IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
(OP)
Hi,
I am looking for a membrane to go accross a vent in a totem that is housing electrical equipment. This vent needs to be IP rated to about IP67. I found Gore Membrane vents but these are not made in the UK and will take 12 weeks to get here if not in stock. So is there any other type I can use that will keep my electrics safe?
Thanks for your time.
Rob
I am looking for a membrane to go accross a vent in a totem that is housing electrical equipment. This vent needs to be IP rated to about IP67. I found Gore Membrane vents but these are not made in the UK and will take 12 weeks to get here if not in stock. So is there any other type I can use that will keep my electrics safe?
Thanks for your time.
Rob





RE: IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
I'd work with them to try and figure out how much you need so they can be properly stocked, and you can stay stocked.
James Spisich
Design Engineer, CSWP
RE: IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
Rob
RE: IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
Vent?
IP67?
IP67 is protection from temporary immersion. Is there really a membrane that works at this?
RE: IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
You might try searching for "porous PTFE membrane ip67"
http://machinedesign.com/article/porous-ptfe-0308
http://www.dewalindustries.com/porus_film.htm
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RE: IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
Thanks
Rob
RE: IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
The whole point of that style of vent is to equalize pressure so all undue stress is removed from your positive seals. It does not instantly change the pressure from a spike to equal, but it's quick enough allow your main seals to work.
James Spisich
Design Engineer, CSWP
RE: IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
Rob
RE: IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
You can have airflow, or you can meet IP67.
How about circulating airflow contained entirely inside your enclosure? No membranes. Reliable seals.
RE: IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
RE: IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
A heck of a lot more easily than applying a reliable seal with air flowing in and out of the structure.
RE: IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
That pressure equalization takes stress off of the seals so they can work properly.
You can use these in conjunction with an internal air-flow to distribute internal heat across your entire enclosure instead of being localized somewhere.
James Spisich
Design Engineer, CSWP
RE: IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
Are you moving the enclosure between ground level and some high elevation like 10,000 or 20,000 feet?
I have designed enclosures, sealed, with breather desiccators to equalize pressure. I was controlling dust, and EMI. An enclosure that is both submersible, and set up to equalize pressure inside and outside, sounds like a serious challenge.
If this were my problem, I would work out just how submersible your enclosure has to be. My reference here describes IP67 as "temporary immersion". Perhaps your customer will agree that some parts of your housing will never be immersed. This gives you a place to install a breather desiccator.
My next approach would be to analyze a sealed bellows. This might not turn out to be a bulky, amateurish kludge!
Failing all that, you are designing a pressure vessel.
RE: IP Rated Membrane Vents to keep electronics safe
It's quite a unique and challenging environment. Trying to protect against the elements, and extremely acidic and caustic cleaning agents (1.0ph low to 15ph or so high end).
Which by the way, those Gore vents are oleophobic and excellent chemically. The only issue I have with them, is chlorine cleaners react with the acrylic adhesive such that it loses its stickyness until the chlorine flashes off, then it will stick again. So I'd have to use an o-ring backer to compress an adhesive vent to my enclosure so it can't move.
James Spisich
Design Engineer, CSWP