I would like to create a flange similar to the one made by Blue Robotics, including the O-rings and all sealing features. Will machining the flange from an Artylon plate work effectively? And if I add the O-rings and insert the flange into a PVC pipe, will that provide a reliable seal?
I’m currently facing a tight deadline and need to finalize this as soon as possible. I’d really appreciate your thoughts or guidance.
Hi @emrix -
For general pressure vessel design, this software will give you useful information for simple cases. I’m not familiar with Artylon, and neither is my go-to reference for material properties you’d need to determine to gauge its suitability. If it’s a hard plastic that is easy to machine, it should work fine for shallow depths.
The bigger issue you’ll face is the use of a PVC pipe. The internal diameter of this pipe has a very high degree of dimensional variability, as typically only the outer diameter is controlled for (as it is used to couple when gluing fittings, and even then in a slip fit with loose tolerances compared to those required by properly sized o-ring groovers.) You may be able to machine the ID for suitably thick pipe, but at that point the cost of the pipe and getting things custom machined starts to rival that of an off-the shelf solution like those Blue Robotics offers - I sometimes prefer browsing by technical reference for speed and access to 3D models. If you’re on a tight timeline, using in-stock enclosures rated to your requirements seems the fastest path