A Safety Enclosure Like No Other: Modular, Mobile and Built from T-Slot

Some projects start with a standard product. Others start with a brief that says: "We need something like no other."

This client needed a safety enclosure to contain vapours and splashes from chemical processes. It had to be mobile and see-through, and people had to be able to take it apart without a crane, a forklift or a weekend of swearing. Our engineers designed, engineered and built it entirely in-house from T-Slot Modbuild Powerhouse 4040 T-slot aluminium and polycarbonate.

The Brief

The client's requirements were specific:

• Internal dimensions of 700mm (W) x 1300mm (D) x 2700mm (H)
• Mobile, on wheels
• Modular and easy to dismantle by their own personnel, so panel weights and lifting ergonomics had to be designed in
• Maximum visibility through clear doors
• A 110mm diameter vent hole on one side
• A roof to stop vapours escaping
• Resistance to chemical liquids and gases that may splash against its surfaces

Each of these requirements pulls against the others. Mobile and tall usually means unstable. Modular usually means flimsy. Clear and sealed usually means awkward to access. The design had to solve all of them at once.

The Design: Four Panels Plus a Roof

The enclosure is built as four wall panels plus a roof panel, each made from Powerhouse 4040 T-slot profile with 3mm polycarbonate infill and 6mm polycarbonate for the doors.

T-slot was the obvious choice for the frame:

• Rigid. Frames this tall need stiffness, and 4040 gives it without the weight of steel.
• Chemically robust. Aluminium handles splash exposure far better than timber or mild steel, with no rust or rot to worry about.
• Modular. Every panel is a self-contained frame that bolts together with standard T-nuts and fasteners.
• Easy to modify. If the client's process changes, a port, shelf or bracket can be added without cutting or welding.

Mobile by Design

The two large front and rear panels are the foundation of the enclosure. Each is free-standing on castors, with outrigger members that widen the footprint for stability. So even a 2.7m tall structure can be rolled into position and stay put once it's there. [Optional: add castor type, locking details and load rating.]

Easy Assembly Through Smart Ergonomics

The brief said personnel had to be able to dismantle the enclosure, so we designed around the people lifting it.

Rather than one huge, heavy structure, the two side panels are lighter units with built-in lifting handles. They lift onto the outrigger members of the front and rear panels and locate with a dowel and clevis plate system. The dowels guide each panel into position, the clevis plates hook it in place, and it's then secured. There's no fiddling with alignment and no fumbling for fasteners while holding a panel up.

The result is an enclosure that one or two people can assemble and break down safely. Each side panel weighed 18kg, so within personnel safe limits for lifting.

Frameless Doors for Maximum Visibility

Clear vision was a core requirement, so the four doors are made from 6mm clear polycarbonate and are frameless. There are no heavy stiles or rails to block the view, so the operator can see everything inside. 

Frameless doesn't mean leaky. Where the doors meet, they have a 10mm overlap so there's no straight-through gap for liquid or vapour to find. It's a simple detail, but it matters a lot when you're containing splashes and fumes.

A Roof That Fits Like a Glove

To stop vapours escaping from the top, we fabricated the roof as a precise polycarbonate tray that fits snugly over the top of the structure. Like the side panels, it has lifting handles so it can be placed and removed easily, which matters on a 2.7m tall enclosure where the roof is out of easy reach.

A 110mm diameter vent hole on one side lets the client connect ducting or extraction as needed.

A Note on Chemical Resistance

Aluminium T-slot profile and polycarbonate suit many chemical environments, and polycarbonate is ideal for clear, tough panels. However, polycarbonate resists some chemicals better than others, so we always recommend checking the specific chemicals in use against the material's compatibility data. If you tell us what you're working with, we can advise on panel material options.

The Result

The client was very happy with the finished enclosure. It's mobile, modular, transparent and sealed where it counts. It came out of a design brief that, frankly, would have been difficult to meet with a conventional fabrication.

Why T-Slot Suits Custom Safety Enclosures

• Fully customisable. Any size, shape or layout you need
• Modular and demountable. Easy to dismantle, transport, relocate and re-assemble
• Lightweight and strong. Panels stay manageable for people to lift
• No welding. Quick to build, easy to modify
• Corrosion resistant. Suited to harsh and wet environments
• Compatible with panels and accessories. Polycarbonate, acrylic, mesh and sheet metal infill all work with the same system

The same approach works for machine guards, spray and dispensing enclosures, laboratory screens, clean air hoods and process cabinets.

Need Something Custom?

Whether you need a full design-and-build service like this one or a kit of profile and fittings to build it yourself, T-Slot Modbuild can help.

Talk to our engineers at www.tslotmodbuild.com.au with your requirements and we'll help you design something that fits.