: the centre of the face or a named corner (for example "bottom left, viewed from outside"). Say whether the drawing is viewed from outside or inside, because left and right swap between the two.
- Position and size: to the centre of round holes and to the centre or a corner of rectangular ones, with the tolerance where it matters (display cutouts usually have a tight one).
- What goes in it: the part number of the gland, operator, display or connector, ideally with its datasheet. The device maker's panel-cutout drawing is the most reliable dimension source.
Two rules protect the rating. NEMA's "weakest link" rule says a field-installed assembly's type rating is limited by the least-rated component, so every fitting must be rated at least as high as the enclosure. And openings need room: keep them clear of the gasket, hinge, latch and flange. Hole sizes, gland threads and HMI tolerances are covered in cutouts, cable glands and HMI windows. The fastest route is the cutout designer: place holes, 22.5 and 30.5 mm operators, metric and NPT glands, display, fan and filter openings and windows on any face in 3D, type X/Y from the centre or a corner, see red marks for anything too close to the gasket, hinge, latch or an edge, and download the layout as a dimensioned PDF or DXF.
Fans, filters, heaters, breathers, drains and similar devices: specify them in your quote request with their part numbers, and we cut the openings for them.
Mounting
Tell us how and where it mounts: wall, pole, VESA arm, pedestal or stand, and what the structure is (concrete, stud wall, strut, machine frame). NEMA notes that a number of type-rated enclosures need a mounting means outside the electrical cavity, such as feet or a bracket, rather than holes drilled through the back and sealed; the final installation is subject to approval by the authority having jurisdiction. Our standard wall-mount enclosures use four external mounting feet. If the enclosure will sit on a structure of a different metal outdoors, mention it so the fasteners and isolation can be chosen to avoid galvanic corrosion (see the stainless steel enclosure guide).
Finish, interior and extras
- Finish: #4 brushed for stainless; RAL 7035 light grey for powder-coated steel, with other colours on request. Other alloys and finishes can be requested in the quote form.
- Interior: our standard wall-mount enclosures have a removable galvanized mounting panel on welded studs and ground studs. If you need something different, describe it.
- Labels and markings: if nameplates or warning labels must go on the enclosure, tell us in the request; what we can do is confirmed on the quoted drawing.
- Heat and moisture: if the equipment inside dissipates significant heat, or the site sees large temperature swings, say so and give the heat load in watts.
Quantity, the drawing and the 10-business-day clock
Custom work at NEMA4 Enclosure starts from one piece: a prototype and a production run get the same build. Give the quantity and the date you need the enclosures on site. Then the process is:
- You send the spec: the quote form, your drawing, or a layout from the cutout designer.
- Our engineers check the fit and reply by email with a quote and a dimensioned drawing to approve. No payment until you order.
- You check the drawing. Confirm the dimensions are labelled inside or outside as you meant them, the hinge side, every cutout's face, datum and size against the device datasheet, the material and finish, the NEMA type and the quantity.
- You approve it. Delivery is 10 business days from your approval of the drawing, shipped direct to your site anywhere in the world.
Changes are easiest before approval, because the clock starts from the approved drawing.
An example request
| Environment | Indoor washdown, daily hose-down with chlorinated sanitizer, rinsed |
|---|---|
| Rating and material | NEMA Type 4X, 316L stainless, #4 brushed |
| Size | W 500 x H 600 x D 250 mm inside |
| Door | Hinged left, viewed from front; quarter-turn latch with key |
| Cutouts | Door: display opening per the attached panel PC drawing, centred 150 mm below the top edge; three 22.5 mm operators on a row below it. Bottom: four M20 cable glands, datum front-left corner, viewed from below. Datasheets attached. |
| Mounting | Wall, concrete; external feet |
| Quantity and date | 2 pieces, needed on site by the start of commissioning |
That is enough to quote and draw without a single follow-up question. For a display enclosure, see also the HMI enclosures built around industrial panel PCs.
Custom builds. NEMA4 Enclosure builds custom enclosures in 304 and 316L stainless, powder-coated carbon steel, aluminum, polycarbonate and fiberglass, to NEMA Types 1, 3R, 4, 4X, 6P, 12 and 13 as manufacturer ratings for the specified design; not UL listed, and no hazardous-location types. From one piece, quoted by email, delivered in 10 business days anywhere in the world, counted from your approval of the drawing. Once cutouts are added, the rating of the finished enclosure depends on properly rated components and cable glands being installed in every opening.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a CAD drawing to get a custom enclosure quote?
No. A labelled sketch or a photo of one is enough to start, as long as it gives the size, the material, the NEMA type and the cutouts with a datum. PDF, DXF, DWG and STEP files are welcome, and the cutout designer produces a dimensioned layout for you.
What is the minimum order for a custom enclosure?
One piece. A single prototype gets the same build and the same delivery time as a production run.
When do the 10 business days start?
From your approval of the dimensioned drawing we send with the quote. For standard catalog items, they count from your order.
Should I give inside or outside dimensions?
Either, as long as you say which. Give inside or mounting panel dimensions when your components drive the size, and outside dimensions when the space on the wall does. Label width, height and depth separately.
Can you build an explosion-proof or hazardous-location enclosure?
No. Hazardous locations need an enclosure listed for the class and division or zone by a third party, and we do not offer NEMA Types 7, 8, 9 or 10.
Will my custom enclosure carry a UL listing?
No. Our ratings are manufacturer ratings for the specified design, and the enclosures are not UL listed. If your inspector or customer requires a listed enclosure, tell us before you order.