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AESTECHNO
Enclosures · Integration · IP65/IP67

Product integration mechanics — from enclosure to production-ready assembly.

Electronics live inside an enclosure. When that enclosure is poorly designed, the board overheats, water gets in, or the operator spends three minutes fitting a stubborn connector. We design the integration mechanics in parallel with the electronics — not after.

Regulatory frameworks
  • IP65 / IP67 / IP68
  • IK08 / IK10
  • ISO 9001
  • RoHS 3
  • REACH

An enclosure isn't packaging — it's a functional component

An industrial enclosure has to handle, simultaneously: thermal dissipation (the board must stay below its max temperature), sealing (depending on outdoor or hostile use), EMC (ground continuity, shielding), ease of assembly (an operator must be able to assemble the product in a few minutes), maintenance (access to adjustment points and fuses).

We design the enclosure at the same time as the electronic board, not afterwards. This avoids the classic situation where the board works but doesn't fit the off-the-shelf enclosure, or doesn't dissipate heat properly.

IP sealing — IP65 isn't always enough

The IP rating is widely misunderstood. IP65 (water-jet sealed) covers everyday outdoor use (façade-mounted IoT sensors). IP67 (temporary immersion 1 m / 30 min) is required for products that may fall into water (marine equipment, industrial outdoor). IP68 (continuous immersion under manufacturer-stated conditions) covers underwater products.

Reaching real sealing demands the right gasket assembly, cable-appropriate glands, pressure-equalizing membranes (Gore-Tex), and pre-series testing in a climatic chamber. Our approach: real IP testing before validation, not blind trust in the gasket datasheet.

Thermal dissipation — not an afterthought

A board dissipating 5 W in a sealed enclosure can hit 80°C in less than 10 minutes. If the board contains an MPSoC that throttles at 85°C, the product slows down as soon as it heats up — and after-sales returns explode.

We tackle thermals with simulation (basic CFD on Solidworks Flow) and measurement (thermocouples on prototype, IR camera). Solutions range from a copper-pour thermal drain to an enclosure-integrated heatsink, through to forced ventilation (rare in industrial use because of noise and dirty-air intake).

Series tooling — preparing manufacturing from prototype

An injection-moulded enclosure needs a mould. A mould costs €8k to €60k depending on complexity, with a 6 to 12 week lead time. Modifying a mould after launch costs nearly as much as making a new one.

We deliver mould-ready manufacturing files at series transition, accompanied by assembly jigs and an industrialization dossier for the factory. This avoids costly back-and-forth between design and manufacturing. For very small runs (<500 units), we also propose folded sheet metal or 3D-printed SLS solutions that bypass mould investment.

Frequently asked questions

FAQ

Plastic or aluminium?

Injection-moulded plastic for volumes >1,000 units/year, benign environments, and where unit cost dominates. Cast aluminium or folded sheet metal for harsh environments (vibration, temperatures >85°C, critical EMC shielding), low volumes (<500/year, where plastic mould investment isn't amortised), or strong mechanical constraints.

Do you work with external industrial designers?

Yes. Our scope is functional integration mechanics (sealing, thermal, assembly, manufacturing). For consumer industrial design (form, ergonomics, finish), we collaborate with designers who deliver the outer surfaces; we integrate their constraints into our internal design.

Can you take over an existing mechanical design that needs fixing?

Yes — typically when a deployed product shows recurring thermal, sealing or after-sales issues. We diagnose (field measurements, after-sales return analysis), propose a fix (minor mould modification, added internal element, improved gasket), and support the industrialization of the fix.

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