A Case Study on GORE® Acoustic Vents in a Smartphone
Learn how our engineers and our product model GAW333 prevented potentially catastrophic consequences of acoustic inconsistency.
Case Study
kids in water with goggles and a phone

Challenge

Three weeks prior to the launch of their flagship waterproof smartphone, a renowned OEM made a shocking discovery: They found that the vents that were currently in use did not meet the high standards necessary for mass production, resulting in an unusually high number of acoustic failures. This inconsistent performance of the device was not only significantly impairing the production yield but would ultimately damage the client’s reputation and revenue.

To prevent these potentially catastrophic consequences, the client’s acoustic engineer called Gore. We found the root cause of the problem and offered a solution that met our high standards as well as the customer’s needs.

Solution

Knowing the expertise, reliability, and velocity of our technical and lab test support, the client’s acoustic engineer called Gore to provide acoustic consistency data.

This data was then used to conduct an extensive analysis of product and performance variability in the earlier stages of the manufacturing process as well as further testing in the Gore laboratory. The tests were concluded within 24 hours and the resultant data was used to help the client decide on the best possible solution to the problem.

The GORE® Acoustic Vent GAW333 was the best offering to alleviate the problems that the client faced. The Gore product provided much less acoustic variation in the customer’s device and improved the yield loss significantly to a negligible percentage.

The Vent: GORE® Acoustic Vent GAW333

The vent used here was the GORE® Acoustic Vent GAW333. It is available with inner and outer dimensions of 1.6 and 3.2 mm or 2.0 and 3.6, as well as a reference thickness of 0.36 mm or 0.31 mm. Suited for shallow immersion, this standard part provides an IP68 rating and an insertion loss of less than 1.3 dB at 1kHz. For more information on our standard acoustic vents please visit http://www.gore.com/products/gore-acoustic-vents.

image of product model gaw333

Result

Gore’s technical insight and holistic lab test support provided the client with a quick and effective solution to their problem. The knowledge, skill, and expertise of the Gore engineering team was instrumental in providing fast and trustworthy service.

With our help, the smartphone OEM was able to

  • successfully launch their flagship smartphone with minimal delay – thanks to the velocity of our technical support.
  • prevent reputation loss by providing consistent acoustic performance to consumers.
  • avoid significant rework costs by offering a drop-in replacement.
  • produce over one million parts within half a month – thanks to our extremely robust and flexible supply chain able to meet the high requirements of mass production.
  • improve yield from 85% to nearly 100%.
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FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY 

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