Medical Equipment OEMs Rely on Bud for Customized Electronics Enclosures

CLEVELAND, Ohio—October 11, 2010—Bud Industries, Inc., a leading manufacturer of electronics enclosures, announces customized and off-the-shelf solutions for OEMs and users of electronic medical equipment. “While our standard off-the-shelf products can satisfy many medical electronics applications, we work closely with OEMs to create unique solutions for specialized equipment needs”, said Blair Haas, president of Bud Industries.

Bud offers a complete range of electronics enclosures including cabinet racks, NEMA boxes, plastic enclosures, server racks, and other rack equipment to meet the special requirements of medical electronics applications. This includes enclosures made of stainless steel, plastic, aluminum, and powder-coated metals resistant to most common chemicals used by the medical industry, which can be supplied as waterproof enclosures suitable for sanitary washdowns. There are many examples of Bud’s electronics enclosures in medical applications.

One of Bud’s recent innovations was a customized cabinet rack for heavy medical equipment that slides out of its enclosure on a drawer. Working with the customer’s engineering teams in both North American and Europe, Bud helped design a pulley system that counter balances the weight of the machine on the drawer. The Bud rack design includes sliding doors, ventilation, and a form factor that allows its use in a uniquely shaped enclosure that stands out in a hospital environment.

Another Bud design is a sturdy cabinet rack to support the heavy weight of the power supply for an MRI imaging machine. This design includes provisions for cooling airflow, and easy maneuverability on housing casters.

Bud manufactures a molded aluminum enclosure for an OEM that supplies a special lighting system to help treat jaundice in newborns and pediatric patients. Bud’s custom aluminum enclosure is supplied with cutouts so it is ready for installation of the lights and electronic controls. Because of the stringent requirements of a hospital environment, the box includes seals and a durable powder-coat finish to withstand washdowns.

Enclosures for medical electronics used in institutional, geriatric, and paraplegic applications are also supplied by Bud. One of these is the control box for a company making institutional bathing systems for hospitals, rehab facilities, and homes for the elderly. The customer’s bathtub-like creations are wheelchair accessible, with the controls in a Bud NBD Series plastic NEMA box. The box has a sealed hinged lid, making it a waterproof enclosure. Another control box supplied by Bud is used on motorized wheelchairs. This heavy-duty die cast (AN Series) aluminum enclosure has custom-drilled holes for the control wiring and is watertight.

Bud’s SNB Series stainless steel enclosures are used to house the electronics in many other medical applications. Constructed of 16-gauge 304 stainless steel, these boxes are ideal for applications where sturdy construction, security, and a seal against moisture are required. The hinged covers clamp to their base with a keyed quarter-turn latch that requires a non-traditional key for added security. External brackets allow easy installation on a panel board or conversion to a wall mounted box, which does not require removal of the cover and exposure of internal components. They meet the watertight specification of a NEMA 4X enclosure. Again, custom cutouts and surface treatments are available. When painted, stainless steel boxes won’t corrode even if they get scratched. Unpainted, they permit the use of a wide range of chemicals to clean and sterilize the enclosure.

These are among the more than 2,500 products that Bud offers, with most off-the-shelf electronic enclosures and cabinet racks available for same-day shipment. The company also offers direct design support and an Enclosure Design Tips Handbook for creating optimal design and engineering solutions.