Overview

Protocase supplies a wide variety of materials and components, many of which are listed on this page. If you don't see what you are looking for, please contact us, as we can likely obtain it for you. Enclosures that utilize stock items only can be produced within a 2-3 day lead time (subject to certain quantity limitations, extra time may be required for larger orders). Use of non-stock items may add extra lead time.

Please make a selection from the list on the left

Cold Rolled Steel

Protocase recommends cold rolled steel for general purpose enclosures. It offers a good combination of cost and structural integrity (stiffness).

If corrosion resistance is required, consider galvanized, stainless, or aluminum. Likewise consider aluminum where minimum weight and/or corrosion resistance is a consideration.

Finish: Powdercoat or Unfinished

Fasteners: typically use zinc plated steel PEMS and fasteners

Welding: highly weldable with seam or spot processes

Stocked Gauges for Cold Rolled Steel (designation CRS A1008 CS TP B)

• 11 (0.120")
• 12 (0.105")
• 13 (0.090")
• 14 (0.075")
• 16 (0.060")
• 18 (0.048")
• 20 (0.036")
• 22 (0.030")
• 24 (0.024")

The gauges shown above are based on American CRS sheet steel manufacturers gauge thickness. These will vary from british gauges with some exceptions.

Galvanized Steel

Generic term referring to a number of products, but we stock GALVANNEAL (see explanation below)

Powdercoated galvanneal is significantly more durable in wet environments compared to cold-rolled steel, but not as durable as stainless or aluminum

Finish: Powdercoat

Fasteners: Use zinc plated steel fasteners and PEMS

Welding: Weldable but welding breaks down the corrosion protection on the edges

Stocked Galvanized Steel - Galvanneal (A653 CS TP B A01)

• 14 gauge (0.078")
• 16 gauge (0.063")
• 18 gauge (0.052")
• 20 gauge (0.040")
• 22 gauge (0.034")
• 24 gauge (0.028")

Galvanneal is a steel product with a zinc-iron alloy coating on the steel surface produced by the continuous hot dipping process. Galvanneal does not flake off its galvanized coating when formed and bent. The very fine matte finish acts like a primer and easily adheres to paint and it is very rust proof, only white to dark grey marks appear if it comes in contact with water. Galvanneal sheets offers good paintability, weldability, corrosion resistance, and formability.

The gauges shown above are based on American Galvanized sheet steel manufacturers gauge thickness. These will vary from british gauges with some exceptions.

Stainless Steel

Premium solution to corrosion resistance

Same stiffness advantage of steel yet even higher strength

Non-painted Stainless is 'passivated' using Citric Acid to remove any iron contamination that may show up as rust spots

Fasteners: Typically use stainless fasteners and PEMS

Finish: Powdercoat, and buff/passivate

Welding: Highly weldable (unless brushed)

Stocked Stainless Steel - (A240 TP304 2B)

• 11 gauge (0.125")
• 14 gauge (0.078")
• 16 gauge (0.062")
• 18 gauge (0.050")
• 20 gauge (0.037")
• 22 gauge (0.031")
• 24 gauge (0.025")

304 stainless steel has a high resistance to corrosion and lends itself to many types of fabrication, making it one of the most widely used forms of stainless steel used today. This alloys may be considered for a wide variety of applications where one or more of the following properties are important: resistance to corrosion, prevention of product contamination, resistance to oxidation, ease of fabrication, excellent formability, beauty of appearance, ease of cleaning,high strength with low weight, good strength and toughness at cryogenic temperatures, ready availability of a wide range of product forms.

The gauges shown above are based on American stainless steel sheet steel manufacturers gauge thickness. These will vary from british gauges with some exceptions.

Aluminum

Aluminum is corrosion resistant and light weight.

Lower structural stiffness than steel (about 1/3), must be compensated for by thicker gauge.

Finish: Powdercoat

Fasteners and PEMS: Protocase recommends zinc plated steel for ordinary (dry) applications. We recommend upgrading to Stainless Steel for more aggressive environments. Maximum durability will come from use of aluminum PEMS and fasteners, but they are very soft and we do NOT stock them. (As an example of the durability of the stainless steel / aluminum combination, these two metals are regularly used on sailboat masts, where the mast itself is aluminum and the hardware and fasteners stainless steel. The combination is generally durable despite exposure to salt spray and rainwater. However, use of dissimilar metals under conditions of prolonged immersion (such as below waterline on a boat) is not acceptable as galvanic corrosion will result.

Stocked Alloy: 5052

Non-stocked: 6061 available on special order

Stocked Aluminum 5052 alloy

• .125" (8 gauge see caution on gauges below)
• .091" (11 gauge)
• .081" (12 gauge)
• .064" (14 gauge)
• .051" (16 gauge)
• .040" (18 gauge)
• .032" (20 gauge)

Gauges are typically not used when specifying aluminum as the actual thickness of the aluminum is more internationally recognized. It starts at sheet by thickness and migrates into plate at the thicker end of the scale.

5052 Aluminum is a non heat treatable alloy that is readily welded by conventional methods. It has good forming characteristics and good corrosion resistance, including resistance to salt water.

Silk Screening

Protocase completes the task of manufacturing fully finished, quality enclosures by offering silk-screening, a process that provides required labeling for connectors, switches, ports, etc., along with adding special graphics such a company logos, product identifier graphics, etc.

Our silk-screening process utilizes the latest in screen preparation technology, as well as using durable epoxy based inks, ensuring a high resolution and quality finish. Protocase stocks a variety of standard colors, and can provide custom colors upon request.

The clarity of silkscreen can be greatly affected by the texture of powder coat used. Generally for best results it is recommended you use a smooth finish. Silkscreen will work on various textures and colors but each situation is unique. This may require modifications to your silkscreen such as changing of fonts and thickening of fine lines. For more information, please contact tech support at tech@protocase.com.

Images such as company logos must be provided electronically. Faxed images will not provide sharp enough resolution for our process to replicate. If text-only screening is required, simply provide information´s such as font type, font size, font color etc by fax or e-mail. Our tech support team will be happy to produce the required text-only screens.

Silk screening samples

Click on any of the images to see an enlarged view of the enclosure.

Stocked Silk Screening colors

Below are the stocked silk screen colors we have. Protocase can provide custom silk screen colors upon request. Note: The color representations below may deviate from the actual color due to variations in browser software, video cards, and monitors

White	Lemon yellow	Pantone 123C yellow	Pantone 142C yellow	Cool Grey 6C
Brilliant orange	Red	Pantone 649C Blue	Pantone process blue C	Reflex blue
Pantone 355C	Purple	Black

Conventional Fasteners

Protocase stocks a wide variety of conventional fasteners, and if we don't stock it, we have access to just about any common fastener on a quick-delivery. The most commonly used items are machine screws and hex nuts, which are listed in the table below Self-tapping screws vs. machine screw / self-clinching nut combination In certain situations, a designer has the option of using either A) a combination of self clinching nut and machine screw, or B) a self-tapping screw, as shown in the diagram. We highly recommend option (A), for the following reasons:

• Self tapping screws are subject to stripping
• They interfere with finishes, breaking through powdercoating, and creating potential corrosion problems.
• Inconsistent removal torque --- they can lock in place, and be extremely difficult to remove.

The self tapping screw option is slightly less expensive, but the disadvantages far outweigh the slight savings for most applications. Thus the only place we would ever recommend Option (B) is when searching for cost-engineering solutions on volume orders.

 

Most Commonly Used Fasteners

Thread Size	length	Style	Finish
2-56	¼”	phillips pan head	zinc, black oxide, stainless
2-56	¼”	phillips flat head (82° & 100°)	zinc, black oxide, stainless
2-56	-	hex nut	zinc, stainless
4-40	¼”, 3/8”	phillips pan head	zinc, black oxide, stainless
4-40	¼”	phillips flat head (82° & 100°)	zinc, black oxide, stainless
4-40	-	hex nut	zinc, stainless
6-32	¼”, 3/8”	phillips pan head	zinc, black oxide, stainless
6-32	¼”, 3/8”	phillips flat head (82° & 100°)	zinc, black oxide, stainless
6-32	-	hex nut	zinc, black oxide, stainless
8-32	3/8”	phillips pan head	zinc, black oxide, stainless
8-32	3/8”	phillips flat head (82°)	zinc, black oxide, stainless
8-32	-	hex nut	zinc, black oxide, stainless
10-24	3/8”	phillips pan head	zinc
10-24	3/8”	phillips flat head (82°)	zinc
10-24	-	hex nut	zinc
10-32	3/8”	phillips pan head	zinc, stainless
10-32	3/8”	phillips flat head (82°)	zinc, stainless
10-32	-	hex nut	zinc, stainless
M3	6mm	phillips pan head	black oxide, stainless
M3	6mm	phillips flat head (90°)	stainless
M3	-	hex nut	zinc, stainless
M4	6mm	phillips pan head	black oxide, stainless
M4	6mm	phillips flat head (90°)	stainless
M4	-	hex nut	zinc, stainless
M5	10mm	phillips pan head	zinc
M5	10mm	phillips flat head (90°)	Stainless
M5	-	hex nut	zinc

The fasteners we use to assemble the enclosures are Machine Screws. We have a variety of sizes and finishes available - pdf.

Self Clinching Fasteners

Self-Clinching fasteners are threaded nuts, studs, or standoffs that are mechanically pressed into sheet metal to provide solid fastening points. Nuts can be used to accept bolts, standoffs can be inserted for mounting circuit boards and studs can be used for mounting connectors.

They are sometimes referred to by the most common brand, called ´PEMS ®´, which is a trademark of Penn Engineering & Manufacturing Corp (http://www.pemnet.com). They are a very useful item and solve a lot of component mounting problems.

 

Stand Offs - Sizes Stocked Thru Hole 4-40 x 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16" 6-32 x 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16" 8-32 x 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 10-32 x 1/2" M3 x 3mm, 4mm, 6mm, 8mm, 14mm M4 x 6mm, 12mm M5 x 12mm Blind 4-40 x 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16", 5/8", 11/16", 3/4" 6-32 x 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16", 1" 8-32 x 5/16", 1/2" 10-32 x 3/8", 5/8"

Nuts - Size Stocked 2-56, 4-40, 6-32, 8-32, 10-32, 10-24, 1/4-20 M3, M4, M5, M6

Studs - Size Stocked 2-56 x 1/4", 1/2" 4-40 x 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", 3/4" 6-32 x 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", 3/4" 8-32 x 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", 3/4" 10-32 x 3/8", 1/2" 10-24 x 3/8", 1/2" 1/4-20 x 1/2", 1" M3 x 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm, 18mm M4 x 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm, 18mm M5 x 12mm M6 x 12mm

Hardware

Protocase stocks a wide variety of hardware items that enhance the functionality of electronics enclosures. If we don't stock it, we can usually obtain just about any item that you may wish to utilize in your design. We've listed a few of the most common items below for your convenience. If you have questions regarding details or availability of hardware items, please email us at tech@protocase.com and we'll respond to you quickly.

Rubber Feet

Rubber feet help protect benchtops, increase friction to prevent slipping, deaden sound, and generally improve the feel of your enclosure. We have four common styles, small, medium, large, and taper. Choose by considering size, weight, and interior space. For normal enclosures, small feet are suitable for enclosures under 10", medium feet for enclosures under15", and large for enclosures greater than 15". We don't recommend taper feet unless there is no room to accommodate attachment studs and nuts required by small, medium or large feet.

Notes:

• Taper feet attach via adhesive (we generally ship them unattached, and you put them in place when you receive your enclosure. For proper adhesion, we recommend you only use them with non-textured powdercoat.
• Recommended Clearance holes:

Type	Stud	Clearance hole
Small	6-32	0.160" (4mm)
Medium	8-32	0.188" (4.75mm)
Large	10-32	0.210" (5.4mm)

 

 

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Handles

We have access to a wide variety of handles, but the small chrome, medium chrome, and large plastic handles shown on the right are the most common choices of our customers.

Handles are commonly used on rackmount enclosures (as per the table below), as well as any other miscellaneous application that calls for them.

Handle	Rackmount height	Clearance hole
Small	2U	0.160" (4mm)
Medium	3U, 4U	0.188" (4.75mm)
Large	5U and greater	0.210" (5.4mm)

To determine a mounting pattern for a handle, use the center-to-center distance shown on the drawing on the right, and the clearance hole recommendations shown in the table above.

 

 

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Drawer Slides

Drawer Slides are most commonly used with rackmounts when easy access is required. For this application, PEM nuts are mounted in the enclosure, and drawer slides fastened using pan head screws. Brackets are used to attach the slides to the rack. Drawer slides are versatile, and also solve a number of other problems where linear motion is required.

We commonly use two styles

Accuride 2907 Ultra-Thin Series

• The Narrowest, Full Ball Bearing Slide for 1U to 4U Chassis (fits standard width enclosures without modification)
• Thin side space .38" (9.6 mm)
• Low profile height 1.62" (41.1 mm)
• 115 lb. [52 kg] load capacity
• Two inches [50.8 mm] of over travel
• Available in even lengths12"-30" [305-762 mm]
• 2907 Series Data Sheet

Sizes we stock (brackets included)

• 2907-18 (Narrow Lock-Open Side-Mount Stl Drawer Slide Full Extension, 18" L, 20" L Travel, 115 lb/Pr)
• 2907-24 (Narrow Lock-Open Side-Mount Stl Drawer Slide Full Extension, 24" L, 26" L Travel, 110 lb/Pr)
• 2907-28 (Narrow Lock-Open Side-Mount Stl Drawer Slide Full Extension, 28" L, 30" L Travel, 110 lb/Pr)

Accuride 3307 Medium Duty Series

• 150 lb [68 kg] capacity
• 1" [25.4 mm] over travel
• .50" [12.7 mm] side space (enclosure must be modified to reduce width by 0.25" [6.35 mm] to accommodate)
• Available in even lengths12"-30" [305-762 mm]
• 3307 Series Data Sheet

Custom Cut-outs

Protocase provides custom cutouts to mount connectors, displays, switches, etc. There are very few limitations to the cutouts we can provide. For the most part, if you can draw it, we can provide it. Protocase offers clients the ability to be creative with ventilation cutouts and other cutouts such as company logo and name cutout.

Note: The color representations below may deviate from the actual color due to variations in browser software, video cards, and monitors

Cutout samples

Click on any of the images to see an enlarged view of the enclosure.

Powder Coating

The standard finish offered by Protocase is powder coating. This is widely recognized as the industry standard for painting metal, providing a high quality, highly durable finish. Protocase offers a variety of standard stocked colors and textures. There is no additional charge for using one of our standard stocked colors.

We can also provide fully custom colors for an additional fee (depends on the size and the quantity of the parts). Lead times for fully custom colors vary and may affect delivery. For more information please contact us.

Powder coat colors are identified by the RAL number. When specifying a fully custom powder coat colors please provide us with the RAL number. Click here for RAL color chart.

Stocked powder coat colors

Note: The color representations below may deviate from the actual color due to variations in browser software, video cards, and monitors.

White sandtex	Storm white (textured)	Almond (smooth semi gloss)	Beige wheat (wrinkle)
Aero yellow (smooth semigloss)	ANSI 70 (smooth semi gloss)	ANSI 61 (smooth semi gloss)	Retro (smooth semi gloss)
Graphite sandtex	Black (smooth semi gloss)	Black (smooth matte)	Black sandtex
RAL 6018 - Yellow Green	RAL 6002 - Leaf Green	RAL 6003 - Olive Green	RAL 5017 - Traffic Blue
RAL 5010 - Gentian Blue (Textured)	Fire red (smooth semi gloss)	RAL 3002 Carmine red	Safety Orange

Brushed Finish content

Spot Welding

Protocase provides spot welding as part of its 2-3 day manufacturing service. Spot welding is a fast and efficient method for permanently joining two pieces of sheet metal in one or more spots. It can be used to solve many fastening and assembly problems that are encountered when designing enclosures, at a relatively low cost. Unlike threaded fasteners, there is little trace of the joint. Some dimensional restrictions apply due to the geometry of the equipment as per diagram.

• compatible with all stock thicknesses of steel, stainless, galvanized, and Aluminum up to 0.051” (1.3mm)
• maximum throat: 15” (375mm)
• maximum height: 5” (125mm)

Seam Welding

Protocase provides TIG and MIG seam welding as a standard process. Seam welding is useful for making continuously joining sheet metal, such that they appear seamless. To seam weld, the pieces are clamped securely, welded, and then any excess metal is removed by grinding. The resultant continuously joined seams useful for eliminating EMI leakage or weatherproofing.

TIG vs MIG
MIG welding is faster (and therefore less expensive) than TIG welding. TIG welding is more controlled, and is used in situations where there is limited metal between a seam and cutout (MIG would be more likely to burn through in this situation), where distortion is likely, or where a neater weld is required.

On the negative side, seam welding is a time consuming, highly manual, craft-like process which makes it relatively expensive. It also creates heat that may distort the base material, and sometimes it is not possible to remove excess material (for example, on an inside corner). Our technical support personal can provide guidance on the use of seam welding.

The following materials may be seam welded:

• Steel, Stainless, and Galvanized (18 gauge or thicker)
• Aluminum (0.064" or thicker)