UGV Gaskets for Unmanned Vehicles and Systems

Unmanned ground vehiclesUnmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) need rubber UGV gaskets that can help protect sensitive electronics from high heat. UGVs also need weather-resistant door and hatch seals, and custom gaskets for cameras and LED lights that can handle extreme temperatures while keeping out water and dust. Manufacturers of UGV electronics, vehicle bodies, and imaging systems must meet different requirements, but custom fabrication can solve sealing and insulation challenges across the UGV supply chain.

Elasto Proxy, a global supplier of specialty rubber products, custom-fabricates the rubber gaskets that unmanned systems need. In this article, the second in a series about unmanned vehicles, Elasto Proxy examines three types of UGV gaskets: thermally-conductive insulation, environmental seals, and rubber gaskets for cameras and LED lights. Part 1 of this series covered UAV gaskets. Future articles will examine seals and insulation for USVs, UUVs, commercial drones, and unmanned system accessories. (more…)

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UAV Gaskets for Unmanned Vehicles and Systems

UAVs GasketsUnmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) need rubber gaskets that can protect UAV components from environmental conditions, flexural fatigue, and electromagnetic interference (EMI). Manufacturers of antennas, avionics, and airframes face different sealing and insulation challenges, but custom fabrication offers the UAV supply chain a value-added solution. Elasto Proxy, a leading supplier of specialty rubber products, custom-fabricates the rubber gaskets that unmanned systems need.

In this article, the first in a series about unmanned vehicles, Elasto Proxy examines three types of UAV gaskets: UAV antenna gaskets, silicone gaskets with high flex-fatigue resistance, and EMI shielding gaskets. Future articles in this series will examine EPDM gaskets and foam insulation for UAV cases, and sealing and insulation solutions for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), and commercial drones. (more…)

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Data Center Cooling Systems: HVAC Seals, Gaskets, and Insulation

Data Center Cooling SystemsData center cooling systems need to maintain temperatures that support the continuous and reliable performance of information technology equipment (ITE) such as blade servers, networking switches, and routers. If heat isn’t removed from the vicinity of sensitive ITE components, overheating can occur. If servers get too hot, onboard logic will turn-off computers to avoid damage. This protects data center assets, but results in downtime and loss of efficiency.

Data center servers can run at temperatures that aren’t high enough to trigger a shut-off, but doing so can reduce equipment life. Humidity levels and airborne contamination can impede performance, too. For data center owners, developers, and operators, the high cost of cooling is especially problematic. As Pacific Gas & Electric explains in its Data Center Best Practices Guide, data centers can consume 100 to 200 times as much electricity as standard office spaces. (more…)

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Military Thermal-Acoustic Insulation

Thermal-Acoustic InsulationThermal-acoustic insulation for military land systems absorbs heat and sound. These composite structures are used in engine compartments, doors, floors, side panels, and hatch covers. Elasto Proxy custom-fabricates thermal-acoustic insulation from foams, films, facings, and other specialized materials that meet your requirements. Our capabilities include water jet cutting for precise cuts, lamination for the reliable joining of different materials, and taping for thermal-acoustic insulation that’s easy-to-install.

For designers of military vehicles, it’s important to specify thermal-acoustic insulation that supports the mission. The big diesel engines that power military land systems run hot and loud. Heat and noise from the engine bay don’t just make the crew compartment uncomfortable. The air conditioning needs to run constantly, soldiers can’t hear each other over engine sounds, and the vehicle’s thermal profile is more susceptible to infrared detection. High heat can damage vehicle electronics, too. (more…)

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Military Vehicle Engine Bay Insulation

Military Land SystemsEngine bay insulation for military vehicles keeps noise and heat in the engine bay from reaching the passenger compartment. The diesel engines that power military land systems run loud and hot, raising concerns about solider health and safety. Warfighters need to be able to hear each other above engine sounds, and a vehicle where the air conditioning runs full-blast is less fuel-efficient. Hotter vehicles also have stronger heat signatures, making them more susceptible to thermal detection by hostile forces.

Thermal-acoustic insulation is important, but manufacturers of military vehicles also need to protect on-board electronics and instruments from sound-induced vibrations. Otherwise, these noise disturbances can shorten equipment life through component failure. Resistance to flash and fire supports the mission, too. Engine bay insulation must also resist oil and automotive chemicals, withstand washdowns with water and detergents, and support cost-effective fabrication. (more…)

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Military Gaskets

military gasketsMilitary gaskets provide sealing and insulation in some of the world’s most demanding environments. Marine applications include amphibious landing craft, battleships and submarines, and radar and sonar systems. Aerospace applications include aircraft, unmanned systems, satellites, and radar. Military gaskets for land systems are also used in armored vehicles, tanks, tankers, trucks, and onboard electronics.

For design engineers, specifying the right rubber gaskets for military projects can be a complex task. Many defense contractors are familiar with acronyms like MRAP, but has your design team heard of MTAP? This four-letter acronym from Elasto Proxy explains how engineers need to consider media, temperature, application, and pressure during gasket design and compound selection. (more…)

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Military EMI Shielding Gaskets

emi shielding gasketsEMI shielding gaskets for military electronics are used in everything from touchscreens to targeting systems. To prevent electromagnetic interference (EMI) from disrupting electronic equipment, Elasto Proxy custom-fabricates EMI shielding gaskets from particle-filled silicones. These specialized materials combine the materials properties of silicone rubber with the electrical properties of metal. Elasto Proxy uses waterjet cutting to convert shielding silicones, and bonds cut lengths with conductive adhesives.

EMI gaskets from Elasto Proxy meet the requirements of MIL-DTL-83528, a U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) specification for electrically-conductive elastomeric shielding gaskets. MIL-DTL-83528 establishes minimum shielding effectiveness levels for various material types over a frequency range of 20 MHz to 10 GHz. MIL-DTL-83528 also specifies hardness or durometer (Shore A) measurements for shielding silicones that are categorized as low, medium, or high durometer. (more…)

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Military Land System Rubber Gaskets

Military Land SystemsRubber gaskets for military land systems provide sealing and insulation under battlefield conditions. These reliable rubber products are found in main battle tanks, light armored vehicles, armored fighting vehicles, weapons systems, and mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles. As a gasket fabricator that’s been serving the defense industry for over 25 years, Elasto Proxy supports military land systems from gasket design assistance and compound selection to custom fabrication, warehousing, and logistics. (more…)

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Military Acoustic Thermal Insulation

Americans say “Zee” for the letter Z. Canadians say “Zed” instead. In both North American countries, their militaries say “Zulu” so that radio or telephone messages can be understood clearly. If you’re a defense contractor that makes military vehicles, it’s important to know you’ll receive exactly what you asked for. Elasto Proxy, a trusted member of the defense supply chain, can custom-fabricate thermal acoustic insulation that meets all of your requirements.

In this product overview, you’ll learn about two types of thermal acoustic insulation – each with part numbers that begin with Z. So whether you say Zee, Zed, or Zulu, you can count on Elasto Proxy’s U.S. and Canadian offices to support the mission every time. (more…)

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Armored Vehicle Gaskets

Armored vehicles play an essential role in projecting military power and protecting  service personnel. Metal plating and weapons systems are what most observers notice, but closer inspection reveals that rubber parts also help support the mission. In this technical article from Elasto Proxy, you’ll learn about the six types of custom-fabricated components that we supply for a military vehicle that’s been an important part of U.S. and Coalition operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. (more…)

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