Help/Feedback on Sealed Aluminium Enclosure Design

[adriantaylor09]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post, so I apologize in advance if I have placed this thread in the wrong spot, or committed any other kind of forum-sin!

I am designing a one off custom enclosure which will house some electrical equipment. The enclosure needs to seal out dust and water etc, in reasonably harsh (mining) environments.

Looking at "off the shelf" type enclosures similar to the one I am designing, it seems that they mostly use a tongue and groove gasket type seal - so that is what I have gone for as well.

I was hoping someone out there might be able to suggest some properties for a gasket, such as: gasket material, thickness, groove dimensions etc.

If there are any other suggestions to improve this design, please, fire away.

I've attached a file showing the cavity of the enclosure (mounting surface not shown). Approximate dimensions of part shown are 140 wide, 120 high and 60 deep [mm].

 

[flexibox]

Excuse my ignorance but why can't you use an insisting exe/exd approved enclosure? Will you need to seek electricalnapprovals if you go down your path?
I would think a standard enclosure may be a better option for you.

 

[adriantaylor09]

Thanks for your reply flexibox,

I agree, a standard electrical enclosure will do the job of sealing out the outside world perfectly, and we may end up going down that path after all.

The reason for developing our own box is more about providing a sturdy enclosure to protect from impact damage, and also to "look like a sturdy enclosure!" I know that sounds silly, but in the mining environment, some people will look at a polymer or sheet metal component and automatically write it off as too weak or flimsy to stand up to the harsh environment in which it lives.

At this stage I'm more interested in knowing what the best way to provide a face seal between the box (image attached to my original post) and a flat face (with a protruding lip to match the groove in the box).

Can someone point me in the right direction as to what gasket material, size, thickness, groove dimensions etc to use?

Thanks

Adrian

 

[aegus]

May be a little late on this thread and you may already have found a solution, but I am currently using some off the shelf Aluminum enclosures for similar but less harsh environment. Maybe something you might want to look into if its not too late. Hammond Manufacturing and Rose Bopla Enclosures are just a couple of vendors.