How to Select Cable Glands
Image Credit: Appleton | Digi-Key
Cable glands are bulkhead modules that allow barrier penetration while providing sealing protection. They are commonly known as sealing glands or strain reliefs and have the ability to seal around one or multiple wires, cables or probes. They are available in plastic and metal configurations. Cable glands are sometime configurable to work with any cable within a specified size range.
Cable Gland Specifications
Important specifications to consider when searching for cable glands include cable diameter, mounting hole diameter, and adjustable diameter.
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The cable diameter specifies the diameter of the cable that can be fed through the cable gland.
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The mounting hole diameter refers to the diameter of the barrier or bulkhead hole into which the gland is to be installed.
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The adjustable diameter is the cable gland can be adjusted to fit various sizes of cable.
Mounting Options
Cable gland mounting should be choosen based on the pre-exisiting connections in the system. Choices for gland mounting include adhesive or compound, flanged or bolted, threaded or nut mount, welded, and cast.
Materials of Construction
Materials of construction available for glands include aluminum, steel, stainless steel, and plastic.
Features
There are several features for cable glands including:
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Firestop cable glands are designed to withstand fire propagation through barrier.
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Explosion proof cable glands are designed for some level of explosion safety.
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EMI and RFI shielding and associated grounding features are used minimize or eliminate electromagnetic (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI).
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Romex connections are specifically-designed to retain and sometimes seal around romex cable as it enters a junction box or enclosure.
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Wire mesh is added to connectors to provide additional strain relief
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Liquid tight cable glands provide protection against the ingress of penetrating water, oils and other liquids.
Applications
Common applications for cable glands include aerospace, cleanroom, fire protection, industrial, marine, panel or enclosure, power or utility, railway, and telecommunications.
Application |
Description |
| Aerospace cable glands | Designed and rated for use on aircraft or space vehicles and/or equipment; may include applicable approvals for military and/or aircraft use. |
| Cleanroom cable glands | Suitable for use in a cleanroom environment with the associated properties of maintaining positive pressure, prevention of dust and fluid ingress, etc. |
| Fire protection glands | Designed and rated for prevention of fire propagation across the bulkhead or barrier. |
| Industrial glands |
Used in industrial environments such as factories, process plants, mills, etc.
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| Marine glands | Designed for application on ships, offshore mining and drilling settings, or other marine applications. |
| Panel or enclosure cable glands | Specifically designed and rated for penetration into electrical panels and/or electromechanical assembly enclosures. |
| Power and utility glands | Designed for use with public utility equipment such as power transmission, distribution, and high voltage equipment. |
| Railway glands | Designed for use on trains and associated installations. |
| Telecommunications glands | Designed for used with communications cable or conduit. |
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