
Housing material
The right material for every housing material
Common injection moulding materials for plastic housings are ABS, polycarbonate, and polyamide.
The choice of material depends, among other things, on the application and the application of the housing.
Will the housing be used indoors or outdoors?
Does it need EMC shielding?
Does the material have to be resistant to chemicals?
These are just some of the questions that should be answered when choosing the appropriate material.
Our experienced engineers will use their know-how to support you.
Our materials for housing
Aluminium is robust and heat dissipating
Due to its robustness, aluminium is not only suitable for indoor applications, but can also be used outdoors. Aluminium is unbreakable and can easily withstand weather conditions such as sun, wind, heat and cold through surface treatments such as passivation and painting. For electronics, the good heat dissipation and EMC shielding of aluminium can be beneficial.
Plastic is lightweight and versatile
Plastic is the most common material for housing injection-moulded parts. It is lightweight and does not require subsequent surface treatment. However, it is important to know the exact conditions of use and to define the appropriate plastic material for this purpose. What chemicals must the housing be resistant to? What flame resistance and impact resistance should the housing have? The plastic materials ABS, polycarbonate and polyamide are widely used.
If the housing is to be used outdoors, we recommend material that has passed a test in accordance with standard UL746C “Polymeric materials, use in electrical equipment”. Artificial weathering is performed as part of this material testing:
- 1. 1,000 hours under xenon arc weathering
- 2. Seven-day water immersion test at 70 degrees celsius
Plastic becomes brittle or cracks due to the weather conditions in outdoor use and thus leaks, which can damage the sensitive electronics. This in turn can lead to expensive repair costs.
Stainless steel – Durable and robust
Stainless steel has become indispensable in many industries. In process technology and food industry, hygiene is paramount and stainless steel is easy to clean and disinfect due to its resistance to chemicals and cleaning agents.
But, stainless steel housings are also used in harsh environments such as railroad technology or the energy sector.
Common alloys we use are 1.4301/304 (V2A) and 1.4404/316L (V4A).
What customers say about us
Phoenix Mecano Komponenten AG is an integral part of AIRICA's success story. With its broad spectrum of know-how in the field of plastic injection molding and cost-optimized assembly, Phoenix Mecano is a substantial extension in the value chain for AIRICA. Competences mixed with uncomplicated and trustful people make up Phoenix Mecano's DNA and we appreciate this very much.
Lukas Limacher, Co-Founder & CEO AIRICA AG
Phoenix Mecano supported our ideas and special requests and made the mass production and IoT sensor housing a top product. The overall solution was professional, on time and at a fair price.
Andreas Lehmann, Managing director, PortaNet AG
Reliable and competent partner for customised housing design and mass production of IoT sensor housings. Extremely competitive in terms of price. All our quality standards were met.
Dr. sc. ETH Schekeb Fateh, Strategic Business Development, Miromico AG
For over 20 years, Phoenix Mecano has been our strategic supplier for innovative housings of outstanding quality. With the final selection of the IoT housing, we were able to package our PCB in a cost-conscious way.
Daniel Roth, PI Electronics AG
Success Stories
IoT Button Injection Molding
Development and production of a housing for an IoT button using plastic injection moulding. From design, electronics assembly to delivery in the final packaging.
Mail order pen
A LoRaWANⓇ-based smart button in plastic injection molding. Electronic developed by Miromico together with Swiss Post, with an optical identification code (OID codes).
Housing plastic injection
Sensor electronics and LED built into a compact injection-molded plastic housing with translucent plastic front. Control in an extruded aluminium profile.