Enclosure buying guides
How to choose the rating, the stainless grade and the size, and how to specify the holes, glands and display openings, written by the NEMA4 Enclosure engineering team with the standards behind each answer.
Guide
NEMA enclosure types
Types 1, 3R, 4, 4X, 6P and 12 side by side, the NEMA-to-IP table, and why an IP code is not a NEMA type.
Read the guideGuide
NEMA 4 vs 4X vs IP66
The hose and dust tests side by side, what the X adds, high-pressure washdown and IP69, and a quick way to choose.
Read the guideGuide
304 vs 316L stainless
Alloy limits, PREN, chlorides and sanitizers, coastal distance, food and pharma, and how to keep either grade rust-free.
Read the guideGuide
Sizing an enclosure
Component envelope, mounting panel, spare space, wire bending room, depth, heat and door clearance, with a worked example and CAD.
Read the guideGuide
Cutouts, glands & HMI windows
Knockout and gland hole sizes, 22 and 30 mm operators, HMI cutout tolerances and panel thickness, windows, and what to send for a quote.
Read the guideQuick references
Shop and plan
Grades
304 or 316L at a glance
The short comparison, with links to shop each grade.
Compare gradesSize finder
Find a size
Filter every enclosure by grade, outside size and nominal inside size.
Open the size finderDesigner
Lay out your cutouts
Holes, glands, pushbuttons and display openings on any face, checked and sent for a quote.
Open the designerFAQ
Ordering questions
Ratings, lead time, returns, warranty, terms and CAD.
Read the FAQRatings on this site are manufacturer ratings: wall-mount enclosures are manufacturer-rated NEMA 4X-type / IP66 - not UL listed; HMI enclosures have an IP65-type front seal with the display installed. NEMA does not test, certify or endorse enclosures.