Overview

Extend Outdoor Product Reliability and Durability in Harsh Environments
GORE® Protective Vents for Other Outdoor Applications

In surveillance and security systems, access control or traffic control systems, or tracking equipment, consistent, accurate performance is critical. Yet harsh environmental conditions can compromise electronic components, creating performance problems, and costly maintenance or warranty service.

GORE Protective Vents provide the optimal combination of breathability and barrier protection to enhance the survival of electronic components. In sophisticated monitoring systems and in other rugged-use products from e-bikes to surfboards, GORE Vents reliably protect against dirt, dust, condensation, humidity and water.

 

Vents from Gore can extend the service life of outdoor equipment, reducing maintenance costs, warranty claims and customer frustrations, because they:

  • rapidly equalize housing pressures, to avert premature seal failure
  • prevent ingress of moisture, wind-driven rain and particulates and other contaminants
  • reduce condensation that can corrode sensitive electronics
  • eliminate the need for “ruggedized” housings, reducing costs and weight
  • provide a compact, venting structure that is easily installed and integrated

GORE® Protective Vents can help your enclosure meet IP and NEMA protection standards. 

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Why Vent?

Electronic enclosures that are installed outdoors are vulnerable to a wide range of environmental hazards that can affect the performance, reliability and life expectancy of the sensitive electronics within.

Problems for Outdoor Electronics:
Enclosure seal

Pressure differentials are created when a sealed enclosure is exposed to rapid, extreme or recurring changes in ambient conditions. Extreme changes in temperature (a sudden thunderstorm on a hot, sunny day), altitude changes (in transit), or the constant heating and cooling cycle of an internal heat source – any of these can cause a pressure differential within a sealed enclosure. A rapid decrease in temperature, for example, can create a vacuum inside the enclosure. If this pressure differential is not dissipated, the vacuum places continual stress on the housing seals. Over time, this can cause seals to fail, allowing moisture and other contaminants such as dust, dirt and other particulates to be drawn inside.

Cloudy pane due to condensation

In addition to failed seals, moisture can get inside enclosures by diffusion – the process by which vapor moves by natural molecular motion through the walls of a polymer enclosure. When water vapor enters a sealed enclosure and has no way to escape, it will condense to a liquid state. If this condensation remains inside the sealed enclosure, it can compromise lens function and corrode sensitive electronics and battery contacts.

Reliable Solutions with GORE Protective Vents:

Equalize Pressures to Protect Housing Enclosures and Seals

Prevent Contamination to Protect Electronics

Reduce Condensation to Protect Against Corrosion

During normal operation and recharging cycles, batteries can generate heat and emit hydrogen or other gases. This can create a hazardous, or even explosive, situation. GORE Protective Vents effectively dissipate hazardous gas molecules. By continuously equalizing pressures inside and outside the battery compartment, they reduce explosion hazards, while maintaining an effective barrier to liquids and particulates.

Gas molecules pass through the membrane

Applications

Venting Solutions for Outdoor Electronics in Diverse Applications
Surveillance and Security Cameras
Surveillance and Security Cameras Internal pressure differentials and condensation can cause lens deflection and image distortion. GORE Vents quickly equalize pressure and reduce condensation, so system images are captured with maximum clarity and reliability.
Tracking Equipment
Tracking Equipment Container tracking devices are vulnerable to contaminants during rail or sea transport. GORE Vents effectively protect against ingress from contaminants, including airborne particulates, drenching rains or ocean sprays.
Outdoor Access Control Systems
Outdoor Access Control Systems Fingerprint, biometric, or badge-reading systems must deliver a clear and precise image, time after time. GORE Vents block dust, dirt and contaminants that can prevent accurate data capture, so systems can operate at peak performance.
Traffic Control Systems
Traffic Control Systems Delicate sensors and electronics must be protected against dust, dirt and other contaminants that could compromise system performance and safety. GORE Vents reliably block contaminants to preserve system reliability.
E-Bikes
E-Bikes E-bike electronics can fail if exposed to high-pressure washes, or to weather and dirt while the bike is transported on a vehicle at highway speeds. GORE Vents reliably protect e-bike displays, control units, motors and battery systems from contamination by water, dust or dirt.
Surfboards
Surfboards Thermal extremes can create internal pressure differentials that can cause surfboards to split, deform or delaminate. GORE Vents rapidly equalize pressure to preserve the integrity and performance life of the board.

 

Product Comparison

Adhesive Vents

Adhesive Series

Screw-in Vents

Screw-In Series

Snap-in Vents

Snap-In Series

IP / NEMA Rating

Better Ingress Protection

Find out which of our vents can help your enclosure deliver the desired protection level according to Ingress Protection (IP) or NEMA Standards.

Resources

Recent News

Event

Join us at the Sensor Symposium in Dresden, Germany

December 5, 2022 - December 7, 2022

Join us at the Sensor Symposium in Dresden, Germany. As one of the event sponsors we invite you to stop by any time to meet with our team at the Sensor Symposium in Dresden.

Event

Join us at iVT Expo 2022

August 31, 2022 - September 1, 2022

In partnership with Sealing Devices, visit Booth #918 at this year’s Industrial & Off-Highway Vehicle Expo in Chicago, Illinois, USA to learn more about our venting technology. We invite you to stop by any time to meet with the Sealing Devices team and to see our venting solutions for improving reliability while reducing design complexity.

News

PolyVent Stainless Steel Brings Premium Performance and Durability to GORE® Protective Vents Screw-In Series

Posted July 13, 2020

PolyVent Stainless Steel brings premium performance and durability to GORE® Protective Vents Screw-In Series. Its premium-quality materials and construction durably withstand the worst hazards: from aggressive industrial chemicals and cleaners to corrosion-inducing salty offshore environments. For added safety, a flammability-resistant GORE™ membrane (UL 94 VTM-0) and O-ring (UL 94 V-0) complement the non-flammable stainless steel body.

News

New GORE® PolyVent XS is 30% smaller, for more design options and easier integration into small, thin-walled outdoor electronics

Posted September 30, 2018

GORE® Protective Vents introduces PolyVent XS, for designers who want to achieve more sophisticated aesthetics in todays smaller, lighter-weight and thinner-walled enclosures. About 30% smaller in every dimension than Gore’s Standard and High-Airflow snap-in vents, PolyVent XS has a smaller diameter and a shorter “head” for less external protrusion – so it’s virtually undetectable when installed. Its shorter “legs” mean less protrusion inside the enclosure, for more room and more design flexibility.

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FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY

Not for use in food, drug, cosmetic or medical device manufacturing, processing, or packaging operations.