Bud Server Racks Big Hit at BICSI Show

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Blair Haas

This week Bud returned to the BICSI show for the first time in a decade.  This show, an important vehicle for meeting with the data and data installer market,  marked Bud’s strong re-entry into the Server and Data Markets with our broad line of products that target this industry.  We were impressed with the caliber of attendees and how vibrant this market continues to be.

 

A big hit at the show was our SRP line of Server Racks.  One comment we heard often from the people at the show is that they are looking to speed the installation process.  Having the fan box and cable management brackets included and already installed was a huge advantage.  Also a big plus was the notches on the mounting rails and the number of the “u” height that made server installation much more rapid and avoided the counting of the holes.  In a previous blog, I highlighted the video for this product, but take a look again at the video.

Another big hit was our Emperor wall mount cabinet series.  These are perfect for those installations where floor space is at a premium or where for safety or security, there is a desire to get the units off the ground.  Similar to the SRP series in looks, they come with fans installed, a shelf, and  glass front doors.  Once again, the features speed the assembly process, cutting costs of installation.

Bottom line, not only are Bud’s server rack and cabinet products among the lowest cost in the industry, but they  further cut costs by having many features included and by providing a turn-key solution to rapid installation.

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Fiberglass Electronic Enclosures Broaden their Appeal

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Blair Haas

Although I have been involved with the electronic enclosure industry for nearly 40 years, I continue to be amazed at the variety of applications which require these enclosures.  The application space has expanded significantly since we introduced NEMA 4x Fiberglass Enclosures a few years ago.  These durable boxes are priced well below market, but provide industry leading protection.    They are more durable than polycarbonate boxes with less vulnerability to cracking when struck.   Some of the applications that we have seen recently include:

  1. In solid state lighting, the controls for the lighting need to be enclosed and often protected from outdoor or factory environments.  Numerous customers find that fiberglass provides a simple solution to long term exposure
  2. Fiber optic distribution, again in the lighting or energy fields
  3. In food services, we have customers that locate their controls in the fields or barns to track production where frequent hose down or weather situations require proper protection
  4. Climate controls and environmental tracking industries are also a unique niche that fiberglass enclosures effectively support.
  5. Solar Energy collection and conversion is a growing application for these electronic enclosures as they can withstand higher heat and yet are not conductive as one finds with metal enclosures.

The market for Fiberglass enclosures is broad and rapidly growing as pricing becomes more competitive.  With durable protection, limited conductivity, and hose down capabilities, they have much to offer.  Don’t forget that we can modify these boxes with cutouts, slots and other secondary operations to improve assembly time and truly provide a turn-key solution.

Posted in Electronic Enclosures, Fiberglass Enclosures, Modified electronic Enclosures, NEMA Box | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Videos Tell the Story

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Blair Haas

While a picture is said to be worth a thousand words, we have all learned that in today’s world, video is even more “valuable.”  From celebrity reputations that are made or damaged to either positive or negative police actions, the prevalence of video in our culture has changed the way we view and react to events.  In a business environment, video has become a simple but effective way to evaluate products or to learn about their benefits and features.  Bud Industries has a wide library of videos that provides a close look at many of their products and services in a way that a photograph cannot.  From a clear explanation of Bud’s custom electronic enclosure modification capabilities to detailed product reviews, the Bud video collection is a great tool for any engineer.  Our newest video highlights the incredible features of the SRP professional server rack series that has a low price, yet includes many accessories that other provide only at an extra cost.  From included fan boxes for heat management to cable management brackets, this is a turn key unit that will provide a data center with the best in design and protection.  Check out Bud’s entire video library at www.youtube.com/budind or find the videos throughout our product pages.

Posted in Electronic Enclosures, Modified electronic Enclosures, Server Rack | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Enclosures that Offer Great Value

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Blair Haas

When selecting an enclosure, often an engineer is focused on the aesthetics of the box, looking to the “shell” to help create an attractive device to promote in the market.  This is especially true in a consumer type product where marketing is as important as design features.  But there are many instances where all that is required is a strong enclosure to provide protection for the sensitive equipment inside.  For a smaller box, one of the most cost effective yet durable solutions is a die cast aluminum enclosure.  Die casting is a low cost operation that produces a product that provides a large level of protection from external damage, yet often comes with great features such as molded in pcb mounting slots and offsets.  The come in versions that include NEMA or watertight enclosure gasket or even protection against EMI/RFI.  While they are tough, they are relatively easy to modify for holes, cutouts or even powdered or silk screened.  Bud offers all of these versions plus options for welded or molded mounting brackets.  For many, it becomes important not to just look at the visuals, but to evaluate all of the electronic enclosure options to determine the best overall value to the project.

Posted in Die Cast Aluminum Enclosure, Electronic Enclosures, NEMA Box | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to Interpret NEMA Ratings

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Blair Haas

Perhaps one of the most confusing standards for an engineer to follow is NEMA ratings as it relates to enclosures.  It would be natural to consider that the higher the NEMA rating, the greater the protection.  This is definitely not the case.  It is also typical that one might assume that having a NEMA rating of any sort implies a high level of protection.  This is also not the case.  NEMA ratings are set up in a way to address a variety of concerns:  safety from moving parts, protection from dripping water, dripping oils, sprayed liquids, UV, corrosion, ice, and many more.  NEMA 1 ratings, for example, simply suggest that the product protects against contact with moving internal parts.  The ratings becomes confusing when you consider that NEMA 4 protects your product from sprayed water, ideal for wash-down or weather intensive locations.  NEMA 12 only protects against dust, falling dirt and dripping liquids so would be more appropriate in an environment where there may be less significant environmental factors, such as a factory which may not be a clean room.  NEMA 3 is weather resistant, with NEMA 3r protecting against icing as well.  The point is that you want to be sure you are receiving the level of protection you need without overpaying for too much.  For a complete listing of all of the relevant NEMA ratings for enclosures, Bud has a great tool, the Design Tips Handbook which you can download for free at http://www.budind.com/request_designtips.php .  Good luck with your design!

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Marketing and the Electronic Enclosure

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Blair Haas

This week, the famous Consumer Electronics Show is being held in Las Vegas.  It is a media savvy vehicle for bringing new products and technology to market.  As the various vendors and industry pundits’ work to impress us with what is new, I find myself thinking about some of the basics.  Over time, some of the most exciting advances have to do with packaging and how the product appears to the increasingly sophisticated consumer.  Take a look at ipods or flat screen televisions, and you see that how the components are packaged is often more important than the components themselves.  This brings us to the importance of the enclosure.

An increasing segment of Bud Industry’s market is customizing products to meet the unique design and marketing features of the customer.   In fact, one of the most significant changes in the selling of enclosures is the inclusion of marketing leadership in the design phase.  This is a great approach because we have seen that when marketing is involved near the end of the project, expensive changes can occur.  These can result from a desire to make the product more ergonomic to more in line with the company branding efforts.  For example, we did a prototype for a customer in one of our smaller plastic enclosures which perfectly suited their board mounting, display and connectivity needs.  On a later iteration, they decided that they needed the unit made out of a special color to match their company colors and to help distinguish them in the market.  Although the change itself was not complex, the alteration caused production delays as well as inconvenience for all involved.

The key is to work effectively by recognizing that the enclosure is actually a vital part of the marketing/branding effort.  With minor “tweeks”, that standard plastic box or other electronic enclosure becomes unique, allowing for the meshing of price, visual concerns, and product innovation.  The earlier this is accomplished, the more likely the success of the branding, the marketing, and perhaps the product launch at next year’s Consumer Show.

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3 Tips for Making your Electronic Enclosure Buy Simpler for 2012

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Blair Haas

As the year winds down, I often review what I have done this year and ramp up my plans for next year.  If you do that, high on your list has to be ways to streamline the supply chain, or at least speed it up.   To assist you in the process, at least as it comes to enclosures, we have 3 tips on how to make your job easier.

First, take a few minutes while things are slower here at year end to download the free Bud Enclosure Design Tips guide  http://www.budind.com/request_designtips.php .  This provides easy to understand explanations of all of the issues you might run into in specifying an enclosure.  The guidance ranges from materials to choose to ratings to accessories.    It will be the perfect reference guide and rapidly turn you into an enclosure expert and again, it is free and available for quick downloading.

Second, consider buying your enclosure from your favorite electronic component distributor.  More and more manufacturers of enclosures are going through distribution and the advantages for the designer and buyer are great.  Foremost, the products are typically in stock and can ship today.  Their pricing is often very competitive with buying direct from the manufacturer based on their volume buys.  Their sales team is trained to provide you with the best knowledge about how to choose the right enclosure and can often guide you to a more cost effective, stock solution.  While it may seem more convenient to buy direct, in reality it creates a supply chain glitch that can impact your total acquisition costs.

Finally, most enclosures need to be modified.  Whether for input, output, identification (screening), or even dimensionally, the manufacturer is the best place to have this done.  They are experts in the best torque to use on drilling, the impact of specific modifications on the various materials, and also will suggest cost saving options.  Further, if problems occur, the manufacturer is responsible for damaged products instead of you when you send it out to your local job shop or back room.  Finally, there are freight and freight damage savings when avoiding the costly multiple handling trips.

We hope that you have a great Christmas and look forward to continuing to chat with you in what we hope will be a very successful 2012.  If you have any questions or comments, we look forward to hearing from you.

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Electronic Enclosures Musings

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Blair Haas

This is the first real posting on the new Bud Industries Blog.  Why have I decided to start a blog?  Does the world really need one more?  I think it does and there are several good reasons why.  First, any good engineer focuses their energy on designing the components that go into the box, and frankly have limited time to learn the choices in enclosures.  I will chat about the best ways to select the perfect enclosure for any application.  For example, determining which NEMA rating is required for an application can be confusing, yet the right choice will save money and insure the integrity of the finished product.  Another question I will cover is the proper materials required for the enclosure.  Often, the designer is most comfortable with a material they have worked with before, but my posts will help them understand where alternatives may provide improved flexibility or functionality.  Our mission is to make specifying the least technical component, the enclosure, quick and easy.  So check back often, let me know if there are areas that you would like me to discuss, and I hope you enjoy the blog.

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Bud Industries’ NEMA box, PN-Series

Posted on December 13, 2011 by admin

In today’s competitive economy, every bit of time savings makes a difference. Our high-performance NEMA box, the PN-Series, has built-in mounting brackets on the back, so the user does not have to worry about specifying the correct mounting brackets accessories, which saves time by streamlining the ordering process. It also saves time by simplifying and speeding installation. One of Bud’s top selling product lines, this NEMA box has the features and quality that design engineers are looking for. The UL Listed box makes it meets multiple standards, including IP66 of IEC 529 and NEMA 1, 2, 4, 4x, 12, and 13 specifications. It has a screw-down cover, designed so the screws are outside the sealing area, preserving its NEMA  rating. Users can be sure that internal components are protected from moisture,  dust, corrosion and even factory washdowns. Another way this product saves time is through Bud’s huge inventory, of which 90% is available for same-day shipping.  Download the catalog at www.budind.com/request_catalog.php.

Posted in NEMA Box | Tagged , , | 2 Comments