Kiosk Enclosure –Material is Crucial to Its Self Service Success.

No matter what the material is, the enclosure has to fit into the digital signage environment and must compliment the décor as well as withstanding the rigors or abuse that the environment it is in throws at it.

So let us look at the options for the material for an enclosure or kiosk;

Steel.
This is the undisputed king of enclosure materials, more kiosk are manufactured form steel than any other material.

The main advantages are that steel is very budget friendly, it is strong and very flexible, so that almost any contour can be reproduced.

As a minimum, steel can be used as an outer casing or to hold all the internal components, it can be covered in numerous finishes from paint, wraps and even wood panelling. Powder coating is the leading finish for current enclosures as this offers a robust finish that is in-expensive.

Wood.
In the infancy of enclosures and kiosks this was the material of choice, but now is rarely used only to make the kiosk blend in. The main problem with wood is that it chips and then repairing it is very difficult without leaving any blemishes. Another issue is the heat that is given off by the enclosures hardware will warp and ripple the wood finish making it look unsightly.

Don’t get me wrong, wood is used by upscale clients at Deloitte & Touche in low foot traffic areas within their offices, however we would not recommend the use of wood as if you took the kiosk and put it into a convenience store you would have problems almost immediately.

Plastic.
This material is on the rise and offers durability other materials cannot match, especially where children interact with the unit. Plastic tends not to leach colour and does not fade and any surface damage such as chips and cracks do not detract from the overall appearance as they do with steel or wood.

Plastic is not considered as structurally sound as steel, so in most cases, steel is covered with plastic to gain the required look.

Now that is a summary of the materials available and now you have to decide which would be best for your project.

We own the world leading manufacturer of outdoor TV boxes, making them the perfect external enclosure.