Protection, ease of use and manufacturability
Developing and producing a custom plastic enclosure
A plastic enclosure protects your product and partly determines how it is used, mounted and maintained. PEZY develops bespoke enclosures for electronics, machinery, industrial equipment and consumer products. From material selection and injection moulding design to prototyping and validation: we connect technical requirements with manufacturability.
Plastic enclosures for a range of applications
What an enclosure must do depends on the product and its environment. We translate the intended use into requirements for protection, mounting, appearance and maintenance. The Pilot Factory supports rapid feedback between design and practice.
Electronics and control
PCBs, connectors and modules require appropriate mounting, cable glands and protection. We integrate bosses, screw fixings or snap-fit systems and tailor ventilation to the thermal management. For EMC additional shielding may be necessary: ordinary plastics do not provide this by default. Think controllers, power supplies, embedded systems and IoT devices.
Machinery and industrial
For industrial enclosures we consider vibration, shocks, moisture, chemicals and temperature. Material and construction, such as ribs or reinforced plastics, are chosen based on the load. Mounting, maintenance access and machine integration are addressed for control cabinets, instrument panels and drive systems.
Consumer products
Shape, texture, colour and finish influence both appearance and usability. We combine ergonomics, buttons, battery compartments and assembly with functional requirements. This is relevant for wearables, domestic electronics and accessories.
Sensors, measurement and hygiene
Sensor housings require precise positioning and minimisation of unwanted interference. For laboratory, detection and hygiene applications, cleanability, chemical resistance and an appropriate degree of protection are important. Requirements for medical adjunct devices are determined per application.
Which plastic is right for your enclosure?
We assess the specific material quality against load, environment, manufacturing and appearance. Properties vary by grade, additives and processing conditions. A material name alone is therefore insufficient to determine suitability.
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ABS: balance of stiffness and finish
ABS is widely used for electronic and consumer enclosures because of its combination of impact resistance, stiffness and surface quality. Painting and texturing are possible. We check chemical and UV resistance against the actual exposure, as they are not adequate for every application.
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PC: impact resistance and transparency
Polycarbonate can be appropriate when high impact resistance or a transparent window is required. For outdoor use we select a UV-stabilised grade where necessary. Temperature, cleaning agents and stress within the part are considered in the assessment.
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PP: low weight and chemical resistance
Polypropylene has a low density and can be suitable in wet conditions, with certain chemicals and for repeated flexing. We evaluate the chosen grade against the conditions. A single-material design can simplify material separation and recycling.
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PA: mechanically loaded applications
Polyamide can be used for wear, higher temperatures and mechanical loading. Glass-fibre reinforcement can increase stiffness. We account for moisture uptake and its effect on dimensions and properties in the design.
Functional details that make the difference
A good enclosure is more than an external shape. We combine protection, heat dissipation, mounting and appearance into a construction that fits the production process.
Stiffness and strength
Rib structures and a targeted distribution of material help to stiffen the construction. We avoid unnecessarily thick sections and assess the implications for filling, cooling and distortion.
Water and dust protection
O‑rings, gaskets or overmoulding can support sealing. The required IP rating serves as the test objective for the complete construction, including seams and feed‑throughs.
EMC and thermal management
Conductive coatings, inserts or other shielding solutions may be needed for EMC. Ventilation and heat dissipation are evaluated together with the electronics.
Surface and circularity
Texture, paint or coating can add grip, protection and appearance. We weigh these against disassembly and recycling and investigate where a single‑material solution is possible.
From enclosure design to production
We work from requirements to a tested design, with the Pilot Factory acting as the link between engineering and the final production approach.
Why PEZY
A development partner for plastic enclosures
From Eindhoven, Groningen and Utrecht, multidisciplinary teams work on form, function and manufacturability. PEZY combines experience with complex plastics with concept development, prototyping and validation. Our in‑house Pilot Factory helps to test choices and feed improvements back into the design. This creates a well‑founded basis for an enclosure that can be manufactured appropriately.
3 locations
Design, engineering and production in close collaboration.
Pilot Factory
From the first model to small series, in‑house.
30+ years
Product innovation since 1995.
Great Place to Work
Recognised on the basis of feedback from our employees.
Discuss your plastic enclosure
Tell us what the enclosure needs to protect, how the product will be used and what quantities you expect. We advise on material, construction, validation and a suitable production route.
Contact
Send us a message
Frequently asked questions
A bespoke plastic enclosure is designed for a single specific product, rather than being a standard case from a catalogue. The shape, fixings, openings and material are tailored to the electronics, the operating environment and the manufacturing process. At PEZY we develop the enclosure together with the product, so that design, plastic engineering and assembly are aligned from the outset.
A standard enclosure is fine for a simple prototype or a small, non-critical application. Bespoke is better when the enclosure must provide sealing, heat dissipation, a specific form or a particular appearance, or when you plan to move to serial production later. For electronics, read more under development of electronic enclosures.
That depends on loads, temperature, chemicals, appearance and the production method. ABS is commonly used for enclosures with a neat finish. Polycarbonate (PC) suits high impact resistance or a transparent window. Polypropylene (PP) is light and resistant to many chemicals, and polyamide (PA) is chosen for mechanical load. Properties vary by grade, so we always validate material choice against the real application and also consider manufacturability via injection moulding.
An IP rating can be achieved with gaskets, O-rings or overmoulding, but it always applies to the complete assembly, including seams and cable entries. Ordinary plastic does not provide EMC shielding by itself. Conductive coatings or inserts may be required for that. We include these requirements in the design from the start. If your product contains a lot of electronics, also look at our approach to electronics engineering.
Yes. Through our Pilot Factory we can produce prototypes and small batches before you invest in production tooling. That way you can test fit, assembly and use, and avoid changes to an expensive mould. More about prototyping and rapid tooling and about producing small product series.
The main factors are design complexity, the chosen material, required surface finish, the number of units to be produced and demands such as sealing or EMC. For larger volumes the unit cost decreases, while the investment in a mould is higher. A good design for manufacturing also prevents costly adjustments; see our guide to Design for Manufacturing.
Yes. PEZY manages the whole process: from requirements and enclosure design, through engineering and prototyping, to validation and plastic production. Because design, engineering and production are with a single partner, you need to transfer less and manufacturability issues surface earlier. Would you like to discuss this for your product? Get in touch.