Stainless steel enclosures
A stainless steel enclosure, or stainless steel box, is chosen where the box itself must not rust, there is no paint to chip and the surface has to stand up to cleaning. Ours are made in 304 or 316L sheet, 1.2 to 2.0 mm thick by size, with a #4 brushed finish, a continuous hinge and a gasketed door, rated NEMA 4X / IP66 by the manufacturer and not UL listed. Choose from 65 standard wall-mount sizes or specify your own.
- Grades
- 304 (UNS S30400) and 316L (UNS S31603) in every wall-mount size
- Finish
- #4 brushed, the general-purpose brushed finish
- Sheet
- 1.2 mm (18 ga) / 1.5 mm (16 ga) / 2.0 mm (14 ga) by size
- Door
- Continuous stainless hinge, full door height; continuous gasket
- Inside
- Removable galvanized mounting panel on welded studs; ground studs on body and door
- Mounting
- Four wall-mount feet, outside the sealed box
- Rating
- NEMA 4X / IP66 by the manufacturer; not UL listed
- Wall-mount
- 65 sizes, 6 × 4 × 4 in to 60 × 36 × 16 in
- HMI enclosures
- 17 stainless housings for IMD panel PCs: HMI enclosures
- Other sizes
- Any size in 304 or 316L, delivered in 10 business days: enclosure builder
Thickness
Sheet thickness grows with the size
| Thickness | Gauge | Sizes | Outside height | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 mm | about 18 ga | 11 sizes | 6 to 14 in | 6 × 4 × 4 in, 6 × 6 × 4 in, 14 × 12 × 8 in |
| 1.5 mm | about 16 ga | 37 sizes | 16 to 30 in | 16 × 12 × 6 in, 16 × 14 × 6 in, 30 × 24 × 16 in |
| 2.0 mm | about 14 ga | 17 sizes | 36 to 60 in | 36 × 24 × 8 in, 36 × 24 × 10 in, 60 × 36 × 16 in |
Specify thickness in millimetres or inches, not gauge alone: stainless and carbon steel gauges are different numbers (16 ga is a nominal 1.59 mm in stainless, 1.52 mm in carbon steel). The gauge shown is the nearest stainless gauge. Gauge, finish, welds and care.
The grades
304 or 316L: the difference is chlorides
| Element, weight % | 304 (S30400) | 316L (S31603) |
|---|---|---|
| Chromium | 17.5–19.5 | 16.0–18.0 |
| Nickel | 8.0–10.5 | 10.0–14.0 |
| Molybdenum | none specified | 2.00–3.00 |
| Carbon, max | 0.07 | 0.030 |
316L adds 2–3% molybdenum, which raises resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion from chlorides; the L means low carbon, which protects welded seams. 304 is the economical choice for indoor washdown and inland sites. 304 vs 316L, in full · 316L enclosures.
Four sizes from each thickness band, in 304 and 316L. All sizes are in the size finder.
304 stainless wall-mount enclosure
6 × 4 × 4 in
2 DIN, tight84 mm usable2 W
316L stainless wall-mount enclosure
6 × 4 × 4 in
2 DIN, tight84 mm usable2 W
304 stainless wall-mount enclosure
8 × 6 × 4 in
5 DIN84 mm usable4 W
316L stainless wall-mount enclosure
8 × 6 × 4 in
5 DIN84 mm usable4 W
304 stainless wall-mount enclosure
10 × 8 × 4 in
8 DIN84 mm usable5 W
316L stainless wall-mount enclosure
10 × 8 × 4 in
8 DIN84 mm usable5 W
304 stainless wall-mount enclosure
12 × 10 × 6 in
11 DIN135 mm usable9 W
316L stainless wall-mount enclosure
12 × 10 × 6 in
11 DIN135 mm usable9 W
304 stainless wall-mount enclosure
16 × 12 × 6 in
28 DIN134 mm usable13 W
316L stainless wall-mount enclosure
16 × 12 × 6 in
28 DIN134 mm usable13 W
304 stainless wall-mount enclosure
20 × 20 × 6 in
38 DIN134 mm usable23 W
316L stainless wall-mount enclosure
20 × 20 × 6 in
38 DIN134 mm usable23 W
304 stainless wall-mount enclosure
20 × 24 × 8 in
48 DIN185 mm usable29 W
316L stainless wall-mount enclosure
20 × 24 × 8 in
48 DIN185 mm usable29 W
304 stainless wall-mount enclosure
24 × 24 × 10 in
72 DIN236 mm usable38 W
316L stainless wall-mount enclosure
24 × 24 × 10 in
72 DIN236 mm usable38 W
304 stainless wall-mount enclosure
36 × 24 × 8 in
120 DIN184 mm usable48 W
316L stainless wall-mount enclosure
36 × 24 × 8 in
120 DIN184 mm usable48 W
304 stainless wall-mount enclosure
36 × 30 × 10 in
165 DIN235 mm usable62 W
316L stainless wall-mount enclosure
36 × 30 × 10 in
165 DIN235 mm usable62 W
304 stainless wall-mount enclosure
48 × 36 × 8 in
240 DIN184 mm usable84 W
316L stainless wall-mount enclosure
48 × 36 × 8 in
240 DIN184 mm usable84 W
304 stainless wall-mount enclosure
42 × 36 × 12 in
200 DIN286 mm usable87 W
316L stainless wall-mount enclosure
42 × 36 × 12 in
200 DIN286 mm usable87 W
Care
Keep stainless stainless
- Clean with mild detergent and warm water, then rinse with clean water, along the grain.
- Never steel wool or carbon-steel brushes, never chloride bleach or hydrochloric acid.
- Use stainless fasteners on stainless; isolate stainless from aluminum and galvanized parts where they stay wet.
- Rust spots usually come from iron contamination or chloride deposits left on the surface: remove them early.
Guide
Stainless steel guide
Gauge and thickness, No. 4 vs 2B finish, welded seams and heat tint, passivation, galvanic contact, field drilling and cleaning.
Read the guideGuide
304 vs 316L stainless
Alloy limits, chloride limits in ppm, coastal distance and road salt, a cleaner and chemical table, and how to keep either grade rust-free.
Read the guideGuide
Materials compared
Stainless, painted steel, aluminum, polycarbonate and fiberglass side by side: corrosion, UV, weight, stiffness, heat, wireless and cutting.
Read the guideGuide
Specify a custom enclosure
The quote checklist: environment and type, material, inside vs outside size, door and hinge, cutouts with a datum, mounting, drawing approval.
Read the guideNot a standard size?
Your size, material and cutouts, delivered in 10 business days.
Set width, height and depth, the material and the NEMA type in the enclosure builder, or send your drawing. From one piece, anywhere in the world. Counted from your order; for custom work, from your approval of the drawing.
Asked and answered
Stainless steel enclosures: questions
What gauge is a stainless enclosure?
Ours use 1.2 mm (about 18 ga) for sizes 6 to 14 in tall; 1.5 mm (about 16 ga) for sizes 16 to 30 in tall; 2.0 mm (about 14 ga) for sizes 36 to 60 in tall. Each product page gives the thickness of that size.
What is a #4 brushed finish?
No. 4 is the brushed, general-purpose stainless finish; 2B is the smoother mill finish. For hygiene or salt exposure the surface roughness (Ra) matters more than the name. All our wall-mount enclosures are #4 brushed.
Is a stainless steel box the same as a stainless enclosure?
In practice, yes: a sealed stainless box with a hinged door. Our smallest sizes are used as stainless junction boxes: see stainless junction boxes for their panels and DIN capacity.
Will a stainless steel enclosure rust?
Stainless resists corrosion, but rust spots can appear from iron contamination (steel wool, carbon-steel tools, grinding dust) or chloride deposits left on the surface. Clean with mild detergent along the grain and choose 316L where chlorides are present.
Can I get a stainless enclosure in a size you do not list?
Yes. Any width, height and depth in 304 or 316L: set it in the enclosure builder or send your drawing, from one piece, delivered in 10 business days.
