Electricity + Control November 2019

COVER ARTICLE

SA’s most advanced range of industrial enclosures

FEATURES: · Drives,motors+ switchgear · Energymanagement+ environmental engineering · Industry 4.0+ Industrial Internet of Things · Plantmaintenance, test+measurement · Temperaturemeasurement+ instrumentation

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I t is a bold claim indeed to say that a South African manufacturer has the most advanced range of industrial enclosures in the world. While there is no enclosure World Cup for the players to square off and prove such claims, there are some features built into the DNA of this nation’s only home-grown range of enclosures that would arguably make it worthy of holding up such a trophy if it existed. Not steel The majority of electrical enclosures used in South Africa are coated mild steel. Standard off-the-shelf sizes used to be locally manufactured but the tide of low-cost imported steel products has almost completely displaced local steel manufacture in this sector. The probability that there is any local content in the boxes that are bought from stock from any electrical wholesaler in South Africa is close to zero. Allbrox enclosures are not made from steel. Allbro compounds a special version of glass reinforced polyester (GRP) known as SMC (sheet moulding compound). This is a well-known composite material that is used in the manufacture of critical structural parts for jet skis, manhole covers, truck body parts, car parts and many consumer products that require durability greater than that steel can provide. SMC enclosures have historically been about three times more expensive than steel enclosures. Allbro has changed the price position of SMC enclosures. Local mould manufacture, local raw material sourcing and compounding, local labour and local energy costs, when combined, make Allbrox the only SMC composite enclosure that can compete with cheap steel imports on price. It goes without saying that the benefits of using SMC over steel are profound when end users are able to justify paying three times more for the benefits that SMC provides. In most applications, however, the vast price difference has been the driving force for accepting and standardising on

inferior steel enclosures. Such compromise is no longer required for end users and equipment manufacturers in South Africa. The vastly superior SMC technology is now generally cheaper than steel. Allbrox is without question the most durable SMC enclosure available worldwide. A unique coating process allows the enclosure to withstand decades of the harshest weather conditions. It is important to remember that the material underneath the coating is also able to endure decades of abuse from the elements. There is no enclosure in the world that will last as long as Allbrox. Over the last five years the range has grown to include 19 part numbers covering a broad range of sizes. Industry in South Africa is rapidly recognising the benefits of this home-grown solution and more and more specifications are being changed to support the introduction of Allbrox as a plant standard. The local support base for this breakthrough is a fundamental aspect for the success of the product range on a competitive world stage.

For more information contact Allbro. Tel: +27 (0)11 894 8341, email: new@allbro.com, or visit: www.allbro.com

Electricity + Control

NOVEMBER 2019

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