Index Marine

Index Marine have become synonymous with Cable Glands over the last 30 years. Many hundred thousand of their small plastic and aluminium M Series deck glands are fitted around the world to sailing boats, power boats, ribs, fishing boats, military vessels, caravans, motorhomes, outside broadcast vehicles as well as numerous industrial applications including commercial, nuclear and renewable energy. The Index Marine Cable Gland is so versatile you will even find it as an integral part of some of the world's best quality HiFi loudspeakers

In addition to their range of Deck Glands, Index Marine also produce a range of alarm, monitor and control panels. These allow fluid levels and exhaust temperatures to be managed in a variety of environments.

Index Marine Cable Glands

Index Marine deck glands allow cables and pipes to pass through a boat deck or indeed any flat surface whilst preventing the ingress of air, dust and water. The product has three fundamental pieces. The base, a rubber bung and a top. The base is placed over the hole in the surface through which the cable or pipe passes. The rubber bung is then drilled (if not using one of the pre-drilled range) to suit the cable. Finally the top is placed over the bung which is squeezed tightly between the two halves creating a watertight seal.

The centre bung can drilled to take one or more cables and can even be split from the hole to the edge of the bung to allow a cable to be slotted into the bung whist it still has a connector on the end of the cable. This allows pre terminated cables to be passed through the cable gland aperture allowing items to be removed for maintenance or security without first removing their connectors. This flexible central rubber bung offers a number of benefits over a permanent or solid installation.

Index Marine Cable Glands Benefits

In comparison to fixed installation or panel glands, the Index Marine Deck glands offer a number of benefits;

• No need to remove connectors on cables

• Fully waterproof to IP68

• Quick installation

• Easy to disassemble for maintenance

• Replacement bungs readily available

• Pre-drilled bungs to suit most single cables

• Blank bungs can be custom drilled for any cable

• Multiple cables can be passed through a single bung

• Rubber bung provides flexibility for cable movement

• Rubber bung handles pipework vibration without cracking

Types of Index Marine Deck Gland

Index Marine cable glands come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials to accommodate most applications, the details of which are listed below. In addition to the various options, there are currently two ranges available.

M Series Cable Glands

DG Series Cable Glands

How waterproof is an Index Marine Cable Gland

A properly fitted deck gland will prevent water from entering through the hole in the mounting surface through which the cable or pipe passes. The M series cable glands although they had no official rating are considered to offer at least IP57 protection. This means that occasional exposure to up to 1m of water should not present a problem. Index Marine would recommend that the glands are not installed permanently below the waterline, however they should remain watertight during occasional immersion.

The new DG series cable glands have an official IP68 rating, meaning that they are fully dust and waterproof. This offers complete peace of mind and is the best protection available today from any deck gland manufacturer. The DG cable glands are suitable for use in permanently wet situations where their new lower profile rounded design reduces local turbulence. Please note however that to achieve a fully watertight solution, care must be taken to fit the deck glands in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. In particular a sharp blade and sharp correctly sized drill bit are required when not using the pre-drilled range.

How to choose an Index Marine Cable Gland

There are three choices to make when choosing a cable gland. Which range, which size and which material.

We would recommend choosing the Index MarineDG Series Cable Gland range even if you have used the Index Marine M Series Cable Gland in the past. If the additional reassurance of an official IP68 rating is not of importance however, this choice becomes one of design preference.

When sizing a cable gland please allow a minimum of 8mm between any cable and the inside edge of the cable gland top. You should also allow a minimum of 6mm between cables. So for example if you want to install two 4mm diameter cables side by side you will need 8+4+6+4+8mm available and so should choose a 30mm cable gland such as the Index Marine DG30A.

The table below summarises the Index Marine DG Cable Gland range;

What materials are Index Marine Cable Glands made from

The Index Marine DG Series Cable Glands are made from three materials. Whatever the surface material, the design is similar with a plastic base plate onto which the rubber bung and top cover are fixed. The three cover materials are;

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