Process Instruments (Pi) is a global supplier, providing water analyser instrument solutions since 1998. Pi has a growing reputation for innovation with customers in over 50 countries, across 6 continents.

When they made the decision to develop their own enclosure for their sophisticated water sensing technology, they spoke with a variety of design agencies, before appointing 4D Products on the strength of their prior experiences in bespoke enclosure design.

The design brief was quite challenging. Pi required an IP65 enclosure that would be useable in a wide range of different settings, with different mounting methods, and the ability to be mounted side by side to expand the product range.

4D initially researched existing products within the market, then undertook a phase of conceptual design, creating high quality visuals for the client to review.

When a preferred design had been selected, the design team moved into 3D CAD to develop the enclosure detail. Internal components were identified and included, so we knew that the final assembled product would be compact and easy to assemble.

4D supplied prototypes for test. In this instance we used CNC machined ABS parts, so the prototype material properties were as close to the manufactured product as possible. This was important as we had to ascertain whether the enclosure was rigid enough to seal against water ingress to meet the IP65 enclosure design aspect of the design specification.

With the design approved, we then approached a range of potential manufacturers, in the UK and Far East. After careful consideration, a UK tool maker and injection moulder was appointed. As the IP65 enclosure is to be manufactured at medium production volumes, high specification aluminium tooling was selected, as it provided a good balance between tool life and initial cost.

The new IP65 enclosure has been in manufacture since early 2015. Feedback has been extremely positive. To learn more about Process Instruments, please visit their website – http://www.processinstruments.co.uk/