Plastic empty enclosures | B2B

We manufacture plastic housings by injection moulding according to your drawing and integrate the matching rubber seal directly into the manufacturing process. What other plastic housing manufacturers split between two suppliers, we deliver as a complete, tested unit – from a single source.

Plastic housing with integrated rubber seal
- from Bavaria

Die Kombination aus Injection Molding-Kunststoffgehäuse und dauerhaft aufvulkanisierter bzw. angespritzter Gummidichtungen sind eine unserer Kernkompetenzen im Bereich Rubber-plastic connections. Das Gehäuse aus Kunststoff wird nach Ihren Konstruktionsdaten in unserem Werkzeugbau gefertigten Spritzgusswerkzeug produziert. Die Dichtung wird in der nachgelagerten Vulcanisation direkt an die Kunststoffoberfläche gefügt – positionsgenau, reproduzierbar und ohne zusätzliche Montage auf Ihrer Seite. Als Ausgangsmaterial setzen wir je nach Anforderung technische Thermoplaste oder hochtemperaturbeständige Kunststoffe in Kombination mit einem passenden Elastomer ein.

Why plastic housing
with integrated seal?

Kunststoffgehäuse mit aufvulkanisierter Dichtung kombinieren niedriges Gewicht, elektrische Isolation und Korrosionsfreiheit mit einer fest integrierten Dichtfunktion. Im Spritzguss entstehen Wandstärken, Rippen, Dome und Dichtkonturen reproduzierbar direkt aus dem in-house gefertigten Werkzeug. Die Dichtung wird auf die vorbereitete Kunststoffoberfläche aufvulkanisiert und bildet mit dem Gehäuse eine montagefertige Funktionseinheit.

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Plastic empty enclosure with rubber seal -
individually made by GUME

GuME Logo

The right material for your plastic empty enclosure

The choice of material determines the rigidity, temperature resistance, chemical resistance and cost of your custom plastic enclosures. As an experienced manufacturer of plastic enclosures, we at GUME process all standard engineering thermoplastics and offer open advice on which material will meet your requirements most economically.

Material Weight Stiffness Temperature resistance Chemical resistance UV and weather resistance Adhesion to rubber Costs
ABS up to approx. 80 °C
PA6 / PA66 up to approx. 120 °C
PA-GF (glass-fibre reinforced) up to approx. 140 °C
PC (polycarbonate) up to approx. 130 °C
Polybutylene terephthalate up to approx. 140 °C
POM up to approx. 100 °C
PP up to approx. 100 °C
PPS up to approx. 220 °C
PEEK up to approx. 260 °C

The matching housing seal
regarding your plastic empty enclosure

Not every seal suits every application. Because we also develop the seal in our plastic enclosure manufacturing, we tailor the rubber material to your operating environment such as chemicals, temperatures, outgassing and standards – without the compromises that standard goods entail. This allows simple protection classes like IP54, as well as the highest protection class IP69, to be reliably achieved.

Very good adhesion, economical processing, particularly for batch sizes of 1,000 units and above

Reliable for outdoor use, resistant to UV radiation, ozone and hot water, not suitable for oils and fuels

For empty enclosures that come into contact with mineral oils, fuels or hydraulic fluids

Exceptional resistance to aggressive chemicals and fuels at continuous temperatures of up to +200 °C – the high-performance material amongst elastomers

Resistance to aggressive chemicals and at temperatures up to +200 °C – in combination with high-temperature-resistant thermoplastics such as PPS or PEEK

Wide operating temperature range from −50 °C to +220 °C, FDA-compliant and predestined for food and medical technology applications

Robust all-round solution for weather resistance, ozone resistance and moderate contact with oils, greases and refrigerants

Plastic housing with seal in 4 manufacturing steps

The production of a plastic housing with a vulcanised-on rubber seal is a multi-stage process in which plastic and rubber processing intertwine. At GUME, all steps run under one roof – from tool design to the tested assembly.

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Design and material specification

At the beginning stands the constructive design of the plastic housing and cover as well as the material pairing. Plastic and elastomer must match the media, temperature and pressure, and be chemically compatible. We determine the sealing groove, wall thicknesses and type of closure – such as screw fastening, snap hooks or ultrasonic weld seam – together with you.

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plastic housing injection moulding production

Anschließend werden das Gehäuse aus Kunststoff und – falls gewünscht – der Deckel in den zuvor im eigenen Werkzeugbau gefertigten Spritzgusswerkzeugen produziert. Das aufgeschmolzene Kunststoffgranulat wird unter hohem Druck in die Kavität eingespritzt, kühlt dort kontrolliert ab und wird anschließend entformt. Für ein dichtes Gehäuse aus Kunststoff sind gleichmäßige Wandstärken, definierte Entformungsschrägen und eine präzise ausgelegte Dichtungsnut erforderlich.

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Preparation of the bonding surfaces and vulcanisation bonding

Die Dichtungsflächen werden gereinigt, entfettet und je nach Werkstoffpaarung mit einem haftvermittelnden Primer behandelt. Anschließend wird der Gummicompound im Vulkanisationswerkzeug unter Druck und Temperatur direkt angespritzt – am Leergehäuse, am Deckel oder an beiden. Es entsteht eine stoffschlüssige Verbindung, bei der im Versagensfall der Gummi reißt.

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Assembly, testing and quality assurance

Upon request, we handle the pre-assembly of empty plastic enclosures and covers, including threaded inserts and press-fit nuts or customer-supplied parts. Each assembly undergoes a defined quality control process: dimensional accuracy, surface finish, and, where required, leak testing up to the requested protection class. Only then is the enclosure dispatched to you.

You have questions about
Plastic empty enclosures with seal?
We have answers!

The connection is created either by two-component injection moulding, where the plastic housing and elastomer seal are joined in the same tool, or by subsequent vulcanisation using a bonding agent. In both cases, a material bond is created that is so resilient that, in the event of failure, the rubber tears rather than the interface with the plastic. The crucial factor is the compatibility between the thermoplastic and the rubber, which we determine together with you during the design phase.

As a rule of thumb, injection moulding becomes cost-effective at around 500 to 1,000 units, depending on component size and complexity. Whilst 3D printing is flexible, it has significant disadvantages regarding surface quality, dimensional accuracy and sealing surfaces.

Yes, both are easily possible. For transparent housings, we use materials such as PC. Plastic housings in black, white or colour are dyed directly in the injection moulding process using colour pigments and the granulate – this is long-term stable, scratch-resistant and available in almost all RAL shades.

In ultrasonic welding, the joining surfaces are locally melted under pressure by high-frequency mechanical vibrations (typically 20–35 kHz) applied by the housing manufacturer. A dedicated energy director seam concentrates the energy onto the joining zone. Within fractions of a second, a material-locking, tight joint is created without adhesive or additional components. As a plastic housing manufacturer, we not only produce, but also, if required, assemble components inside your custom-made plastic housing and weld the housing halves together using ultrasound.

Kabeldurchführungen werden über Kabelverschraubungen (z. B. M-Verschraubungen mit Dichteinsatz), umspritzte Grommets oder direkt aufvulkanisierte Elastomerdurchführungen realisiert. Die Bohrung wird bereits im Spritzguss des Leergehäuses aus Kunststoff vorgesehen. Bei korrekter Auslegung sind Schutzklassen bis IP68 zuverlässig erreichbar – auch bei mehreren Kabeln unterschiedlichen Durchmessers.

Yes. Plastic housings can be painted, pad printed, laser marked or provided with functional coatings (e.g. EMC shielding). However, whenever possible, we recommend colouring via pre-coloured granules directly during injection moulding – this saves process steps and is more stable in the long term. Laser marking is particularly well suited for labelling, as it is abrasion-resistant and requires no additional media.

Yes, both are achievable. Relevant factors for plastic enclosures with IP68 or similar protection classes are wall thickness, material selection, seal cross-section and the design of the mating surfaces. For underwater applications, we rely on hydrolysis-resistant thermoplastics such as PBT or PPS in combination with sealing materials designed for continuous immersion. For high-pressure applications, we specifically dimension wall thicknesses, rib structures and seal geometry to suit the required operating pressure.

Kunststoffgehäuse sind immer dann die erste Wahl, wenn Metall zu schwer, zu teuer oder elektrisch ungeeignet ist. Typische Einsatzfelder sind Kunststoffgehäuse für Elektronik und Steuerungstechnik, Gehäuse in der Medical Technology aus Kunststoff, Automotive und E-Mobilität, Sensorgehäuse aus Kunststoff, sowie im Industrie- und Anlagenbau. In Verbindung mit einer aufvulkanisierten Dichtung erfüllen sie dabei zuverlässig auch anspruchsvolle Schutzklassen- und Medienanforderungen bis IP69.

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