# Sheet Metal Fabrication for Energy

https://kdisplay.com/industries/energy

K-Display, a Chicago sheet metal fabricator, makes switchgear enclosures, BESS housings, inverter housings, EV charging cabinets, and mounting frames to energy equipment makers' drawings. Parts are laser cut, formed, welded, and powder coated, then delivered with hardware installed or assembled.

## Overview
Energy equipment reaches a site inside a metal enclosure on a metal frame. Our shells, doors, and covers are galvanized steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, and our base frames and pedestals are welded from carbon steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. We install hinges, latches, and studs and finish with powder coat, or leave the shell bare. NEMA 250 rates a Type 3R enclosure for rain, sleet, and snow and for no damage from ice on the outside, but not for windblown dust or hose-directed water, which Type 4 adds, and that difference sets the enclosure in energy sheet metal fabrication.

## Process
- Cut, form, and weld the shell and frame: We laser cut and form shells, doors, rain hoods, and gland plates, punch vent openings and cable knockouts clear of the bends, then MIG and TIG weld base frames and pedestals.
- Fit hardware, then coat with the bonds masked: We install the hardware before powder coat and mask the grounding lug pads and door bond faces, so the coat stops at their edges.
- Deliver bare, coated, or assembled: We deliver bare shells, powder coated shells, or assembled cabinets with doors hung and latches fitted, labeled and packed in sets for each release.

## Typical parts
- Switchgear and panelboard enclosures: Freestanding and wall-mount bodies, hinged doors, and covers for switchgear, panelboards, and distribution equipment, with knockouts for cable entry.
- Battery storage enclosures: Cabinet shells and vented covers for BESS modules and management electronics, with punched vent and cooling openings.
- Inverter and converter housings: Housings and covers with heat-sink cutouts and louvered panels.
- EV charging cabinets: Charger bodies, front panels with display, connector, and emergency-stop cutouts, plinths, rain hoods, and service doors for outdoor charging equipment.
- Gland plates: Removable plates with conduit and cable cutouts and knockout patterns for the base of an outdoor cabinet.
- Pad frames and pedestals: Welded base frames and pedestals that carry chargers, meters, and pad-mounted cabinets, with plates for the anchor bolts.

## Requirements
- Enclosure type: NEMA 250 type, such as Type 1 or 12 indoors and Type 3R or 4 outdoors, and for Type 4 the gasket lands the seal needs.
- Sheet material and exposure: Galvanized or galvannealed steel, stainless steel, or aluminum for outdoor service, with any coastal or road-salt exposure the parts will see.
- Powder coat: Color, texture, and film thickness for outdoor exposure.
- Cable entry: Conduit hub, gland plate, and knockout sizes and positions, with any drainage opening and the face of the cabinet that takes them.
- Latches and hinges: Hinge, latch, and handle part numbers for cabinets in public or unattended locations, such as charging sites and roadside pads.
- Quantities and releases: Units per release and the install date for each site, which set how cabinets and frames ship.

## Related pages
- [Powder Coating](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/finishing/powder-coating)
- [MIG & TIG Welding](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/welding/mig-tig-welding)
- [Hardware Installation](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/finishing/hardware-installation)
- [Custom Control Panel Enclosures](https://kdisplay.com/products/electrical-enclosures/control-panel-enclosures)
- [Custom Battery & Energy Storage Enclosures](https://kdisplay.com/products/electrical-enclosures/battery-energy-storage-enclosures)
- [Electrical Enclosures](https://kdisplay.com/products/electrical-enclosures)
- [Custom Outdoor Equipment Cabinets](https://kdisplay.com/products/electrical-enclosures/outdoor-equipment-cabinets)
- [Custom Mounting, Backing & Gland Plates](https://kdisplay.com/products/brackets-plates/mounting-backing-plates)
- [Custom Welded Frames & Weldments](https://kdisplay.com/products/frames-weldments/equipment-frames-weldments)