Instrumentation
Enclosures and cabinets play a critical role in ensuring the safe housing and security of machinery and instruments in a wide number of industries, from medical, manufacturing and maritime to transportation, energy, telecommunications and science.
These protective casings are designed to shield equipment from a range of external hazards, such as environmental factors, physical damage, and unauthorised access.
They are essential components of a comprehensive safety and security strategy for industrial equipment which must be carefully chosen and maintained to ensure their effectiveness.
The correct selection and implementation of these protective casings can prevent equipment failure, reduce maintenance costs, and safeguard workers from harm.
Here at FA Parkes, we have fully trained application engineers as well as design facilties for mechanical and electronic systems providing a one stop shop for your development needs as well as thousands of products to choose from including hinges, locks, handles, latches, drawer slides, gas struts and many more.
Not sure which part is right for your application? Need advice on product selection? Or to simply request a quotation, contact our team today.
INDUSTRIES
MEDICAL
Medical instrumentation includes everything from simple tools like stethoscopes and thermometers to more complex machines like MRI scanners and operating tables and is used for a variety of purposes, including diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of patients as well as research and education.
The medical technology industry is constantly evolving as new machinery and equipments are developed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This makes it essential that these applications are manufactured using parts of the highest quality and best reliability to ensure the safe and effective operation of medical instrumentation.
Some examples of these kind of instrumentation applications within medical environments include:
- Operating tables
- X-ray machines
- Patient beds
- Medical refrigerators and freezers
- Intensive care unit (ICU) control panels
- Pharmaceutical dispensing units
INDUSTRIAL
The industrial industry broadly refers to the production of goods and services. It includes a wide range of businesses, from manufacturing plants to construction companies and is essential to the global economy, as it provides jobs and products that are used by consumers and businesses alike.
It is divided into several sectors, including:
- Manufacturing: producing goods, such as cars, appliances, and electronics.
- Construction: building and maintaining structures, such as buildings, roads, and bridges.
- Mining: extracting minerals from the earth, such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
- Utilities: providing essential services, such as electricity, water, and gas.
Instrumentation is an essential part of many of these industrial processes and is typically used to measure, monitor and control various standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure that they are carried out in a safe, efficient, and productive manner.
Many of these instruments are housed in various cabinets and enclosures and the components used will depend on the specific requirements of the particular equipment and the environment they are to be used in.
Industrial instrumentation can include:
- Pressure sensors
- Temperature sensors
- Flow meters
- Level sensors
- Analysers
- Actuators
Some of the most common types of housing for these instruments are:
- IP/Electrical enclosures
- Explosion-proof enclosures
- Climate-controlled cabinets
- Fibreglass enclosures
- Stainless Steel cabinets
- Instrument racks
- Control panels
Factors such as size, material, and environmental hazards must be considered when selecting an enclosure to ensure that the equipment is adequately protected, therefore it is crucial to choose the right components for your housing to provide the necessary protection and meet any applicable standards or regulations.
MARITIME
The global maritime industry is a vast and complex sector that plays a vital role in the global economy. It is responsible for the transportation of over 90% of the world's traded goods, and employs over 100 million people worldwide.
The UK maritime industry alone employs over 185,000 people and contributes £40 billion to the UK economy each year. The industry spans a diverse range of businesses, including ports and terminals, shipping companies, shipbuilders, and marine services companies.
Submarines
The cabinets and enclosures installed on submarines and other maritime applications are used to protect sensitive equipment and instruments from the harsh marine environment. They are also used to keep equipment organised and easily accessible.
These enclosures are typically made from high-strength materials, such as stainless steel or aluminum. They are also designed to be watertight, airtight, shockproof and vibration-resistant.
Some of the wide range of submarine instrumentation we provide components for includes:
- Control panels
- Electrical cabinets
- Life support systems
- Weapon systems
- Navigation systems
- Communication systems
- Sensors
- Pressure hull-mounted cabinets
- Deck-mounted enclosures
- Rack-mounted cabinets
- Battery enclosures
Here at FA Parkes, we supply thousands of part types for dozens of such applications, including cabinet hinges, grab and recess handles, latches, drawer and door locks, rubber seals, gaskets and O-rings. In addition to instrumentation, these products are also found throughout crew or passenger quarters, common areas and on-board kitchens.
They are also used on a variety of other marine equipment, including:
SCIENCE & ROBOTICS
The science industry encompasses the discovery, development, and application of scientific knowledge, while the robotics industry involves the design, development, and deployment of robotic systems and technologies to automate tasks and improve efficiency in a growing range of industries and applications.
Both sectors play a critical role in advancing our knowledge and understanding of the world around us, and in developing new solutions to the challenges we face. In order to do this safely and effectively, they require working environments which include a variety of instrumentation and enclosures to protect sensitive equipment and experiments from environmental factors and contamination.
This can range from providing controlled environments for handling biological materials, preventing the escape of harmful pathogens, and protecting workers from exposure to biological hazards, to simulating specific environmental conditions for testing purposes, and maintaining a controlled environment free from dust, particles, and other contaminants.
Applications can range from:
- Cleanroom enclosures
- Electrical enclosures
- Environmental test chambers
- Vacuum chambers
- Robotic safety fencing
- Electrostatic discharge (ESD) enclosures
- Biological safety cabinets
- Explosion-proof/Hazardous location enclosures
Overall, the requirements of enclosures for scientific equipment, laboratories, and robotics manufacturing will always depend on the specific application in question, and the level of protection required.
Considering factors such as size, material, and environmental hazards is essential when selecting enclosures and related manufacturing components to ensure that the equipment is adequately protected, that they meet required safety standards, and workers are safe.
If you have any questions, or would like some advice on product selection simply call us on +44 (0)1942 681 996, email sales@faparkes.co.uk
or fill out our contact form via the link below:
