Excessive waste heat generated by equipment within a cabinet is the single most important factor effecting equipment performance, reliability and failure. As electronic and power components are designed into denser, smaller packages, it becomes increasingly important to consider how well how well the equipment dissipates heat. For example, a processor chip may be cooled using a heat sink (conduction) that includes a fan (forced convection).

 While many different attributes will affect an enclosure's performance, selecting the correct enclosure material is a key element in ensuring a long enclosure life. The following tips will assist in your determining the correct enclosure material for the application at hand.