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bl2512-aviation-marine-defence-a

SURVIVAL IN CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTS

Plastic enclosures for marine, aviation and defence electronics must strike a balance between ruggedness, weight, manufacturability and compliance. While the three sectors differ in their operational extremes and regulations, there are core design principles and attributes that overlap.

Mechanical strength, sealing, thermal management, electromagnetic integrity and ease of integration (mounting, connectors, access) are vital for any good plastic enclosures for demanding environments.

Devices destined for these roles need enclosures that can resist shock, vibration, flexing and mechanical wear over time. Fortunately, modern engineering-grade plastics can deliver excellent rigidity, impact resistance and fatigue life – often with significant weight savings over their metal counterparts.

HOW STRONG MUST THE ENCLOSURE BE?

Marine, aviation and defence electronics are routinely handled by crews wearing gloves, using tools or working under pressure. Equipment can be dropped, bumped or handled carelessly during installation, transportation or maintenance.

An IK07 or IK08 impact rating confirms that the housing can withstand these knocks without cracking, deforming or compromising the internal electronics. The IK rating scale originally ran from IK00 (no protection) to IK10 (extremely high impact resistance). In 2021, an additional IK11 value was added.

Each level corresponds to an energy value measured in joules (J). It represents the kinetic energy of an impact that the enclosure can survive without significant damage.

  • IK07 = 2 joules – equivalent to a 500 g object dropped from 400 mm.
  • IK08 = 5 joules – equivalent to a 1.7 kg object dropped from 300 mm.

These might sound small but the impact energies simulate realistic knocks, drops or collisions encountered during maintenance, handling or environmental stress.

INGRESS PROTECTION

Environmental sealing is crucial. Enclosures specified for the outdoors must prevent the ingress of dust, salt spray, moisture or pollutants. Consider housings rated to IP 65 (protection against 30 kPa water jets), IP 66 (100 kPa temporary flooding) or IP 67 (30-minute immersion, 150-1,000 mm).

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