Metal | steel surface-mounted electrical distribution boxes | enclosures

Steel surface-mounted distribution boards for modular circuit breakers, RCDs and other DIN-rail equipment – from 10 to 72 modules. Choose by module count and the IP rating your environment requires.

IP30 | IP31 →IP44 →IP54 →

Read more

Steel surface-mounted distribution boards – how to choose

A steel surface-mounted enclosure is fixed to the wall when the equipment cannot or should not be recessed into it: in production areas, garages, basements, technical rooms and outdoors. A steel housing is sturdier than plastic, more impact-resistant and copes better with higher temperatures inside the enclosure.

Quick selection by environment

Environment	Recommended IP	Where to look
Dry indoor room, apartment, office	IP30 / IP31	Enclosures IP30 \| IP31
Basement, warehouse, workshop	IP44	Enclosures IP44
Production area, garage, under a canopy	IP54	Enclosures IP54
Outdoors, washed or damp rooms	IP65 / IP66	Listed in this group: sealed enclosures, 10–72 modules
Need a mounting plate for contactors, PLCs, drives	Depending on environment	Steel enclosures with mounting plate

What the IP rating means

IP	Protection	Suitable for
IP30 / IP31	Against objects > 2.5 mm; IP31 – also against vertically falling drops	Dry indoor rooms: apartments, offices, stairwells
IP44	Against objects > 1 mm and splashing water	Basements, warehouses, workshops
IP54	Dust-protected, splash-resistant	Production areas, garages, under a canopy
IP65	Fully dust-tight, resistant to water jets	Outdoors, washed rooms, agriculture
IP66	Fully dust-tight, resistant to powerful water jets	Outdoor sites, car washes, ports

⚠ What to check before buying

What to check	Why it matters
Module count or mounting plate size	Equipment must fit with a 20–30 % reserve for future expansion and cable routing
Depth	Contactors, frequency drives and power supplies often need ≥ 200 mm
IP rating	At least what the environment requires; the actual IP also depends on the cable entries
Door and lock	Solid or with a window (for meters); a lock when the enclosure is accessible to unauthorised persons
Cable entries	Knock-outs, sealing plates or PG glands – see the sealing products

ℹ Module – an 18 mm wide space on a DIN rail. A single-pole circuit breaker takes 1 module, a three-pole one 3, a two-pole RCD 2, a four-pole RCD 4. For sealing cable entries, see the sealing products group.

✗ Most common mistakes

Mistake	Consequence
Enclosure chosen “exactly” with no reserve	No room to add circuits, equipment overheats, hard to service
IP31–IP44 enclosure installed outdoors	Moisture and condensation – corrosion, nuisance RCD tripping
IP65 enclosure with leaky cable entries	Actual IP is much lower than declared
Door and housing not earthed	⚡ If insulation fails, the housing can become live

⚡ Safety. The housing and door of a metal enclosure are connected to protective earth (PE). Enclosures are installed and equipment is connected by a qualified electrician with the power disconnected.