Custom Plastic Enclosures, Covers & Fan Shrouds
Vacuum-formed enclosures, equipment covers and guard panels, shaped to your equipment and CNC-trimmed, in runs of dozens to hundreds.
- Covers, housings and shrouds
- Kydex, ABS and more
- 5-axis CNC trimming
- Made in Zanesville, Ohio
When a stock box won’t fit your equipment, a custom vacuum-formed enclosure or cover can. Shirley K’s forms housings and covers from ABS, Kydex and HMW-HDPE, and trims openings, edges and hole patterns on 5-axis CNC for your assembly.
Covers, housings and cases
Plastic enclosures, covers and shrouds
- Enclosures and housings for instruments, controls and equipment
- Equipment and machine covers, including plastic guard panels, equipment shrouds and access panels, formed to your drawing
- Under-the-hood fan shrouds in a durable glass-filled material, quoted to your drawing
- Custom instrument cases and case bottoms
Examples of our work
- Instrument case bottoms. Kydex case bottoms for a line of handheld radiation survey meters and for medical equipment enclosures.
- Packaging machine covers. We make all of the blue plastic covers on a paper-cushioning packaging machine.
- Medical and lab equipment parts. The molded Kydex base of a pediatric MRI coil stabilizer, and Kydex interior skins for a capillary electrophoresis DNA analyzer.
Kydex cases and housings
Kydex suits cases and housings that need durability and a quality finish. See Kydex thermoforming for more on the case bottoms and medical parts above and on choosing a grade.
Stock enclosure or formed housing
| Stock enclosure | Formed housing | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Fixed catalog sizes | Shaped to your equipment |
| Openings | Machined by you or the supplier | Trimmed on 5-axis CNC as part of the job |
| Tooling | No custom mold | A thermoforming tool, typically single-sided and less costly than an injection mold |
| Best fit | Standard electronics that fit a catalog size | Large or irregular housings, covers and shrouds, often economical at low to medium volumes |
Plastic housings for electrical and electronic equipment
We form plastic housings and covers for electrical and electronic equipment to your design. Ratings and certifications for the finished enclosure depend on your design and testing, so tell us what the enclosure must meet when you request a quote.
Materials for covers and housings
ABS is a common choice for covers and enclosures. We also form Kydex, acrylic and HMW-HDPE, and we help you choose the material that fits the environment the part will see. See thermoforming materials.
Why vacuum-formed covers instead of injection-molded
Thermoforming tooling is typically single-sided and less costly than an injection mold, and vacuum forming handles large parts well. That makes it a practical way to produce covers, shrouds and housings in quantities of dozens to hundreds. See thermoforming vs injection molding.
Fit, finish and assembly
5-axis CNC trimming creates the openings, edges and hole patterns that mate each part with your other components. We also offer assembly.
Start from a drawing, a part or your tool
Send a drawing or CAD model and we build the tool. If you only have the old part, we can reverse engineer a new tool from it. If your tool is at another thermoformer, it may be transferable. See tool transfer and service parts.
Common Questions About Custom Plastic Enclosures and Covers
How is a custom enclosure different from a stock plastic box?
Stock boxes come in fixed sizes and shapes. A custom vacuum-formed enclosure is shaped to your equipment, with openings, edges and hole patterns trimmed to match your design.
Do you make fan shrouds?
We quote fan shrouds for under-the-hood use in a durable glass-filled material. Send the drawing or the old shroud.
What quantities do you make?
Dozens to hundreds of parts per order is our specialty, and we run larger volumes too.
Can you add hardware or assemble the parts?
We offer assembly. Tell us what attaches to the part when you request a quote.
Do you make metal enclosures?
No. We form plastic parts only.
Send us the cover, housing or shroud
A drawing or a sample part is enough to quote the tool and the parts.
Call: (740) 868-8140 · Email: orders@shirleyks.com · 1150 Newark Road, Zanesville, OH 43701