Printing and assembly guide

1. Printing

Material: for outdoor use PETG (easy to print, good durability) or ASA (best UV resistance). Do not use PLA outdoors – it warps and degrades in the sun.

Recommended settings: 0.2 mm layer height, at least 4 perimeters, 5 solid layers for both the bottom and the lid, 25 % infill or more. More perimeters = fewer microscopic leaks between layers. For maximum watertightness, increase the flow by 2–5 %.

Orientation: the box prints bottom-down, exactly as it is in the STL. The lid is already flipped in the STL with its top face on the build plate – the grooves and shoulders point upward and print without supports. The cable-gland holes print as bridges – for diameters up to 25 mm common printers handle them without supports, or enable supports for the holes only.

2. Threaded inserts

The enclosure is designed for brass heat-set inserts. Place the insert on the tip of a soldering iron heated to about 220–240 °C (PETG) / 240–260 °C (ASA) and slowly press it straight down into the hole until it sits flush with the surface. The hole dimensions match common inserts:

The recommended lid screw length is shown in the configurator summary (lid thickness + insert depth). Use stainless steel socket head cap screws (DIN 912).

3. Lid seal

Into the channel in the underside of the lid, snap a silicone seal cord (round profile) of the diameter from the configurator – the channel is dovetail-shaped, narrower at the opening, so the cord holds by itself and does not fall out. The perimeter step on the top edge of the wall compresses it when the screws are tightened. The summary shows the length; add a few mm of spare, cut the ends square and glue them together with a drop of silicone-compatible superglue.

Compression: the channel depth and step height are calculated so that the cord compresses by the specified percentage. Soft silicone (hardness up to 40 ShA) tolerates 20–30 %, harder EPDM rather 15–25 %. Tighten the screws gradually in a cross pattern so the lid seats evenly.

Screws and watertightness: the seal groove passes around each screw on the inside (you can see it on the underside of the lid – the cord makes small arcs around the screws). The screws are therefore outside the sealed area and there is no path for water to leak through the screw holes – no washers or O-rings are needed. Note: enclosures downloaded before July 2026 had the groove routed outside the screws – for those, either regenerate the STL, or add O-rings under the screw heads (M3→3×1.5, M4→4×1.5, M5→5×1.5 mm).

4. Cable glands

Fit screw-in cable glands with a nut (typically IP68) into the holes. The holes have 0.5 mm of clearance over the nominal thread (M16 → ⌀16.5 mm). Tighten the gland with the nut from the inside; on a rougher print surface, a thin layer of silicone sealant under the gland flange helps.

Close unused holes with a threaded blanking plug, or with a gland fitted with a blanking insert. Orient the glands downward or sideways, never upward.

5. Pole / wall mounting

Screws: the tabs on the bottom have ⌀4.5 mm holes – use ⌀4 mm screws with a washer (with a ⌀6 mm wall plug), or wood/sheet-metal screws depending on the surface.

Banding strap: the loops are for stainless steel banding (Bandimex or similar) up to 20 mm wide. Thread the strap through both loops, wrap it around the pole and secure it with a buckle. For pole diameters over 60 mm, use two separate straps.

Orientation: mount the enclosure with the glands facing down and the lid facing away from the prevailing rain. If possible, leave a few free cm below the enclosure for a cable loop (drip loop) – water then does not run down the cable into the gland.

6. Leak test

Before real deployment, assemble the enclosure empty and try submerging it in a bucket of water for 30 minutes (fit and tighten the glands, put a piece of paper towel inside). Dry towel = done.

With outdoor electronics, also account for condensation: you can add your own membrane vent plug (Gore-Vent M12) at the lowest point of the bottom – simply add an M12 “gland” in the configurator to the bottom… that is, into the wall as low as possible, and fit it with a membrane vent plug.