Cable Gland
A cable gland is the component that provides sealing at the point where a cable enters an enclosure or device body and transfers the pulling force on the cable to the body. The clamping nut presses a sealing ring against the outer sheath of the cable. A wrongly chosen gland effectively cancels the protection rating of the enclosure.
A gland has two separate jobs and both are done at the moment of tightening: the seal grips the cable sheath all the way around and keeps water and dust outside, and that same grip also holds the cable mechanically, protecting the terminal or board connection inside from pulling force.
- Correct diameter: the outer diameter of the cable must be within the sealing range of the gland.
- Correct thread: the body hole and the gland thread must match, and a separate body seal or nut must be used if necessary.
- Orientation: place it on the bottom face of the enclosure, facing downwards, wherever possible.
- Flat cable: a standard gland cannot seal a cable that is not round.
In most of the water-ingressed enclosures we see in the field it is not the enclosure but the gland that is at fault: a gland tightened onto too thin a cable, a nut never tightened, or a hole left open. After finishing the installation, check every gland nut one by one and close unused holes with blanking plugs.
The context in which this term is used: Complete guide to IP protection ratings