Modern kiosk enclosures are expected to perform multiple functions, including protecting electronics and other internal components, providing a mounting structure for displays and controls, withstanding repeated public contact, and maintaining their appearance throughout their service life. When the enclosure is manufactured by plastic injection molding, the requirements for those functions must be addressed in the enclosure design and in material selection. Engineers must consider how it will be used and serviced, as well as its environmental exposure, and then design around those conditions.
How Are Kiosks Used?
Outdoor kiosk enclosures are often exposed to heat, cold, UV rays, and public abuse. Because of this, they are engineered for durability, visibility, and security, making them ideal for a wide range of applications:
- Navigation and Information – These kiosks are used on campuses, at parks, in tourist districts, at hospitals, and in commercial complexes, providing interactive maps, building directories, event schedules, and points of interest. They often run search and navigation software to help users find locations quickly.
- Ticketing and Access Control – Kiosks used in transit stations, stadiums, and event venues allow users to purchase tickets, validate passes, or gain entry without waiting in lines. They can integrate with existing ticketing systems for seamless operation.
- Self-Service Ordering and Payment – Often encountered in drive-throughs, food courts, and paid parking lots, these kiosks enable customers to complete transactions without staff assistance. They can handle multiple payment methods and integrate with other systems, such as inventory management or kitchen display systems.
- Self-Service Services — Examples of this type of kiosk include self-storage check-in/out, auto emissions testing, shipping pickups, and dealer key drop-off/pick-up. These kiosks reduce wait times and improve efficiency for both users and service providers.
Each type of application may have different design considerations; for example, a kiosk used for campus navigation can be much simpler than one for auto emissions testing that accepts payments, requires access to testing cables, and prints a report.
Consider the Environment
Kiosk enclosures used inside a controlled retail environment have very different requirements from those installed outdoors. Before selecting a resin or designing the mold, engineers should clearly define the conditions to which the kiosk enclosure will be exposed:
- Temperature range and direct sunlight
- Moisture, salt, and dust exposure
- Cleaning chemicals used on or near the unit
- Impact and vibration exposure
- Frequency of door or panel access, and the expected user interactions
An outdoor kiosk may also experience large temperature swings, which can cause dimensional movement among plastic parts and other materials used in the Kiosk.
Keep in mind that electronics inside a kiosk generate heat. A sealed enclosure can prevent ingress but may create a thermal problem. Engineers may need to evaluate internal heat generation, ambient temperature, solar loading, airflow, and allowable component temperatures. Outdoor kiosks can experience substantial solar heating even when the ambient air temperature is within the specified operating range. Thermal expansion of the plastic can affect dimensional tolerances, fastener joints, display fit, gasket compression, and interfaces between plastic and metal components.
Material Data Sheet Caution
Material datasheets for various resins can provide useful information. However, a datasheet provides a baseline of a material’s properties under standardized, ideal laboratory conditions, using standardized test bars, not the real-world performance of a finished, molded part, so the kiosk’s properties may not align with published values.
One case is UV exposure. The standard ASTM D4329 is used to evaluate changes in plastics caused by ultraviolet radiation, moisture, and heat under controlled laboratory conditions. ASTM cautions that accelerated weathering results do not directly reproduce every outdoor condition, such as pollution or saltwater exposure. So a resin can perform well in an accelerated UV test, but may require additional considerations for the actual location and conditions the kiosk will be in. Pigments, stabilizers, surface finish, resin formulation, and wall geometry can all affect long-term appearance and performance.
Impact resistance should be evaluated using the actual material grade rather than a generic resin name, and comparisons between materials should be made using the same test method. ASTM D256, for example, measures Izod pendulum impact resistance using standardized notched specimens. The test measures the energy required to break the specimen under specified conditions. The notch intentionally creates stress concentration, so the test is useful for comparing how materials respond when impact occurs near a sharp feature or flaw. Another standard, ASTM D5420, uses a falling-weight impact test on a flat plastic specimen, making it more relevant when the design concern is a direct blow to a kiosk panel, cover, or enclosure wall. Both results should be treated as material-screening data, not as proof of finished-part performance, because they do not tell you exactly how a large molded enclosure will behave when someone strikes a corner, leans against a panel, drops an object on it, or attempts to pry a door open. Part geometry, temperature, molded-in stress, weld lines, fastener locations, and surface features can all influence the actual result. For that reason, structural analysis and physical testing of production-intent parts are useful when impact or security is a major requirement.
Material Selection For Outdoor Kiosk Enclosures
Once the environment is understood, material choices can be narrowed down. Engineers who are unfamiliar with plastics and their behavior under various conditions should consult with the injection molder, who can guide material selection based on product needs and manufacturability.
Several engineering plastics can be appropriate for a kiosk enclosure, but there is no universal best resin, as it depends on the specific needs.
- Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is widely used for molded housings that require good appearance, dimensional stability, and impact performance.
- Polycarbonate (PC) offers excellent impact resistance, heat resistance, and UV stability.
- PC/ABS blends offer a useful combination of impact resistance, thermal performance, and appearance.
- Fiberglass-reinforced plastics add heavy structural strength for industrial sites.
- Structural foam is an excellent metal replacement, offering a good weight-to-stiffness ratio.
When the material is selected, engineers or buyers should qualify alternative or backup resins in case the primary becomes unavailable. This will prevent delays in finding and approving a new material.
Dive deeper: Get our guide, Injection Molding Resin Selection Workbook
Considerations for Kiosk Enclosure Wall Thickness and Ribs
It can be tempting to increase wall thickness when an enclosure needs to be stronger. However, thicker sections can increase cooling time and contribute to sink marks, internal stresses, and warpage. Uneven thickness also creates different cooling and shrinkage rates within the part. Walls should remain relatively uniform, and structure should be added with ribs, returns, flanges, and other structural features where required by loads.
One area where this is necessary is when a large flat panel is present. A plastic wall may have adequate material strength but may flex when a user pushes on it. Ribs placed on the inside can substantially increase stiffness without making the entire wall thicker.
Similarly, rib design is important. The placement shouldn’t interfere with the ejection of the part and should allow for adequate air venting during filling. They should be kept as short as possible and have an appropriate draft on both sides. Sometimes, several short ribs can be more effective than one tall rib. A rib that is too thick at its base can create sink marks on the opposite cosmetic surface. The exact dimensions of the ribs should be determined based on the resin, wall thickness, mold design, expected load, and appearance requirements.
Manufacturability Considerations
Injection molding imposes constraints that should be considered before the enclosure is finalized. Design elements (in addition to the wall thickness and ribs previously discussed) can affect manufacturability and the finished part.
- Gates – Gate placement and gate type impact appearance, tolerance, warpage, surface finish, wall thicknesses, and more. Ideally, it should be placed in the center of the part or in a non-functional, non-appearance area.
- Undercuts – Avoid undercuts whenever possible. Undercuts prevent the mold from opening in a straight line, requiring core pulls or cams, which can increase production costs.
- Bosses – Bosses that are not isolated from a corner can cause sinkage in the nominal wall. They can be strengthened by connecting them to the walls with ribs or to the base with gussets.
- Draft Angle – The deeper the part or the surface texture, the larger the draft angle should be.
- Fillet and Radii – Corners should be radiused. Fillet radii are required at the intersections of the walls with the part’s floor. The radius depends on the adjacent wall thickness, which increases with thickness.
This is why design for manufacturability should not wait for a manufacturing review that happens after the CAD model is finished. Engaging your injection molding partner early in the design process can save time.
Consider Security In The Design
A kiosk installed in a public area may be subjected to deliberate prying or impact. If the enclosure contains valuable electronics, payment hardware, data storage, or other sensitive components, the mounting system and access panels also become part of the security design.
Plastic can provide substantial structural performance, but relying on a plastic screw boss alone may be inappropriate for a high-load joint. Repeated access can wear the plastic, while concentrated loads can split or deform bosses. Engineers can use metal inserts, captive hardware, larger bearing areas, reinforced bosses, or metal structural members where the expected load warrants them. The plastic enclosure can then provide the exterior structure and environmental barrier while selected hardware carries concentrated mechanical loads.
Kiosk enclosures should be designed around likely abuse points. Place fasteners where they are hidden, shielded, or controlled by a tool. Access seams for maintaining the electronic components should be narrow, supported, and away from obvious pry locations. Corners and panel edges should be reinforced to prevent them from becoming leverage points under impact or attempted prying. Those issues are better addressed through the enclosure’s design than by simply specifying a thicker wall.
Validate The Complete Enclosure
Material datasheets and design rules are useful for developing the enclosure, but they do not replace validation. Testing should reflect the actual service conditions. Depending on the application, that may include drop or impact testing, repeated door operation, fastener cycling, temperature exposure, UV/weathering, water ingress, chemical exposure, vibration, and load testing.
For a production kiosk, validation should ideally use production materials, the production process, representative wall thicknesses, actual finishes, hardware, seals, and other critical components. That gives engineers a much better indication of how the assembled product will perform than testing an isolated material specimen.
Involve the Injection Molder Early
Designing a durable plastic kiosk enclosure begins by evaluating the kiosk’s requirements and culminates in a design that the molding process can consistently reproduce. Material selection, component features, and environmental requirements all interact. A change made for one reason can create a problem elsewhere. For example, sealing the enclosure may help control water and dust ingress, but it can also trap heat around electronics and require changes to airflow, vents, or material selection.
The most effective approach is to bring the injection molding engineer into the design process early. Reviewing the CAD model before tooling allows the team to identify molding constraints, structural weak points, sealing interfaces, tooling requirements, and material concerns while changes are still relatively inexpensive. For engineers developing a kiosk enclosure, injection molding provides considerable freedom to integrate structural features, mounting points, access panels, and other functions into a relatively small number of parts.
Work With Ferriot on Your Kiosk Enclosure
Ferriot works with OEMs that need molded plastic enclosures with the right balance of strength, appearance, manufacturability, and long-term performance. For kiosk enclosure programs, Ferriot can help review the design before tooling, so the kiosk’s needs and manufacturability are addressed up front.
If you are designing a kiosk enclosure or evaluating a plastic conversion, contact Ferriot to discuss your part requirements.
