MCGEC1 MULTICOMP, MCGEC1 Datasheet - Page 2

• Manufacturer Part Number: MCGEC1
• Description: Gasket
• Manufacturer: MULTICOMP

Specifications of MCGEC1

• Accessory Type: Gasket Set
• Body Material: Silicon Foam
• For Use With: MCRECS Heat Sink Cases
• Lead Free Status / RoHS Status: Lead free / RoHS Compliant

Gaskets:
• Gaskets come as a set suitable for waterproofing one enclosure.
• A set comprises two white silicon foam gaskets and a number of polythene washers.
• The washers are optionally fitted under the heads of the screws and raise the rating of the gasket set from IP65 to IP66.
Application Information:
The E-Case range was not originally designed be waterproof. Even with a gasket seal around the edge of the profile water could
enter under the heads of the screws and enter the enclosure through the open screw port. The original waterproof enclosure range
was the Linc-Ace range which had drilled ‘blind’ holes for the screws. Even if these holes filled with water, it did not enter the main
part of the enclosure. Linc-Ace was a heavy extrusion, costly to manufacture and is now obsolete.
Use of a flat gasket will render the enclosure ‘waterproof’ to IP65 and addition of a washer under each screw will give an increased
rating of IP66. Use of these gaskets will not reliably give a rating of IP67.
A die-cast aluminium enclosure with a rating of IP67 was put under 1 metre of water for 24 hours with no water ingress
An E-Case enclosure with a rating of IP66 was put under 1 metre of water for 24 hours and it contained a few drops of water (say
0.1ml).
An E-Case enclosure with a rating of IP65 when put under water took a few minutes to fill up.
These results, which have been found in practice, probably exceed the strict requirements of the IP rating, but this gives a margin of
confidence. The die-cast enclosure is better than an E-Case enclosure because one half of the sealing surface (metal to rubber) is a
smooth (die-cast) metal ridge whereas on an extrusion it is a cut face. It has small saw cut marks on the sealing surface which will
not be completely filled by the gasket thus forming small channels from the outside to the inside of the box. Normally, surface tension
will prevent water flowing down these channels, but under pressure water might flow. In order to get round this one might consider a
liquid gasket compound painted on to the end of the extrusion. This will also help align the gasket on the extrusion prior to fitting the
end plate.
Another feature of the flat gasket is that it needs to be fitted with some care-it has offset holes and needs orienting like the end plate.
Also, failure to completely screw down one screw will reduce the IP rating and this will not be obvious when inspected. On-the other
hand a die-cast enclosure is fool proof. However, it is very ugly, and all the holes for the connectors have to be individually machined,
whereas end plates can be mass-produced, complete with connector holes, by using a CNC punch.
It should be noted that if a bezel is to be used then the four washers can be omitted from under the screw heads. The plastic of the
bezel gets squeezed under the screw heads and makes a seal. The benefit of the bezel is that it conceals the gasket in applications
where appearance is important.
Part Number Table
Heat Sink Cases
Accessories
Gasket Set, IP65, For MCRECS Cases
Gasket Set, IP65, For MCREDS Cases
Gasket Set, IP65, For MCREAS Cases
Gasket Set, IP65, For MCREBS Cases
Bezel, Black, For MCREAS Cases
Bezel, Black, For MCREBS Cases
Bezel, Black, For MCRECS Cases
Bezel, Black, For MCREDS Cases
Linc Lug, 40mm, Pack 2
Linc Lug, 80mm, Pack 2
Description
Part Number
MCLPS40
MCLPS80
MCGEC1
MCGED1
MCZCB1
MCZDB1
MCGEA1
MCGEB1
MCZAB1
MCZBB1
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31/03/08 V1.1