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ALUMINUM ENCLOSURES IN SMART NEW STANDARD COLURS

You may have already spotted the extra new standard color scheme for many of our aluminum electronic enclosures. Combining traffic white (RAL 9016) with traffic gray A (RAL 7042) is proving popular with customers and at trade shows.

Traffic white gleams beautifully. It sets these enclosures apart from cases finished in more muted shades. And highlighting the bezels in grey accentuates their smart design – especially on the various TECHNOMET models.

It’s not the first time we’ve offered a two-color livery as standard. Our UNIMET, UNIMET-PLUS and UNIMET 19" instrument enclosures are all finished in a combination of light gray (RAL 7035) and window gray (RAL 7040).

So why did we choose traffic white and traffic gray A for the new color scheme? For a start, teaming white with gray looks good on our OKW MINI-DATA-BOX flanged plastic enclosures. But there are other reasons too… 

WHY TRAFFIC WHITE (RAL 9016)?

Traffic white is a bright, neutral tone that works well in many design contexts. It has a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 87.3 out of 100. This bright white finish conveys cleanliness and precision – desirable qualities in instrumentation and medical electronics. On enclosures exposed to high levels of daylight, a white or light finish helps to reflect solar radiation. This reduces heat gain and relieves internal components from extra thermal stress, helping to minimise the cooling load.

A white finish also works well with any branding or accent color. White serves as a universal canvas for logos, warning labels or graphics (though in practice, most of these are likely to appear on the front panel which may feature another colour or finish).

WHY TRAFFIC GRAY A (RAL 7042)?

Traffic Gray has an LRV of 30.93. This mid-tone grey offers durability and visual robustness. It’s forgiving: it doesn’t show dirt or scuff marks as readily as a white finish might, improving perceived longevity and reducing the visibility of minor blemishes.

This gray is understated. It blends well with other metal finishes. In an environment where the enclosure is part of a larger system, it doesn’t draw undue attention or clash with neighbouring hardware. And in terms of thermal behaviour, traffic gray A does not absorb as much heat as a darker shade.

Pairing traffic gray A with traffic white as standard creates a coherent color palette. White works well for the large panel areas. Gray is a subtle highlight for the bezels, framing the front and rear panels and complementing any display, controls and connectors.