Good Vents Make Good Housings, from Machine Design (Oct 2006)

The right vent can stop electronics from corroding and failing.

Cindy S. Marra
Senior Applications Engineer
W. L. Gore & Associates Inc.
Edited by Stephen J. Mraz

Watertight enclosures are no guarantee that sensitive electronics will not have problems with dust, dirt, water, and other liquids, especially if the enclosures are in harsh environments. Damaged electronics inside sealed housings are common across many industries. And as electronics get more complex, these problems will get worse.

Most engineers address these problems by making the enclosures as watertight as possible. They seal the enclosure with more rugged O-rings or gaskets, make the enclosures thicker to minimize movement around the seal, and install more bolts around O-rings and gaskets to maintain a proper seal. But these fixes don't address the real cause: pressure changes inside enclosures. Pressure differentials are usually caused by rapid temperature changes, internal gas buildup, or both. Changes in altitude during shipping, along with external pressure fluctuations, also cause problems.

Read more about how GORE™ Protective Vents can help manage these issues in the October 2006 issue of Machine Design.