Small Cell Housing
Compact IP65 enclosure for 5G small cell and micro base station deployments on streetlights, building walls, and utility poles. Lightweight aluminum construction with integrated mounting features, cable management, and passive cooling through surface-mounted heat sink fins. Made by WERIX Metal from AL5052-H32 aluminum 1.2mm to a tolerance of ± 0.1 mm, finished with UV-resistant outdoor powder coat. Typical order volume is From 100 to 20,000+ volume. Free DFM quote within 24 hours.
Engineering drawing available on request
Send your target specifications — we reply with a drawing and a DFM quote within 24 hours.
Small Cell Housing
Compact IP65 enclosure for 5G small cell and micro base station deployments on streetlights, building walls, and utility poles. Lightweight aluminum construction with integrated mounting features, cable management, and passive cooling through surface-mounted heat sink fins.
| Part number | P-008 |
|---|---|
| Product type | housing |
| Industry | Telecom |
| Material | AL5052-H32 aluminum 1.2mm |
| Tolerance | ± 0.1 mm |
| Surface Finish | UV-resistant outdoor powder coat |
| Manufacturing processes | Deep Drawing · Precision Laser Cutting |
| MOQ / Volume | From 100 to 20,000+ volume |
Small Cell Housing: manufacturing notes
This part — small cell housing — is manufactured in our Dongguan plant. The notes below explain the manufacturing decisions behind the specification: why this material, why this forming sequence, and what the tolerance actually requires in production.
Why this part is made in aluminium
Small Cell Housing is specified in AL5052-H32 aluminum 1.2mm. Aluminium buys weight reduction and thermal conductivity, at the cost of stiffness: a section that is stiff enough in 1.5 mm steel needs either a thicker gauge or formed stiffeners in aluminium. It anodises rather than paints when a hard, non-flaking surface is wanted, and it needs dedicated tooling and fixturing because the soft surface marks easily during handling.
How the part is formed
The production route for this part is Deep Drawing, Precision Laser Cutting. Deep drawing forms a part from a single blank, so there is no seam to seal or finish. The material is stretched rather than folded, which means the draw ratio and the blank-holder force are the design constraints, and the finish has to be applied after forming because the surface is displaced. Fiber laser cutting separates the blank without hard tooling, which is what makes a first article economical: the profile can change between the prototype and the production run without a die sunk. The trade-off is a small heat-affected edge, so on parts that will be painted we deburr and, where the edge is a sealing face, dress it flat before coating.
What ± 0.1 mm actually requires on the shop floor
The drawing calls for ± 0.1 mm. On a part like this that is a process decision, not an inspection decision: it fixes which machine holds the critical features, how the part is fixtured for each operation, and whether a formed feature can be checked after coating or has to be measured before it. We confirm the first article against the drawing and record the values, so the tolerance is demonstrated rather than assumed. If a dimension in your drawing is tighter than this part needs, it is usually worth relaxing it — over-toleranced features are one of the quietest cost drivers in a sheet metal quote.
Finishing: powder coating
UV-resistant outdoor powder coat. Powder coating builds a film of roughly 60–120 µm per face and cures at 180–200 °C. Two consequences get designed for: the film adds to every mating dimension, and the cure temperature is high enough to move an unsupported panel, so stiffening or return flanges go in before the part reaches the oven. Colour is matched to the RAL range given on the drawing.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the minimum order quantity for small cell housing?
- The order range for this part is From 100 to 20,000+ volume. Below the low end of that range the tooling and setup are spread over too few pieces to be economic, so if you are prototyping we would normally build the first units from the same process route and quote the production quantity separately.
- Can the material be changed to reduce cost or weight?
- Yes, and it is worth asking before the design is frozen. The current specification for this part is AL5052-H32 aluminum 1.2mm; depending on the service environment, a different grade or a lighter gauge with formed stiffening can meet the same requirement. What we would not do is change the material without re-checking the bend radii, the welding process and the coating system, because all three move with the substrate.
- What finishing options are available for this part?
- The current finish specification is UV-resistant outdoor powder coat. Powder coating, anodising, zinc or nickel plating, brushing and blasting are all available in-house, so the finish can be changed without changing supplier — and where the part will be seen, we match colour to the RAL or Pantone reference on your drawing.
- How long does production take, and what do you need from us to quote?
- Prototypes are typically 3–7 business days and production runs 7–15 days once the drawing is released and the finish is confirmed. To quote we need the drawing or CAD file (STEP, DXF, DWG, IGES or PDF), the material and finish, the quantity and the destination — and any tolerance or inspection requirement that is not already on the drawing. You get a DFM review with the quotation, not after it.
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