Buy Grommets & Blanking Plugs Online in Australia
Grommet & Blanking Plug Sizing — Quick Reference
Grommets protect cables and wires passing through panel holes (preventing chafing and insulation damage from sharp metal edges). Blanking plugs seal unused holes in enclosures. Selection turns on hole diameter, cable diameter, panel thickness, and material (rubber/nitrile for general; silicone for high temp; EPDM for outdoor/UV).
| Type | Hole Diameter Range | Material | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wiring Grommet (Champion CWG) | 4 – 50 mm hole | Nitrile rubber | Auto + marine panels, cable pass-throughs |
| Wiring Grommet (Assortment CA63) | 4 – 50 mm hole range | Nitrile | Workshop standard — sized hole + cable variety |
| Blanking Grommet (Champion CBG) | 4 – 50 mm hole | Nitrile rubber | Sealing unused knock-outs, junction boxes |
| Blanking Grommet (Assortment CA90 — 91pc) | 4 – 50 mm hole range | Nitrile | Panel-builder kit — common sizes ready-to-fit |
| Screw Grommet (Champion CBP12/CBP13) | Small bore (cable retention) | Nitrile + steel | Securing small cables — light fixing |
| Workshop Buddy Grommet Grab Kit | 1/8" – 1" hole (3 – 25 mm) | Rubber | 125-piece all-rounder workshop tray |
| Rubber Grommet Assortment (CA2174) | Mixed metric | Rubber | Maintenance + repair |
| Plastic Trim Clip (CA1735) | — | Plastic | Body + trim work — not for electrical |
Sizing rule: hole diameter = grommet OD groove; inner hole = cable OD; panel thickness = groove depth. Mismatched grommets either fall out or won't fit. Brands: Champion, Workshop Buddy. Companion: cable glands, heat shrink, cable management guide.
Grommets & Blanking Plugs
Grommets protect cables, wires and hoses passing through panel holes, preventing chafing and insulation damage from sharp metal edges. Blanking grommets seal unused holes in enclosures, panels and machine guards. AIMS Industrial stocks a broad range of rubber and nitrile grommets and assortment kits from Champion and Workshop Buddy.
Wiring Grommets
Champion wiring grommets in nitrile rubber (CWG1) are designed for automotive, marine and industrial panel applications where cables pass through cut-outs. Available individually or in assortment kits (Champion CA63) covering a range of hole and wire sizes — ideal for auto electricians, maintenance crews and panel builders.
Blanking Grommets
Champion blanking grommets (CBG series, nitrile) and assortment kits (CA90, 91-piece) provide ready-to-fit solutions for sealing unused holes and knockout plugs in enclosures and junction boxes. Screw grommets (CBP12, CBP13) are suitable for securing cables in smaller-diameter applications.
Assortment Kits
The Workshop Buddy Grommet Grab Kit (125-piece, 1/8" to 1") and Champion CA2174 rubber grommet assortment kit are go-to options for workshops and maintenance teams who need the right grommet on hand without ordering individually. Champion CA1735 plastic trim clip assortment kits extend the range for body and trim work.
For help finding the right grommet size or material for your application, contact our team. AIMS Industrial has been supporting Australian industry since 1988.
Australian industries that drive grommet and blanking plug demand
Grommets and blanking plugs protect cables and seal openings across nearly every Australian trade. The buyer segments at AIMS span electrical contractors and switchboard builders (rubber grommets line cable entries through metal panels, preventing chafe and short-to-earth), automotive and trailer manufacturing (firewall grommets, harness grommets and chassis loom protection), HVAC and refrigeration (rubber and silicone grommets seal pipework penetrations through cabinet walls), mining and resources MRO workshops (oversized grommets for heavy-duty cable looms on plant), industrial machinery builders (grommet kits in maintenance spares for OEM equipment), and the general workshop trade (mixed grommet assortments to handle the daily "I need one of these" job). Blanking plugs sit in the same category — sealing unused panel cutouts, plugging hydraulic and pneumatic ports during transit or service, and preventing dust ingress into cable entry holes that aren't currently in use.
The material drives the application. Rubber EPDM grommets handle general electrical and panel work with good UV and ozone resistance. Silicone grommets handle higher temperatures (typically -55°C to +200°C) for engine bay, oven and process applications. Nylon and polyethylene blanking plugs handle dust sealing without sealing pressure. Brass and steel threaded blanking plugs seal pressurised hydraulic and pneumatic ports.
How to choose between open, closed and split grommets
Three configurations cover most installation scenarios. Open grommets (the classic ring shape) install over a cable end before the cable is terminated — the cable feeds through the inside diameter and the grommet body sits in the panel hole. Suit new-build installations and rewires where the cable terminations aren't yet made. Closed grommets (membrane grommets) install in panel openings without a cable through them, and the installer pierces the membrane to feed the cable when ready. Suit pre-fitted panels where the cable routing is decided later. Split grommets have a longitudinal slit so the installer can fit them around a pre-terminated cable without disconnecting the end. Suit retrofits, repairs and field service where pulling cable terminations isn't practical.
Sizing follows a two-dimensional rule: inside diameter matches the cable or harness outside diameter (a snug grip without crushing the cable insulation), and panel hole diameter matches the grommet groove diameter (a slight stretch as the grommet seats into the panel hole, generating the seal). The most common Australian grommet kits cover panel holes from 3mm through to 50mm, with cable diameters from 1mm through to 40mm. Bulk single-size grommets cover the specific installation; assortment kits cover the maintenance-spares scenario.
Material specifications and where each fits
The honest material guidance: EPDM rubber is the default for general electrical, automotive and panel work — good UV, ozone and weathering resistance, service range typically -40°C to +120°C, and the cost-per-piece sits low enough to make bulk purchase practical. Nitrile rubber suits oily environments where the grommet sees regular contact with petroleum products — automotive engine bays, hydraulic equipment, fuel system penetrations. Silicone rubber suits high-temperature work — oven cabinets, exhaust system penetrations, process equipment. Neoprene sits between EPDM and nitrile on chemical resistance and is a common spec on older equipment maintenance work. For blanking plugs, LDPE and nylon push-in plugs handle dust-sealing without pressure (panel cutouts, threaded holes during transit), nitrile rubber expanding plugs seal threaded holes against light pressure and chemicals, and brass and steel threaded plugs seal pressurised ports to the appropriate thread spec (BSP, NPT, metric ISO).
Brand depth — what AIMS stocks and why
AIMS Industrial stocks grommets and blanking plugs from Champion Brand and supporting suppliers with the Australian industrial trade focus. Champion's CBG grommet assortment kits are the workshop standard for maintenance spares — a single kit covers most of the daily one-of-these jobs without the operator needing to source single grommets piecemeal. The bulk single-size grommet range covers production-rate work where a sheet-metal fabrication shop or switchboard builder consumes a specific size in volume. The blanking plug range covers LDPE push-in plugs for dust sealing, nitrile expanding plugs for low-pressure sealing, and threaded brass and steel plugs for pressurised port sealing.
Cross-link to AIMS electrical and sealing ecosystem
Grommets and blanking plugs connect to the broader AIMS fluid sealing, electrical and panel hardware category. Companion ranges: Champion brand collection for the broader Champion workshop range, electrical and electronic components for the wider switchboard and cabling category, o-rings and o-ring kits for round-section sealing applications, oil seals and o-rings for rotating shaft sealing, sealants for the chemical seal alternative, and hose clamps for the related hose-fitting hardware. For wire and cable management see wire and cable management and cable clamps and tie mounts.
Common questions about grommets and blanking plugs
What's the right grommet for cable entry into a switchboard cabinet?
For standard switchboard cable entries, EPDM rubber open grommets sized to the panel hole and cable outside diameter are the default. The grommet's job is mechanical protection (preventing the sharp panel edge from cutting through cable insulation over time) plus a basic environmental seal against dust. For switchboards rated to higher IP protection (IP54 and above) the cable entry typically wants a cable gland rather than a simple grommet — the gland provides the certified IP seal that a basic grommet can't guarantee. For low-voltage signal and control wiring, a quality EPDM grommet is fine; for power and main supply cables, specify cable glands.
Can I use the same grommet for hot and cold environments?
EPDM rubber covers the typical Australian workshop range comfortably (-40°C to +120°C) and that includes engine bay underbonnet exposure for most light-vehicle work. For genuinely high-temperature environments — exhaust manifold proximity, oven cabinets, high-power electrical enclosures — step up to silicone rubber (-55°C to +200°C continuous). For cold-room and refrigeration work, silicone outperforms EPDM at the low end. The honest filter: if the grommet feels brittle when squeezed at temperature it's the wrong material — silicone stays flexible across the full range.
How tight should a grommet fit into the panel hole?
The grommet's groove diameter should be slightly smaller than the panel hole (typically 0.5–1.5mm smaller depending on grommet size) so the rubber stretches into place and grips the panel edge. Too loose and the grommet pops out under cable tension; too tight and the rubber tears during installation. Quality grommet kits group sizes by panel hole diameter (not by grommet outside diameter) so the installer picks by the hole and gets the right groove fit. For irregular or burred panel holes, deburr the hole edge first — sharp burrs cut grommet rubber and accelerate failure.
What's the difference between a grommet and a cable gland?
A grommet is a mechanical protection ring — it cushions the cable against the panel edge and provides a basic dust seal, but it doesn't generate clamping pressure on the cable and isn't certified for IP rating purposes. A cable gland is a mechanical clamping fitting (typically with a body, a pressure ring and a sealing washer) that grips the cable, generates strain relief, and provides a certified IP seal. For low-voltage signal work and basic cable protection a grommet is sufficient; for power cables, weatherproof enclosures and rated IP installations specify cable glands.
How do I plug a hydraulic port for transit without leaking?
Push-in plastic plugs are dust-sealing only — they don't hold pressure and they don't hold residual hydraulic oil reliably during transit. For genuine transit sealing of hydraulic and pneumatic ports specify threaded brass or steel plugs matched to the port thread spec (BSP, JIC, NPT, metric ISO) with the appropriate sealing washer or PTFE thread tape on the male thread. Plastic dust caps go on top of the threaded plug for additional contamination protection. The cost of a threaded plug is trivial compared to the cost of cleaning hydraulic oil out of a transport crate.
Are grommet assortment kits worth it versus buying single sizes?
For maintenance and general workshop use, kits are excellent value — the cost of one workshop kit covers what would otherwise be twenty single-size orders, and the buyer has the right grommet on hand when the unexpected job arrives. For production work consuming a specific size in volume, bulk single-size purchase is significantly cheaper per piece. The practical answer for most AIMS customers is one good assortment kit on the shelf for the daily one-of-these jobs, plus bulk single-size purchase for the production rivets and looms that run consistently.
For grommet sizing matched to your cable diameters and panel holes, or blanking plug specifications for hydraulic, pneumatic and panel-sealing work, contact our team.
People Also Ask — Grommets and Cable Bushings
Q: What are grommets used for?
Grommets protect cables, wires, and hoses passing through metal or plastic panels — preventing chafing, abrasion, and electrical short-circuits. Rubber, neoprene, EPDM, or silicone material lines the hole edge so the cable doesn't contact the sharp panel edge. Used in electrical panels, machinery enclosures, vehicle wiring, marine applications, and any pass-through where cables would otherwise be damaged by panel edges. AIMS stocks rubber grommets in metric and imperial sizes.
Q: What size grommet do I need?
Specified by three dimensions: outside diameter (the hole diameter the grommet sits in), inside diameter (the cable diameter passing through), and panel thickness (the groove width that holds the grommet in place). Standard workshop sizes: 5-50mm hole diameter, 2-30mm cable diameter, 1-3mm panel thickness. Match all three dimensions. Wrong-size grommet either won't hold in the hole or won't grip the cable.
Q: Rubber, neoprene, or silicone grommets?
Rubber (natural or SBR): general-purpose, lowest cost, indoor electrical. Neoprene: better weather and ozone resistance, outdoor exposure. EPDM: best weather resistance, UV exposure, outdoor mining and automotive. Silicone: high temperature (-50 to +200°C continuous), food/pharma applications, electrical insulation. Match material to environment: indoor electrical = rubber; outdoor mining = EPDM; high temp = silicone.
Q: How do I install a rubber grommet?
Drill or punch the correct hole size (matching grommet OD). De-burr the hole edge. Lubricate the grommet with a small amount of soap or silicone spray. Compress the grommet and press into the hole — the groove should snap into the panel thickness. Verify the grommet is fully seated all around. Then thread the cable through — grommet should grip the cable lightly without crushing. For pre-installed cables, use split grommets (cut grommets that wrap around the cable).
Q: What's a strain-relief grommet?
A strain-relief grommet (typically more rigid material) grips the cable firmly to prevent it from being pulled through the panel — protects internal cable terminations from pulling forces. Used where cables exit equipment to external connections, particularly portable equipment where the cable gets yanked. Different from simple chafing-protection grommets, which only prevent edge damage. For exposed cable exits, specify strain-relief grommets.