What is NEMA?
The National Electrical Manufacturer Association (NEMA) sets technical standards and guidelines for the manufacture of safe electrical products, including enclosures. NEMA’s standard rating system defines the types of environments in which an electrical enclosure can be used and the enclosures’ ability to maintain effectiveness in said environments.
NEMA standards benefit both the manufacturer and the user by:
- Improving safety
- Improving economics
- Improving communication between manufacturer and purchaser
- Assisting purchaser in selecting and obtaining the proper product for a particular need
What are NEMA ratings?
While NEMA sets standards for a broad range of electrical products, the term “NEMA ratings” is commonly used to refer to a specific standard for electrical enclosures. NEMA standard ICS 6 categorizes enclosure types according to their ability to protect against damage due to substances such as water, dust and corrosive chemicals. A new review of these standards is published every five years.
How are enclosures certified under the NEMA rating system?
NEMA does not test products. Manufacturer’s compliance with the NEMA standards is entirely voluntary. Should they wish to adhere to the standards, manufacturers test their own products according to the enclosure standards defined and published by NEMA.
NEMA Enclosure Types
Adalet’s products are suitable for NEMA Type 1 through NEMA Type 13 applications. The following tables show comparisons of specific applications of NEMA enclosures for indoor and outdoor nonhazardous locations.
Comparison of Specific Applications of Enclosures for Indoor Nonhazardous Locations*
| Provides a Degree of Protection Against the Following Conditions | Type of Enclosure | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 4X | 5 | 6 | 6P | 12 | 12K | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Access to hazardous parts Ingress of solid foreign objects - falling dirt Ingress of water - dripping, light splashing | X X | X X X | X X X | X X X | X X X | X X X | X X X | X X X | X X X | X X X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ingress of solid foreign objects - circulating dust, lint, fibers, flyings Ingress of solid foreign objects - settling dust, lint, fibers, flyings Ingress of water - hose down, splashing water | X X X | X X X | X | X X X | X X X | X X | X X | X X | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Oil and coolant seepage Oil or coolant spraying and splashing Corrosive agents | X | X | X | X | X X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ingress of water - occassional temporary submersion Ingress of water - occasional prolonged submersion | X | X X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
*Chart adapted from www.nema.org
Comparison of Specific Applications of Enclosures for Outdoor Nonhazardous Locations*
| Provides a Degree of Protection Against the Following Conditions | Type of Enclosure | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 3X | 3R | 3RX | 3S | 3SX | 4 | 4X | 6 | 6P | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Access to hazardous parts Ingress of solid foreign objects - windblown dust, lint, fibers, flyings Ingress of water - rain, snow, sleet | X X X | X X X | X X | X X | X X X | X X X | X X X | X X X | X X X | X X X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ingress of water - hose down | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Corrosive agents | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ingress of water - occasional temporary submersion Ingress of water - occasional prolonged submersion | X | X X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
*Chart adapted from www.nema.org
NEMA enclosures are also rated for hazardous locations. When properly installed and maintained,
- Type 7 and 10 enclosures are designed to contain an internal explosion without causing an external hazard.
- Type 8 enclosures are designed to prevent combustion through the use of oil-immersed equipment.
- Type 9 enclosures are designed to prevent the ignition of combustible dust.
Contact us today for more information regarding NEMA enclosures or for help answering questions such as “How do I choose the right enclosure?” or “What NEMA rating do I need?”