IP-Rated Enclosure Design and Sealing

Where enclosures leak

Most ingress failures happen at interfaces, not through solid walls. We review every opening and joint in the design and choose a sealing approach that fits the rating, the materials, and the assembly process.

• Housing joints: gaskets, O-rings, adhesive bonds, and ultrasonic welds
• User inputs: overmolded buttons and sealed actuators
• Displays, light pipes, and windows
• Connectors, cable glands, and service doors
• Pressure equalization vents for sealed housings that see temperature swings

Designing seals that survive production

A seal that works on one prototype can fail on the production line. We run tolerance stack-ups on sealing interfaces, specify compression ranges, and design features that make correct assembly easy and incorrect assembly difficult. Where a seal depends on a process such as welding or bonding, we work with your manufacturer to define it.

Ratings, testing, and related requirements

We identify the target IP rating early, design to it, and support ingress testing with qualified outside labs. Sealed housings often trap heat, so we coordinate with thermal management, and for products that also face shock and vibration we design the enclosure as a whole. Learn more about our rugged enclosure design work and our mechanical engineering services.