BOCUBE - A New and Innovative Series of Enclosures from Bopla

During the course and development of a product requirement for an enclosure to match the application always is a major issue for engineers. Many manufacturers forget that their product must not only be practical but also look good. The company BOPLA Gehäuse Systeme GmbH, part of the Swiss corporate group Phoenix Mecano, recently brought onto the market in the form of the Bocube series a model that takes both factors into consideration, namely the visual design and the technical requirements. The new series is thus highly innovative and can be used in a wide variety of ways and across a whole spectrum of application fields, so that it will revolutionise the market for electronic components!

The new Bocube series of enclosures is available in 11 sizes; the ability to vary the forms of the lids, materials and colours means that there are 66 standard combinations available.

Above all, an item that is unique and has been patented is the Bocube quick-release catch that holds together the base and lid of the enclosure: This makes it possible to quickly and easily open the enclosure with a size 3 flat screwdriver and then close it by hand with just one “click.” This makes it especially easy to install electronics in the enclosure because this can be done quickly and easily even without any special tools! In addition to the quick-release catch the enclosure can be closed together with screws – the corresponding screws are available as accessories and are covered by the quick-release catch. This produces a clean external appearance and a smooth surface. One thing that customers wanted in the development of a new and universal enclosure was that the lid could not be lost, and this is guaranteed by the quick-release catch. Moreover, the hinged side of the lid can be protected by a blanking plug that is available as an accessory. This prevents the locking mechanism from being operated accidentally and thus prevents the unwanted opening of the enclosure on the wrong side. The internal wiring is reliably protected as a result. Unauthorised access can also be prevented by the use of a lead seal on the lid. From a design point of view, the coloured quick-release catches add extra visual appeal and is available in six colours. If the manufacturer desires the visual design to be modified to suit the customer needs, then the colours of the quick-release catches can be matched to the company’s logo. There are no limits to the use of colour coding thanks to the wide variety of colours. Individual special colours for the enclosure are also available on request.

A modern enclosure design that can be adapted

If we talk about the requirements of the customer for the design of the enclosure, then in all cases we need to look at the standard colours that are available for the Bocube enclosure: In addition to industry-standard light grey the new series is also available in graphite grey. Last but not least, we would like to refer to the design with the curved and yet angular clean and yet prominent appearance of the enclosure and its glossy surface finish, which reflect the high standard of quality of the entire new series. The smooth surface is free of screw heads and hence is also very easy to clean.

Increasingly stringent customer requirements with regard to the protection class mean that the Bocube is now provided with a foamed seal to meet protection classes IP66 and IP67 in compliance with DIN EN 60529 and so the enclosure can be used even under the toughest conditions. It is protected against a strong spray of water and also against dust (IP 66). In addition, the enclosure is protected against brief immersion (IP 67). The choice of material for the new industrial enclosure, ABS or polycarbonate UL 94 V0, open up further options in use. Furthermore, the Bocube is especially easy to recycle because it is made of homogeneous plastics. All the parts are made solely out of ABS or PC UL 94 V0.

Always the right choice: the Bocube offers endless options for use

The polycarbonate version of the Bocube is available with a crystal-clear lid in addition to the version with a grey lid and is ideal for use as a display enclosure – it is possible to view the front panel at any time. In such a case the display can still be seen even from an extreme viewing angle. But in most cases data is not just displayed on the product but is also input and processed, so an input device of some sort is required. For that reason the Bocube is provided as standard with an area in the lid that is recessed by 2 mm to allow input devices such as membrane keypads or touch screens to be used.

When it came to shaping the enclosure, attention was paid to making it easy to use rectangular PCBs that do not need to be subjected to complicated and expensive mechanical machining. The generously-sized areas within the enclosure offer in addition ample space for the installation of cable glands, connectors and other components. The knock-outs, the installation of cable glands or the gluing on of membrane keyboards can be handled by the experts at BOPLA Gehäuse Systeme GmbH – a large machine park is available for that purpose. Such a form of collaboration ensures trouble-free and rapid delivery and guarantees that the risk of wastage is minimised for the customer.

A wide range of accessories rounds out the Bocube series. This not only includes front panels and mounting panels that can be installed in the rectangular installation area, but also DIN rails or wall brackets to allow use on a wall.

For additional detail contact Easby sales on
+44 (0) 1748 850 555 (May 2013)