Blanking plug BP10

BP10 is a blanking plug in polyethylene (PE) with a matte surface and a low overall height, made to cover holes that are no longer used or should never show: screw holes in sheet metal, feed throughs left over after a rebuild, holes after removed components in enclosures and panels. The plug is pressed into place and turns the hole into a closed, neat surface.

An open hole in a machine cover or an electrical cabinet is rarely just cosmetically annoying. Dust and splashes get in, and in environments where equipment is hosed down every opening becomes a way in for moisture. The same goes for sound; an open hole lets out fan noise and machine noise that a closed surface dampens. The blanking plug closes the way in, and cheaper insurance for electronics and mechanics is hard to find.

The low overall height is the hallmark of the series. The head rises only marginally above the sheet metal, so the plug works even where the space on the outside is limited or where a protruding knob would be in the way: behind doors, under covers, on surfaces where material slides past. A low overall height also means less risk of the plug being knocked out by a blow from the side, and the result looks more like a deliberate detail than a patched hole.

Polyethylene is a soft and tough material that suits the job. The plug springs as it is pressed in and then expands against the edge of the hole; it stays put under vibration but can be pried loose if the hole is to be used again. PE takes moisture, cleaning agents and most chemicals in a normal industrial environment, and for obvious reasons the material never rusts. The matte surface also blends in against powder coated sheet metal considerably better than glossy plastic parts.

The difference from a tube end plug is where it sits: a cover plug closes the end of a tube, while the blanking plug covers a hole in flat material such as sheet metal, panels and profile walls. Keeping the terms apart makes it easier to find the right thing in the range.

This particular product refers to the 16x9 mm size according to the manufacturer's article code. Check the hole diameter and the material thickness against the dimensions in the data sheet before you order; it is the fit against the hole that decides both how the plug sits and how tight the seal turns out. If the plug is going to sit outdoors in direct sunlight you should also check the color and the UV resistance against the data sheet.

In the workshop industry blanking plugs are used continuously by maintenance departments: holes after moved sensors, surplus feed throughs in electrical cabinets, screw holes in machine frames that never got their component. In interiors and store building they cover visible screw holes in tubes and profiles. The habit of keeping a box in the store room saves many makeshift solutions with tape and silicone; anyone who has ever hunted for a plug in the right size on a Friday afternoon knows why. The same plug also turns up in school workshops and lab environments, where equipment is rebuilt often and empty holes otherwise stay behind in benches and panels.

Fitting needs no tools. Press the plug in with your thumb, or tap lightly with a rubber mallet if the fit is tight; never strike the head directly with a steel hammer, as it can deform. If you need to plug open tube ends rather than drilled holes, the cover plugs in the TP series are in the shop.

Not sure whether BP10 suits your hole? Get in touch with the hole diameter and the material thickness and we will help you.