Enclosure Material

This composite material consists of two parts: a matrix - polyester resin; and a reinforcing material (referred to as PC, SMC), so it is also called transparent PC material, fiber-reinforced polyester material. Transparent PC material and fiber-reinforced unsaturated polyester are composite materials based on unsaturated polyester resin. These two materials have the characteristics of being insoluble, flame-retardant, and recyclable. The latter material has the disadvantage of being non-meltable and non-recyclable. Its physical structure is a three-dimensional network structure. These four materials, through modification with functional fillers and reinforcement with special fibers, have become high-performance engineering materials. In developed countries such as Europe and the United States, this material has been widely used in the electrical field for decades.

Material Characteristics

1. Good Electrical Properties Fiber-reinforced polyester materials used in the manufacture of electrical products have the following electrical properties:

Insulation resistance (immersed in water for 24h): 1.0 × 10MQ

Arc resistance: 180s

Tracking resistance index: ≥600V

Insulation protection and creepage distance meet DIN/VDE relevant standards. This material not only has excellent electrical insulation properties, but also maintains good dielectric properties at high frequencies, is not affected by electromagnetic effects, and does not reflect electromagnetic waves. These properties are far superior to those of metallic materials.

2. Chemical Corrosion Resistance Fiber-reinforced polyester materials have excellent resistance to corrosion by acids, dilute alkalis, salts, organic solvents, and seawater, while metallic materials are not resistant to acid or seawater corrosion.

3. Lightweight and High Strength Specific strength and specific modulus are indicators of a material's load-bearing capacity. The specific modulus of fiber-reinforced polyester materials is comparable to that of steel, but its specific strength can reach 4 times that of steel.

4. Good Fatigue Resistance The tensile strength of fiber-reinforced polyester materials is slightly better than that of steel. The fatigue limit of steel and most metallic materials is 40%-50% of their tensile strength, while the fatigue limit of fiber-reinforced composite materials is generally higher than this value, reaching up to 70%-80%.

5. Notch Sensitivity When a component is overloaded and a small number of fiber bundles break, the load is quickly redistributed to the undamaged fibers to achieve mechanical equilibrium, which is incomparable to metallic components.

6. Low Thermal Conductivity and Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion The thermal stress generated by temperature differences is much smaller than that of metals.

7. Excellent UV Resistance and Anti-aging Performance Among non-metallic materials, fiber-reinforced polyester materials have excellent anti-aging properties. Anti-aging performance tests show that depending on the location of use and climate zone, the maximum aging thickness over 20 years is less than 50μm. Most enclosures have a minimum thickness of 5mm, which is less than 1% of the enclosure thickness, so it has no significant impact on the mechanical properties of the enclosure. In addition, the company uses a special UV-resistant surface treatment process to further enhance its anti-aging performance.

8. Long Service Life European usage history proves that its service life is at least 20 years; simulated aging tests show that its service life is more than 20 years, far exceeding that of traditional materials such as metals. Some companies that produce pipes with this material also claim that the service life of their pipes is 50 years.

9. Flame Retardant, Smokeless, and Non-toxic This material is a flame-retardant material with a flame-retardant rating of FO (the highest level for non-metallic materials). Under high-temperature burning, the smoke generation level is 15 (smoke generation level 1-100), the smoke is non-toxic, and the toxicity level is ZA1 (quasi-safe level 1).

Enclosure Design

The advantages of the new cable branch box mentioned above stem from the characteristics of the fiber-reinforced polyester material itself. In addition, the enclosure design also gives this new cable branch box many characteristics different from metal boxes:

1. Ventilation components are used to ventilate the enclosure to prevent the generation of excessive distilled water. Ventilation components are provided at the lower and upper ends of the enclosure door and back panel, and between the top panel and the back panel. With the heat generated by the electrical components, the space inside the enclosure can be dehumidified, preventing rusting of the metal parts inside the enclosure and preventing leakage current.

2. Isolation from Soil Moisture For cable branch boxes with a base, by filling fine sand into the base and burying the base to a certain depth, the moisture rising from the soil is prevented from entering the enclosure.

3. Modular Design for Easy Installation The modular design not only makes installation easy but also makes it easy to replace enclosure components, simplifying spare parts management.

Usage Characteristics

1. Completely solves personal injury accidents caused by poor grounding of the enclosure and bridging of foreign objects.

2. Low comprehensive cost of use, a one-time investment can be used for more than 20 years (eliminating the labor cost and cumulative cost of replacing metal enclosures).

3. The unique design of the enclosure effectively resists external impact.

4. The enclosure material has a high recycling cost, which can prevent the theft of the main body.

5. The splicing method can reduce the maintenance cost of the enclosure (only damaged parts can be replaced).

6. Burning at high temperatures does not produce suffocating gases.

In short, low-voltage cable branch boxes made of fiber-reinforced polyester material have many advantages, such as good insulation, corrosion resistance, long service life, and easy installation.

Application Range

Cable branch boxes, low-voltage distribution boxes, water pump control boxes, communication equipment cabinets, street light and traffic control boxes, multi-function metering boxes, integrated distribution boxes, capacitor compensation boxes, terminal boxes, wall-mounted distribution boxes, and metering boxes in public power grids.