I can't close the 2" aluminum enclosure! What's the best technique...or am I just weak!?

Blue Robotics Products Watertight Enclosures
1

I can’t get the O-ring flange to fit into the 2" aluminum enclosure tube. Are the tolerances too tight or is my technique wrong? The videos make it look much easier than my experience!

After using silicone and gradually increasing pressure (and even trying to apply a vacuum), I finally gave up and used two threaded clamps to force them together. I was able to get one O-ring in the tube, but sheared it in half in the process.

Any suggestions or ideas on technique?

2

Do you have a vent cap for the end piece? If not, that could be causing the major pain!

3

Yes, I was using the vent cap…in fact, I even applied a vacuum to try to suck the faceplate/flanges into place! Thanks for the suggestion tho!

4

Wow. Ok, if you had the cap … something is out of tolerance! One other thing that could be an issue is the end plate going in cocked. Sometimes with terminator plates that I use for testing … you have to hold your breath and put them in. You might try putting it at the edge and using the hardware to pull it in with.

5

We had a problem with the wrong depth on the oring groove on some parts that went out. Please contact support@bluerobotics.com and we will sort it out.

6

I have the new tube and it’s working great! Thanks.

1 Like
7

I’m having similar problems with a 6" enclosure. Any ideas?

8

Is there a lead-in for the o-ring on the ends of the housing?

Also take some calipers and measure the OD/ID in several areas.

9

There is more of a lead in on one end than the other, but neither end wants to go together.

Tube ID 5.966
Flange OD 5.916
Groove depth 0.197
Calculated Grove ID 5.522

Looking at the Parker O ring handbook, it’s only off a little…although the flange OD is quite a bit smaller than it should be?

For a 433 O ring:
Flange OD 5.970
Bore ID 5.977
Groove OD 5.519

I’m not used to playing with such thick O rings, on the enclosures we’ve made ourselves, we use a single 1/8" O ring rather than two 1/4" O rings. It’s just kind of disconcerting to watch the fellow in the BR video nonchalantly push the end into the tube…as if it took a pound or two of force. All of my weight won’t get this one to budge.

10

I did get it put together, I worked on the chamfer on both ends of the tube, and set it up on supports so I could exert a lot of force on it.

thanks