Ingress Protection on a Non-Tapered Thread

[dummiboi]

Hello,

I have a straight-threaded barrel going through a cover plate, and I need to have IP56 ingress protection.

Does anyone have any experience sealing on straight threads? Will it be enough to just put some teflon tape on the threads? I'm trying to stay away from pipe dope, because I'm worried that it will get washed away in the water spray if it's the kind that dries soft, and I'm worried that it will crack from vibration if it's the kind that hardens when it dries.

Thanks!

 

[unclesyd]

You might want to take a look at Xpando.

http://www.xpando.com/pjc.html

 

[dummiboi]

Thanks syd.

Does anyone else have any ideas?

 

[Compositepro]

Use a sealing washer or screw. These have an o-ring onder the screw head or a threaded rubber insert that gets compressed onto the threads. Teflon tape will not work on a straight thread. Sealants may work but can also fail easily.
Mcmaster-Carr carries these items.

 

[BillBirch]

The IP rating is accredited to the whole assembly. If you have drilled into the cover plate ans customised your own penetration, the rating would be invalidated. You must refer this back to the enclosure manufacturer for their approve penetration design.
Regards,
Bill

 

[kenre]

Loctite?

http://www.retallickeng.com.au

Was told it couldnt be done, so
i went and did it!

 

[Cockroach]

DummiBoi, it is impossible to seal on straight threads. You may mitigate heavy bleed offs using Teflon tape, even Loctite, but eventually you will loose these temporary sealing capacities.

Classically you need to put an o-ring at the thread relief behind the thread, it could go prior to the lead given your geometry. I am very unsure of your cover plate thickness, so a back-up plan would be to use a face seal. I am not a huge fan of face seals because this necessitates thread torque for proper sealing capacity. Threads stretch, they may back off and lead to loss of the face seal.

You may be able to get away with a gasket instead of the face seal, it depends on your setup. But this is a tough question since you give no measurements.

Good luck with it, just shooting out ideas.

Kenneth J Hueston, PEng
Principal
Sturni-Hueston Engineering Inc
Edmonton, Alberta Canada