Engineering for Extremes: Hammond Manufacturing’s Ultra-Rugged 1590Z Enclosures

Hammond Manufacturing 1590Z: Enclosures built for harsh industrial environments

The 1590Z series has been a reliable staple in the electronics industry for years when it comes to ultra-rugged protection. They are pressure die-cast from a high-grade aluminium alloy (Al-Si-Cu), a material choice that brilliantly balances lightweight handling with exceptional structural integrity. 

Unlike your standard metal enclosures, the 1590Z series features significantly thicker walls ranging from 3,0 to 5,2 mm depending on the enclosure size. This added material vastly improves impact resistance to an IK08 rating and ensures the enclosure resists structural deformation even under severe mechanical stress. 

"When you need to pair the brute strength of aluminium with an uncompromising seal against harsh environments, Hammond Manufacturing's 1590Z series is the absolute gold standard. Because you can mount these enclosures without risking any compromise to their protection, and given the massive variety of footprints available, they are an incredibly versatile solution for demanding industrial projects," explains Martin Brestovič, Product Manager at SOS electronic.

Key design features of the 1590Z series 

• Tongue and groove system: The lid and enclosure body interface via a precision-engineered tongue-and-groove design. A replaceable, one-piece silicone gasket is seated in the groove, maintaining its flexibility across an impressive temperature range of –40 to +150 °C.
• IP66, IP67, and IP68 protection: Thanks to tight manufacturing tolerances and high-quality sealing, these enclosures reliably shield your internal electronics from fine dust, high-pressure water jets, and even continuous submersion.
• Isolated mounting holes: To prevent installation mishaps, the holes for mounting the enclosure to a wall or a panel are kept completely outside the gasket zone. This ensures that when you bolt it down, you are not compromising the watertight seal.
• Stainless steel hardware: The lid is secured with stainless steel machine screws that thread into pre-tapped holes in the enclosure body. This is a massive plus for any application requiring repeated opening and closing during maintenance, as it prevents thread stripping and maintains consistent gasket compression over time.

Available versions and surface finishes for the 1590Z series

Hammond offers the 1590Z series enclosures in a remarkably broad array of footprints, currently spanning 28 sizes. These range from compact little boxes measuring just 50 x 45 x 30 mm all the way up to substantial industrial cabinets at 400 x 230 x 180 mm.

The lineup has also just expanded with three new sizes:   

1. 160 mm x 100 mm x 80 mm
2. 200 mm x 100 mm x 80 mm 
3. 280 mm x 230 mm x 110 mm 

Three distinct surface finishes for the 1590Z series:

1. Natural aluminium (Unfinished): A vibratory finish with no post-treatment. This is ideal if you need maximum electrical conductivity across the surface, or if you plan on applying a custom paint job down the line.
2. Black (Black Polyester Powder): A tough, textured powder coat that adds excellent scratch resistance and UV stability.
3. Grey (Grey Polyester Powder – RAL 7001): A smooth powder-coated finish that serves as the standard aesthetic in industrial automation.

Practical accessories for the 1590Z range 

For most models in this Hammond Manufacturing range, you can source internal mounting panels made from heavy-duty galvanised steel. These are incredibly handy because they let you bench-assemble components like terminal blocks, PLCs, or converters outside the enclosure and then simply drop the whole sub-assembly into the box.

Replacement lid screws and standalone silicone gaskets are also available for every single enclosure size, ensuring easy maintenance down the road.

We are more than happy to supply any of these practical 1590z series accessories to order. If you want to look beyond this specific series, you can also browse our website to explore Hammond Manufacturing’s portfolio of metal enclosures.

Typical applications 

With their stringent NEMA 4X certification and IP68 ingress protection, the 1590Z series enclosures excel in:

• Outdoor sensor nodes and IoT gateways
• Control units for agricultural machinery and heavy construction equipment
• Industrial switchgear operating in highly dusty or humid environments
• Chemical processing equipment and other setups demanding an absolute, unyielding seal
• Any application where high physical durability and superior IP ratings are a priority

Because there are so many sizes and finishes on offer, we currently supply the 1590Z enclosure series as a built-to-order item. However, with our short lead times and highly competitive pricing, they remain an easily accessible choice for any project timeline. As an authorised distributor for Hammond Manufacturing, we can bring the manufacturer's own technical support team directly to your project if things get complex.

Tailor-made designs for your Hammond enclosure

Try a sample for your project

Need to test a component during development? Don’t hesitate to get in touch, and we’ll be happy to provide a sample for your project. We review each request individually, so please share a brief overview of your project with us in the form below.

Note: Samples are provided for development projects only, not for individual personal use. 

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