IP 65 rated enclosure with heat dissipation

AI Thread Summary
An IP65 rated enclosure for outdoor use must effectively manage heat while protecting electronic components. Using die-cast aluminum can act as a heat sink, but it risks overheating, potentially burning users who touch the surface. Alternatives include using a glass reinforced plastic enclosure with an internal heat sink, though this increases weight and cost. Enhancing ventilation or increasing the size of the heat sink may help manage temperatures without compromising safety. Ultimately, ensuring adequate cooling and accessibility for maintenance is crucial for reliability and user safety.
Hoya
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Hi there!

Is there any ip65 rated enclosure material with electronic components inside but with no holes/cutouts that can act as a heat sink without overheating while the product is operating?

Enclosure will need to be wall-mounted outdoors, it could be made out of die-cast aluminium which acts as a heat sink but the problem is that it will overheat so it may have to require some silicone cover to prevent people from burning their hands when touching it during hot temperatures.

Is there another way of solving this issues without changing material, or is glass reinforced plastic enclosure with aluminium heat sink inside the way to go? Cheers
 
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If heat sink is getting too hot you don't want to make the problem worse by insulating it . If you have plenty of room just make the heat sink bigger or fix the existing heat sink to another larger one .

Otherwise put it in a well vented stand off enclosure . Basically put a bird cage around it .
 
Nidum said:
If heat sink is getting too hot you don't want to make the problem worse by insulating it . If you have plenty of room just make the heat sink bigger or fix the existing heat sink to another larger one .

Otherwise put it in a well vented stand off enclosure . Basically put a bird cage around it .

Putting it into a well-vented stand off enclosure might be better as making the heat sink bigger increases the cost and weight of the product. On the other hand, the top lid of the aluminium enclosure might still need to be opened if the product is not functionally properly and the installer wants to check inside to fix it.

How can an installer or electrician open the enclosure with burning his/her hands? Would a silicone door handle work?
 
You may have to bite the bullet and just buy a MUCH bigger enclosure (an IP65 enclosure indicates you need to protect from the environment and high pressure water). If you can't ventilate as suggested, you may need to provide air for cooling (there are ways to inject air and exhaust the heat via venting). Without more information, we are simply speculating on your problem.
 
CalcNerd said:
You may have to bite the bullet and just buy a MUCH bigger enclosure (an IP65 enclosure indicates you need to protect from the environment and high pressure water). If you can't ventilate as suggested, you may need to provide air for cooling (there are ways to inject air and exhaust the heat via venting). Without more information, we are simply speculating on your problem.

Basically I'm trying to design a solar inverter which contains printed circuit board with electronic components and electromagnetic interference filter inside and LED touch screen display that is going to go on the top lid of the enclosure. If I use a die-cast aluminium enclosure then I do avoid having to put a heat sink inside the enclosure as the aluminium enclosure can acts as a heat sink. However, since the aluminium get very hot it means that that anyone who touches the touchscreen will burn their hands. The alternative is to use a glass reinforced plastic enclosure and add a heat sink inside the enclosure, but this adds weight and costs.
 
Hoya said:
However, since the aluminium get very hot it means that that anyone who touches the touchscreen will burn their hands. The alternative is to use a glass reinforced plastic enclosure and add a heat sink inside the enclosure, but this adds weight and costs.
The surface temp is defined by the power dissipation of the enclosure so will be the same regardless of it's material.
As others have mentioned, you need to increase size to reduce temp.
 
Almost everyone has some sort of computer screen carried around on their person. Add Bluetooth and make an app. No touchscreen necessary.

BoB
 

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