Are you looking to learn more about custom metal enclosures for the defense and aerospace industry, but aren’t sure where to start?
Custom metal enclosures play a very important role in these two industries. They work to protect important components in both manned and unmanned military aircraft and vehicles.
Read on to discover what you need to know about custom metal enclosures for the military and aerospace industry.
What Are Custom Metal Enclosures?
First things first, what exactly are custom metal enclosures? While many people think that metal enclosures are just metal shells, this is not the case. Rather, a metal enclosure is a small piece of equipment that’s used to protect expensive, delicate, and critical parts used in military and aerospace equipment, and are often custom-made to order. Of course, custom metal enclosures are also used in other industries.
Why Are Custom Metal Enclosures Important?
To get a better understanding of why custom metal enclosures are so important, let’s consider the use of a personal computer.
When you take your personal computer out of your home, you don’t just toss it in your purse or bag. If you’re like most people, you put it in its own computer case to offer it extra protection. You’d also never use your personal computer in an outdoor environment with extreme temperatures, or somewhere that’s extremely dusty, sandy, or windy.
However, in military and aerospace environments, one oftentimes has little control over their surroundings. In addition to being worried about the elements and weather, there’s also the risk that your equipment will overheat or come under enemy attack. Custom metal enclosures ensure that your equipment survives in the event of a dangerous situation or compromising environment.
Here are some general benefits that custom enclosures provide for aerospace and military personnel:
- Defend against weather as well as other elements
- Protect against electromagnetic interference
- Offers noise reduction to protect your health and safety
- Secures body parts
As you can see, custom metal enclosures offer plenty of benefits, which is why it’s so important to choose the right type for each situation. Because there are different purposes for using metal enclosures, and different industries in which these enclosures are used, there are various types of enclosures that your organization can procure.
The New Age companies are skilled in manufacturing any type of custom metal enclosures to the specific needs of your company and its work, and we possess the qualifications and approvals to work within defense and aerospace.
Understanding Custom Metal Enclosures
A metal enclosure is not just a metal shell but rather, a ruggedized piece of equipment that protects delicate, expensive, or otherwise critical parts. These enclosures offer premium, exceptional protection in mission-critical applications and harsh environments.
You would not use your personal computer in a corrosive, dusty, windy, sandy, extremely cold or extremely hot, or high-pressure environment, nor would you expose it to ballistics, shocks, vibrations, or other impacts. Custom metal enclosures offer protection to critical processors that must be used in these environments, so the equipment can continue working in the face of even the most challenging situations.
In military and aerospace environments, computers and other equipment are subject to three main threats — weather and elements, overheating, and enemy attack. Whether in combat or in high-pressure, high-altitude use, our metal enclosures ensure that vital equipment survives.
Choosing Custom Metal Enclosures
So, how do you choose custom metal enclosures? The answer is very dependent on your industry, environment, as well as the product you’re looking to protect. Because of this, each metal enclosure needs to be specified by weight, size, and power. Another commonality between the defense and aerospace industries is the need for specific size, weight, and power requirements.
That being said, many companies choose to use aluminum metal enclosures. Aluminum metal enclosures maximize on durability and longevity without adding a lot of weight. That is because aluminum is a very lightweight material, with a specific weight about a third of steel. It’s also naturally anti-corrosive, and it comes with a thin oxide coating that allows the enclosure to be protected from the metal itself. In aviation and aerospace, this translates to less deadweight, and lower energy consumption in flight, which in turn aids in handling and agility. Aircraft can travel longer using less fuel, and carry more cargo on board with less weight taken up through armoring. In military aerospace purposes, aluminum custom metal enclosures ensure that there is more weight capacity for payload.
Custom metal enclosures, in all purposes, often protect from corrosion. Aluminum is naturally anticorrosive, with a thin oxide coating that protects the metal itself. Sand, salt water, rain and other corroding agents are no match for ruggedized enclosures, especially those manufactured from aluminum.
To protect from overheating, aluminum works perfectly as a heat sink, draining heat away rapidly from sensitive equipment. In colder temperatures, aluminum does not turn brittle but rather shows increased tensile strength as temperatures drop.
When considering military applications, especially for unmanned vehicles that rely on quiet travel and a lack of exposure, the sound absorption of aluminum is important. Ruggedized metal enclosures made of aluminum are naturally able to absorb acoustic sound, allowing for quieter, safer operation. Those same properties also enhance shock absorption, again ideal in defense applications where incoming ballistics would otherwise damage critical equipment.
Best Practices For Defense & Aerospace
At the New Age companies, our experienced team understands the critical importance of metal fabrication and production for defense and aerospace. We follow every best practice in creating our metal enclosures, ensuring that no matter the product, it meets stringent standards at every step of production.
Every part of our clients’ custom metal enclosures are fabricated and produced in house, from start to finish. Our services include assembly, dip brazing, welding, painting, and chemical film finishing, with no need to outsource any aspect. To create custom metal enclosures we can also provide CNC cutting services, heat treating, masking, prototype machining services, and engraving, all completed through our companies. For our clients, this means there is no reason to secure additional approvals, as the New Age group already possesses qualifications and approvals for defense and aerospace.
New Age Metal Fabrication and New Age Precision Manufacturing have been working to provide quality, durable metal enclosures and other military and aerospace parts for over half a century. Our practices, and our customer service, is informed by our extensive experience and expertise in these industries. We know that our clients expect products made with the utmost precision and attention to detail, and that is exactly what we provide. That is why we are approved suppliers to some of the most respected, exacting companies in these industries.
Now You Know & Next Steps
We hope this guide has helped you gain a better understanding of custom metal enclosures for the military and aerospace industry. As we mentioned earlier, ordering the right metal enclosures can be a tedious process, as a lot of specification are required.
To see our commitment to quality first-hand, connect with us to learn how we can provide your company with the custom metal enclosures you need. If you have any questions about this process, contact us today.
