Electronics Protection - Spring 2015 - (Page 17)

Application Feature Waterproof Mobile Device Protection without Compromising Acoustic Quality Today's consumers expect mobile devices to function reliably wherever they are: on the beach, on a ski lift riding to the top of a mountain or hiking through the wilderness. Incipio Technologies, Inc. is a manufacturer of mobile device accessories that are at the forefront of mobile technology. With products sold in more than 40,000 retail locations worldwide, Incipio focuses on making protective accessories available at the time of new device launches. Recently, Incipio was designing a new, rugged case for high-end mobile phones that can withstand challenging environments. Since consumers use these phones to enjoy music, connect with family and friends, and search the Internet with verbal commands, the case required openings that allow sound waves from the phone's transducers to be transmitted clearly. Challenge First and foremost, Incipio's engineering team knew they needed to develop a slim, stylish case that did not compromise the high quality audio performance of the mobile phone. However, they also wanted to increase the level of protection that the case provided, both from contaminants and pressure differentials. Therefore, they needed a material that allowed sound waves to pass through easily while providing Incipio is a global designer and a protection level that meets the IEC manufacturer of mobile device 60529 Ingress Protection IP68 testaccessories such as cases that ing protocol. The IP68 level certifies protect mobile devices. that no dust particulates can enter the case and that it can withstand immersion in two meters of water for one hour. Stemming from Incipio's commitment to offering products at the same time a new mobile device is launched, Incipio required a solution that was easy to integrate into their existing design and would be readily available on a global level. After early testing, the engineering team determined that the product they were currently using would not meet their specifications for the new rugged case. ing the Series GAW325 vent, both teams agreed that developing a customized venting solution would best meet Incipio's need. Engineered with an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) material, the Series GAW325 provides added sound quality, with a maximum transmission loss of less than one decibel (1 dB). The structure of ePTFE also repels water, other fluids and particulates, enabling the vent to meet the waterproof protection level of IP68. In addition, these acoustic vents are backed by a durable adhesive that makes them easy to install manually or by an automated process. According to Carlos Del Toro, director of Product Management at Incipio, integrating GORE Acoustic Vents in the new design enabled them to maintain added acoustic performance in a rugged case that passed third-party testing for dust, water, drop and vibration testing. "Outstanding sound quality is everything to us. Our expectation is that customers will not perceive any degradation of sound when they use our case, and their phone will be protected. At the same time, we usually only have a month of lead time to develop new products in the mobile device industry. Because of Gore's experience with both acoustics and venting technology, they were able to move the sampling process along quickly and deliver a solution that enabled us to meet our customers' expectations without slowing down production," said Del Toro. For more information visit www.gore.com. Solution Incipio's engineering team tested several global alternatives but found that all of them experienced significant dB loss in acoustic performance. They turned to W. L. GORE & Associates for assistance in determining the best solution to deliver the sound quality they wanted and the protection level they needed. Application engineers from GORE's US and Asia Pacific Integrating GORE Acoustic business units worked closely with Vents in a new design enabled Incipio's product team throughIncipio to maintain excellent out the design and development acoustic performance in a rugged case. process. GORE's engineering team recommended installing Gore Acoustic Vents in the case. After testing several prototypes, includwww.ElectronicsProtectionMagazine.com * Spring 2015 17 http://www.gore.com http://www.ElectronicsProtectionMagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Electronics Protection - Spring 2015

Editor's Choice
Predictive Modeling: The Next Frontier in Data Center Condition Maintenance
Don't Forget the Batteries
Military Aircraft Power
Pumped Two Phase Cooling Solutions for Challenging Thermal Management Applications
Identifying the Ideal Mechanical PCB Hardware for Electronic Systems
Bridging the Technology Gap: The Importance of Cyber and Physical Security within the Data Center
Waterproof Mobile Device Protection without Compromising Acoustic Quality
Enclosures
Thermal
EMI/EMC/RFI
Power
Hardware
Contamination
Industry News

Electronics Protection - Spring 2015