A stainless enclosure protected a cleaning robot used in food or pharmaceutical environments exposed to high-pressure hot-water washdown.
The customer’s challenge
The former enclosure admitted water at seams during hot-water cleaning and retained difficult-to-clean internal corners.
Material and fabrication route
1.5 mm 304 stainless steel with smooth, cleanable welds.
Process route: Laser cutting → bending → continuous welding → electropolishing → sealed assembly → IP69K testing.
Manufacturing changes
Continuous welded seams, large radii and a smooth surface finish removed crevices. Seals selected for 80°C water supported the washdown arrangement.
Engineering analysis
Washdown performance depended on the assembled welds, corners and seals rather than stainless grade alone. Continuous seams and larger radii addressed crevices, while the selected seal arrangement addressed the hot-water exposure. Surface roughness and ingress protection answer different acceptance questions. The recorded IP69K result belongs to the tested enclosure configuration with its actual closures and penetrations.
Inspection and project results
The configured enclosure passed the reported IP69K washdown test without water ingress and met the project’s surface-finish requirement.
| Project measurement or production detail | Recorded value |
|---|---|
| Protection test | IP69K |
| Hot-water temperature | 80°C |
| Surface roughness | Ra ≤0.8 μm |
| Sheet thickness | 1.5 mm |
These figures describe the project configuration and production scope above. Dimensional, material and production details are identified separately from performance tests. For a new order, the inspection method and acceptance criteria should be agreed against the released drawings.
Planning a similar OEM component
A useful RFQ for this application should make the following interfaces and acceptance requirements clear:
- Closure and penetration drawings.
- Hot-water washdown conditions.
- Corner, weld and roughness requirements.
- Configured-enclosure protection acceptance.
Include the current drawing revision, mating-component information, quantities and required delivery sequence. Identifying unresolved requirements at quotation stage helps distinguish fabrication work from the equipment-level checks that the project needs.
For related manufacturing support, review our Washdown Robot Stainless Steel Enclosures and sheet metal quality capabilities. Use the existing quotation form below to share the drawing package for review.
