Marine Electronics Equipment

Protect electronic equipment for improved reliability and longer life

In the marine environment, electronics and other equipment are exposed to a wide range of potentially harmful contaminants. These contaminants, such as dust, moisture and salt, can damage sensitive electronic components in equipment such as engine controls, gauges, depth finders, GPS and radar.

To protect these components, it is necessary to enclose them in water- and air-tight housings. During operation, equipment generates heat that raises the temperature and pressure inside the enclosure. Sudden temperature changes outside the enclosure cause the internal pressure to drop, putting substantial stress on the seals of the housing. For example, rain, wind or splashing seawater can easily cause the internal pressure to drop and create a vacuum of 200 mbar (3 psi) or more inside the enclosure.

To eliminate the vacuum and equalize the pressure, the enclosure attempts to draw in air and moisture. The moisture condenses on the inner walls and displays, potentially causing malfunctions in the sensitive electronics. Also, this process of drawing in air to eliminate the vacuum eventually creates gaps in the housing seals. Once these gaps develop, additional damage from contaminants can ultimately cause the product to fail.

Venting for Protection

Installing a vent in the equipment enclosure effectively protects against the negative effects of pressure differentials. GORE™ Protective Vents are the ideal solution because they allow gas and air to flow freely into and out of the enclosure. At the same time, the proprietary GORE™ Membrane used in these vents is both hydrophobic and oleophobic, which means that it repels water, oil and dirt particles while providing a barrier to moisture, salt and other harmful contaminants. The result improved protection and longer product life.

Realize the Benefits of GORE™ Protective Vents:

• Protection against water, salts and other corrosive liquids through reliable hydrophobic and oleophobic ePTFE properties
• Superior protection against condensation and display fogging due to vapor-permeable membrane
• High-quality sound transmission through the use of acoustically transparentmaterials
• Reduced buildup of hazardous battery gases through continuous diffusion and superior airflow
• Longer, trouble-free service life due to reduced stress on enclosure seals
• Easy integration for design and manufacturing with multiple vent options including rugged designs with UV stability
• Superior global technical support and broad application knowledge from Gore

GORE™ Protective Vents provide value to a wide array of applications in the marine electronics industry including:

Lighting Instruments and Gauges Control Units Navigational devices Sound transmission equipment Buoys