What is GRP?

Glass reinforced plastic (GRP), also known as fibreglass, is a composite plastic made from a synthetic resin and glass fibre. The high levels of strength and durability offered, in addition to the naturally insulating and corrosion-resistant properties of plastic, makes GRP a popular choice of material for electrical enclosures. GRP cabinets offer strong ingress protection (IP) and impact protection (IK), often being used for outdoor applications, with many being classed as weatherproof enclosures.
 

What are the main benefits of GRP enclosures?

Steel enclosures, whilst providing strong protection from impact, will begin to rust overtime, particularly in outdoor applications. Whereas, plastic enclosures, whilst being resistant to corrosion, aren’t as strong as their steel counterparts.

GRP, on the other hand, is a lightweight composite that offers the best of both worlds, sharing the high strength and corrosion resistant properties from more traditional materials. Therefore, GRP electrical cabinets boast an increased life expectancy and require very little maintenance, making them a more cost effective and environmentally friendly alternative.

Another key benefit from using a GRP enclosure is the superior electrical insulation that they provide, with many being double insulated, thus making them one of the safest electrical enclosures to use when dealing with high voltage applications. This is particularly important when a current needs to be grounded but space is limited.
 

Where should you use a GRP enclosure?

The high impact strength provided by a GRP cabinet, terminal box or junction box makes them suitable for use in areas where impact to the enclosure is likely, e.g. building sites, workshops etc.

Due to their plastic nature, GRP enclosures are well suited for use in harsher environments, such as coastal locations, as they won’t rust or corrode. Their longevity also makes them ideal for use in applications where regular maintenance is difficult, expensive or unsafe.

With the introduction of Class II products being used on the UK rail infrastructure to help reduce costs and increase trackside safety, certain ranges, such as Uriarte Safybox’s BRES GRP wall mounting enclosures, have received product acceptance from Network Rail. You can find out more on Class II here.

Our most popular GRP enclosure ranges:

As the UK’s largest independent stockist of electrical enclosures, we offer a huge selection of GRP enclosures, terminal boxes, junction boxes and roadside cabinets from leading manufacturers, including Schneider Electric, Uriarte Safybox, nVent HOFFMAN, Cahors and IBOCO.

We also hold the largest stocks of Schneider Electric’s NSYPLM wall mounted cabinets and NSYPLA floor standing enclosures.