Design for Manufacturability Approach to Custom NEMA Enclosures: Case Study

The Challenge

When Midwest Metal Fabrications was approached by a UK-based company seeking an experienced metal fabrication company to develop custom NEMA enclosures, our team was intrigued by the opportunity to apply all aspects of knowledge and experience.

This company was currently importing NEMA enclosures to its state-side office as it did not possess the necessary fabrication capabilities or experience to manufacture these products on its own. By doing so, they were unable to routinely meet the demands of their customers due to the added cost and transit time entailed by the importing process.

Beyond this, the customer also faced the specific challenges of several design features and size requirements that made the custom NEMA enclosure exceptionally difficult to fabricate.  As other manufacturers solely focus on manufacturing standardized products, this customer was left seeking a reliable metal fabricator who was willing to take a design for manufacturability approach. In addition to the challenging design features and final finish quality, this custom NEMA enclosure required a large 5’ x 7’ x 1’ design that demanded the additional expertise.

The Solution

After receiving and reviewing the 3D models and associated assembly drawings provided by the customer, we were able to develop a comprehensive solution that addressed each of the challenges mentioned above. Upon review, we noticed that the drawings were drawn in a manner that did not consider manufacturability thereby adding processing time and cost. Using a design for manufacturability approach, we provided considerable changes that improved the manufacturing process and the final quality of the custom NEMA enclosure.

As mentioned earlier, the customer was also finding it difficult to achieve the desired exterior finish quality demanded by the end application. After making the improvements to the design documentation, Midwest Fabrications produced a uniform, durable, and attractive coating that met all necessary project specifications.

This custom NEMA enclosure, once in the hands of the experts at Midwest Fabrications, now exceeded expectations and quickly resolved a crucial pain point within their overall business structure.

Rather than dismissing the opportunity presented by the custom NEMA enclosure, Midwest Fabrications embraced the challenges and worked diligently to improve the design and apply all its premium metal fabricating and finishing capabilities. Ultimately delivering a custom product that met all quality benchmarks while still coming in ahead of schedule and under budget.

The Results

After working with the client through several design revisions to develop a comprehensive solution for the custom NEMA enclosure, the results were both immediate and significant. The client ultimately received a higher-quality finished product with an improved design that met their size, design, and finish specifications.

Additionally, thanks to the experienced operators and exhaustive services offered by Midwest Fabrications, the custom NEMA enclosure came in under their initial budget and at a significantly reduced lead time of approximately six weeks compared to the several-month-long waiting period offered by larger companies.

The design for manufacturability approach taken by Midwest Fabrications on this custom NEMA enclosure project helped to build a long-standing relationship with the customer and worked to support its standing as a premium metal fabricator. With a full catalog of metal fabrication and finishing capabilities, Midwest Fabrications is proud to produce anything that customers require, no matter the design challenges.

With a considerably faster turnaround time and more competitive prices than larger manufacturers, Midwest Fabrications can help improve the design and manufacturability of your custom NEMA enclosures. If you are interested in learning more about our capabilities and experience manufacturing NEMA enclosures, please contact a member of our team with more information so we can provide an estimated timeline and cost for your project.