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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EMI Shielding Gaskets for Military Electronics

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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Military Vehicle Insulation

Military Vehicles

Thermal acoustic insulation is used in the floors, doors, side panels, and engine bays of military vehicles. Many different types of insulating materials are available, but you don’t need to be a material scientist to make the right choice. By choosing an experienced custom-fabricator who provides design assistance and help with material selection, you can strengthen your product designs as well as your supply chain. That’s why the North American defense industry asks Elasto Proxy for thermal acoustic solutions. (more…)

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Silicone Hatch Seals Resist Compression and Temperature

Silicone Hatch Seals | ST-375-23-SM
Silicone Sponge ST-375-23-SM

Elasto Proxy custom-fabricates silicone hatch seals for demanding applications. These specialty gaskets support superior sealing with good compression set and temperature resistance.

Gasket designers want rubber hatch seals that are as tough as the vehicles, equipment, and infrastructure that need them. If a hatch seal can’t withstand compression, it may over-compress and admit wind, water, dirt, or mud. If a hatch seal can’t withstand a wide range of temperatures and outdoor environmental conditions, seal failure can result, too. If you need hatch seals for military vehicles, mobile equipment, marine applications, or HVAC systems, there’s plenty to think about. Fortunately, help is available.

For every hatch seal design, compound selection is critical. As readers of this blog learned last March, choosing the right rubber won’t stop enemy fire, but choosing the wrong rubber can result in over-compressed hatch seals on military vehicles. That’s why although neoprene rubber offers an excellent balance of material properties, this elastomer wasn’t the best choice for the military gaskets that Elasto Proxy inspected. After examining the results of over-compression, we recommended silicone sponge rubber seals instead. Is this same elastomer right for your application, too? (more…)

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Military Vehicle Gasket Materials

Have you ever wondered why the military uses so many acronyms? It’s because soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines need to convey information quickly, accurately, and efficiently. That’s why suppliers to the defense industry are also more likely to hear a term such as “MRAP” than the phrase “mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle”.  For defense contractors who want to win new business, mastering these acronyms can be like learning a new language.

Like any specialized discipline, gasket design has its own language, too. For example, many rubber gaskets are made of synthetic elastomers with names such as Buna-N and EPDM. Published specifications such as ASTM D2000 use letters and numbers to “call out” the properties of vulcanized rubber in a highly-structured way. Units of measure such as durometer (hardness) are sometimes unfamiliar, so buyers and designers may need assistance in order to translate the language of rubber into project specifications. That’s just part of how Elasto Proxy can help. (more…)

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