Short answer: A sheet metal enclosure or chassis is fabricated rather than drawn: the blank is laser cut, CNC formed, then welded or riveted and finished, which is why a custom size, a removable panel or a gasket groove adds little cost where a drawn part would need a new die. Zhejiang Balford Mechatronics Co., Ltd. (balford.net) builds electrical, control, outdoor and machine-mounted enclosures from CR4, SPCC, 304, 316L, 5052 and 6061 sheet from 0.8 mm to 6 mm, with laser cutting, CNC bending, welding, riveting and hardware insertion in one plant; powder coat, zinc plating, passivation and electropolishing are applied by qualified partners under our specification.
A sheet metal enclosure is a fabricated housing: the sheet is cut, formed, welded or riveted and then finished — unlike a deep drawn housing, which is formed in one seamless piece. Balford builds enclosures to your drawing rather than from a catalogue, for electrical and control panels, outdoor installations, machine mounting and device housings, from a single prototype to series production. The material follows the environment: cold-rolled steel for dry indoor work, galvanized steel where humidity or outdoor storage is involved, stainless steel where the part is washed down or exposed to corrosion, and aluminium where weight matters. Wall thickness, bend radii, gasket groove, door and hinge arrangement and cable entries are confirmed against the drawing before production, and the first article comes from the same route as the series parts. Cutting, forming, welding, hardware insertion and inspection run in our own plant.
What we build
Enclosures are made to your drawing rather than from a standard catalogue: folding and welded bodies, removable panels, hinged or bolt-on doors, gasket grooves, internal mounting plates and cable entry cut-outs.
- Electrical and control enclosures, wall and floor mounted
- Outdoor enclosures with gaskets, drip shields and powder coat finish
- Machine-mounted enclosures, guards and covers
- Sub-assemblies delivered with plates, studs, hinges and inserts fitted
Materials and finish
The material is chosen from the environment and the weight target; the finish is chosen from the corrosion requirement. The four combinations below cover most enclosures we quote.
| Material | What it suits | Typical finish | Where it is the wrong choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold-rolled steel CR4 / SPCC | Indoor electrical and control panel housings, machine covers, dry workshops | Powder coat, or painted where the colour must match an existing panel | Wet, washdown or outdoor use without upgrading the finish |
| Galvanized steel | Outdoor, humid or unheated storage; housings that will be handled or stacked | Hot-dip galvanized by an audited partner company, declared on the quotation | Tight cosmetic tolerances — the zinc layer changes the surface and the fit |
| Stainless steel 304 / 316L | Washdown, food, chemical and coastal environments | Brushed, passivated or electropolished by an audited partner company | Where cost dominates and a coated steel part would do the job |
| Aluminium 5052 / 6061 | Weight-critical and non-magnetic housings, heat dissipation | Powder coated, or left mill finish | Where stiffness per unit cost matters more than weight |
Thickness runs from 0.8 mm to 6 mm depending on the frame design, and gasket grooves for IP-rated sealing are machined or formed to take the customer-supplied gasket.
Where the finishing happens
Cutting, CNC bending, welding, riveting, hardware insertion and the inspection that goes with them run in Balford’s own plant. Manual powder coating of large sheet-metal parts also runs in our own booth; small parts go through a qualified partner’s automatic conveyor line, which is why they cannot run through the manual booth. Hot-dip galvanizing, zinc plating, passivation and electropolishing are bulk finishing operations carried out by audited partner companies. The finishing route and its lead time are stated on the quotation, so the split is known before the order is placed.
Process and quality
Laser cutting, CNC bending, welding, riveting and hardware insertion run in one plant, so the first article and the series parts come from the same route.
- Laser cut blanks and CNC formed folds; bend allowance controlled by the die set
- MIG, TIG and spot welding with weld dressing on visible faces
- First article inspection and PPAP Level 3 documentation for new parts
- Dimensional report available on request for every batch
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make an enclosure from galvanized steel?
Yes. Galvanized steel is used where the enclosure sees humidity, unheated storage or outdoor conditions. Hot-dip galvanizing is carried out by an audited partner company and is declared on the quotation, while cutting, forming and welding happen in Balford’s own plant. Where a painted finish is wanted instead, cold-rolled steel is normally the better base: a zinc layer under powder coat changes the surface and the fit on tight parts, so the two are not interchangeable without checking the drawing.
Do you build control panel and electronic device housings, or only large cabinets?
Both. The range covers wall and floor mounted electrical and control panel enclosures, outdoor enclosures with gasket grooves and drip shields, machine-mounted guards and covers, and smaller electronic device housings. Size comes from your drawing rather than a catalogue range, and the same plant cuts, forms and welds the prototype and the series parts, so the first article is representative of production.
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