Waterproof USB-C Bulkhead Cable for Panel Mounts

Q: What is the minimum order?

Sample quantity starts at 5 pcs with 3 working days to ship. Once the sample is approved, production from 500 pcs takes 14 working days.

Overview

A kiosk, a vending machine or a charge point needs a port that the public can reach and that the weather cannot. The standard answer is a bulkhead fitting: a sealed shell that mounts through the panel, with a sealed lead on the inside going to the equipment and a cap on the outside for the times nobody is plugged in. This waterproof USB-C bulkhead cable is that assembly, with the inside leg built to the length and connector your board actually needs.

Key Specifications

Product type	Waterproof USB-C bulkhead cable
Interface	Quoted USB 3.1 Gen2 at 10 Gbps – to be confirmed
Power	Quoted around 60 W – to be confirmed
Ingress protection	IP67 / IP68 when mated, dust cap supplied – to be confirmed
Panel cut-out	Quoted 12 to 13 mm and 20.8 mm patterns – to be confirmed
Shell material	Quoted nickel-plated PBT or PA66 – to be confirmed
Temperature range	Quoted -40 to +80 degrees C – to be confirmed
Inside leg	Built to your internal routing length and board connector

What the IP rating actually covers

IP ratings are defined by IEC 60529. The first digit is solid ingress, where 6 means dust-tight. The second covers liquid, and the levels used on panel ports are these:

Rating	Definition under IEC 60529	Typical panel port use
IP65	Low-pressure water jets from any direction	Sheltered outdoor equipment, wiped or rained on
IP67	30 minutes immersed at 1 m	Exposed kiosks, vehicle exteriors, deck fittings
IP68	Continuous immersion at a depth agreed with the manufacturer	Marine and below-grade installations
IP69K	High-pressure hot washdown, from ISO 20653	Food and beverage, washdown areas

Two qualifications matter more than the number. A rating applies to a mated pair or to a capped port, which is why the dust cap is part of the assembly rather than an accessory. And the seal depends on the shell being pulled flat against a clean, flat face – a warped panel or a painted recess will leak regardless of what the fitting is rated to.

Those two qualifications decide the outcome more often than the digits do. For the conditions each class is tested under, see the IP rating reference.

Where a sealed bulkhead is required

Installation	Exposure	What to specify
Outdoor self-service terminal or kiosk	Rain, public use, cleaning	Sealed shell, dust cap, IP67 class when mated
Vending and payment machines	Spilled liquid, hose-down at the front	Sealed shell, cap retained on a lanyard
Marine navigation displays	Salt spray, continuous wetting	Corrosion resistant shell, IP68 class
Recreational vehicle compartments	Road spray, dust, temperature swing	Sealed shell, jacket rated for the band
Instrument cases and charge points	Outdoor standing water	Sealed shell plus a drain path in the panel design

Start from the panel, not from the electrical spec

Two things decide the part number before anything electrical is discussed: the wall thickness and the cut-out you can make. Competitor listings for this class quote panel openings around 12 to 13 mm and a larger 20.8 mm pattern. Measure the panel, note what tooling you have, and confirm the thread or fixing method. Then check three more things:

Flatness of the mounting face – the seal needs a clean, flat surface to compress against.
Wall thickness – the thread or the nut has to have something to grip.
The inside leg – its length and the connector the board expects, so we do not coil a surplus inside a sealed box.

Shell and jacket

The shell is quoted as nickel-plated PBT or PA66. Sealing is to the stated rating when mated, with a dust cap for the unmated state, and the operating band is quoted as -40 to +80 degrees C. Every one of those figures comes from competitor material and is on the confirmation list; the values your assembly is built and verified to are the ones stated on your drawing.

Data and power through a bulkhead

The interface is quoted at USB 3.1 Gen2, 10 Gbps, with around 60 W of power. Note what a bulkhead does to that: it adds a connector pair to the path, and that pair is exactly where a marginal link loses margin. If the run is long on either side of the panel, say so at enquiry stage, because the rate and the reach are traded against each other through the feedthrough.

Typical applications for this waterproof USB-C bulkhead cable

Outdoor self-service terminals and ticketing kiosks, alongside our waterproof USB-C panel pigtail for the inside leg
Vending and payment machines with a public-facing service port
Marine navigation displays and deck equipment, with our IP68 deck feedthrough cable for other services
Recreational vehicle compartments and instrument cases
Cabinet and enclosure service ports built as a control cabinet service interface

Where the enclosure already uses a keystone frame, our IP67 keystone panel frame and IP67 RJ45 panel coupler cover the Ethernet side of the same wall.

How to specify

Panel cut-out and wall thickness, measured on the actual enclosure.
Fixing method – thread, nut or bracket.
Rating required, and what the enclosure is actually exposed to.
Inside leg length and connector.
Data and power class needed at the port.
Whether the cap needs a lanyard or a retaining chain.

Workmanship and testing

For Waterproof USB-C Bulkhead builds the line runs to IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 under ISO 9001, terminating 32 to 12 AWG. Every Waterproof build gets a continuity and pinout check before it is boxed, and seal checking is quoted whenever an ingress rating is on the drawing.

RoHS and REACH declarations are provided per project together with the agreed test reports; the documentation scope is listed under certifications and compliance. If your drawing specifies a UL style, we build to that drawing and supply the UL reference with the shipment instead of substituting an equivalent. Sealing follows the insert, gasket and overmold-bond method described under waterproof sealing design and validation, so the rating comes from the joint design rather than from the connector datasheet alone. The wider context is covered under what instrument builds require. Any tooling we cut for this part stays yours, maintained in our own tool room under your part reference.

Custom builds and ordering

Waterproof USB-C Bulkhead prototype lots start from 1 to 50 pcs and ship in 3 working days; production requires 500 pcs and runs 14 working days after approval. Tooling not already held adds around 10 working days. Private-label Waterproof runs ship under your part number and labeling, and we provide material certificates and first-article reports when asked.

Related assemblies

Full range: panel mount cables.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the port sealed when nothing is plugged in?

Only with the dust cap fitted. The rating applies to a mated pair or a capped port, which is why the cap ships with the assembly.

Which cut-out do I need?

Measure the panel first. The patterns quoted for this class are around 12 to 13 mm and a larger 20.8 mm; we build to the cut-out you can actually make.

Does the feedthrough cost me data rate?

It adds a connector pair to the path, and that pair is where a marginal link loses margin. Tell us the run length on both sides and we will size the build accordingly.

What is the minimum order?

Waterproof USB-C Bulkhead prototype lots start from 1 to 50 pcs and ship in 3 working days; production requires 500 pcs and runs 14 working days after sample approval.