When Should You Consider Aluminum Process Enclosures?

In industrial and warehouse environments, there are many “accidents waiting to happen” that are difficult to predict. Even after considering every possible manifestation of Murphy’s Law, there are still going to be unforeseeable events that can occur. That’s where custom aluminum enclosures from FlexMation start to make a lot of sense.

These enclosures are specifically designed to act as guards against unpredictable events. In fact, a well-designed enclosure can protect your product, your process, and your people.

What Exactly are Aluminum Process Enclosures?

Process enclosures are designed to contain and control a variety of processes. They can be used to prevent contamination in a testing station or to confine machine, robotic, or laser processes. At FlexMation, our aluminum enclosures are custom-designed to suit any need, with shapes, sizes, and configurations that can be tailored to fit specific requirements.

A few of the most common uses for aluminum process enclosures include:

• Pressure Testing
• Web Handling
• Lasers and Robotics
• Testing Enclosures
• Acoustic Quieting and Noise Mitigation
• Enclosures for Buffer and Grinder Equipment

What Does Guarded Mean in Warehouse and Industrial Applications?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does a good job of defining these events in section 1917.151 of their standards, and how different guarding mechanisms can prevent them. Guarded, according to OSHA, means “shielded, fenced, or enclosed by covers, casings, shields, troughs, spillways or railings, or guarded by position or location.”

Guarding methods provided by OSHA include:

• Point of Operation Guarding – Using two-hand tripping devices, barrier guards, and other devices); and
• Guarding by Location – Dealing with hazards so that they cannot be accessed by employees

Put simply, aluminum enclosures are used do one of two things: they either keep hazards contained within an enclosure from getting out, or they keep a hazardous material located outside the enclosure from getting inside.

What Items and Processes Should You Consider Guarding?

There are many hazards that need to be guarded against, and there are various mechanisms for guarding against them. To keep things simple, let’s focus on hazards that can be best addressed using aluminum enclosures.

To start, it’s important to guard machines, equipment, and processes with a wide hazard radius inside an enclosure. However, in the case of exceptionally large equipment or processes, it might be more practical to keep them outside the enclosure and protect the operator instead.

In situations where the machinery can move while in operation, it should be securely fastened to prevent it from shifting. Our aluminum enclosures come with some special panels and attachments that can help prevent any such shifting.

You should know that when a worker can easily reach around, over, under, or through a guard or enclosure, and there is a potential for severe injury, OSHA does not consider the machine or process adequately guarded.

Practical Advantages of Aluminum Process Enclosures from FlexMation

FlexMation’s aluminum enclosures are strong, light, and corrosion-resistant because they are made primarily with aluminum. These enclosures are built out of precisely measured extruded aluminum profiles that make them easy to assemble. If you ever need to change the layout of the structure down the road, you can reuse the components in a different configuration.

Our selection of aluminum enclosures is vast and designed to meet your needs. Some examples include:

• Small and Large Aluminum Enclosures for Product Testing and Modular Offices
• Standalone Aluminum Enclosures for Workstations
• Tabletop Aluminum Enclosures
• Much More

The Premier Choice for Custom Aluminum Enclosures

At FlexMation, we’re passionate about protecting your people, products, and processes with custom aluminum enclosures. And when your most valuable players and products are protected, you benefit from enhanced efficiency and overall productivity.

We know that aluminum enclosures often need to be tailored to a specific product or process. That’s why we collaborate closely with you to create a unique concept or build upon your existing designs. With our team’s extensive expertise, we ensure that your custom aluminum process enclosures are brought to life with the utmost precision and accuracy. That’s the FlexMation difference.