Protecting Drone Electronics with Sealing Solutions

Background

When it comes to keeping the electrical component in your device safe and secure, it is vital that you have the proper seal to keep out anything that could disrupt its function. A PGC customer, who specializes in manufacturing autonomous drones, reached out to PGC while developing a new product line. This customer needed a series of gasket materials to prevent dust, dirt, and moisture from entering the electrical housing.

Challenge

With the launch of their new line of drones fast approaching, the customer required a solution with a quick turnaround time. However, the customer did not have any prints, material specifications, or tolerances. As a result, PGC engineers had to work with the customer to build these part programs from the ground up.

Solution

With PGC’s experience in sealing plastic housings, our engineers worked to help develop the necessary prints for each part program. There were numerous meetings to develop the specifications and create DXF files for all components. These steps were essential to establish the yields needed for quick material quotes. All ten part programs needed similar materials; the critical needs were consistent environmental sealing from weather and temperature and wind-driven moisture. Therefore, we looked at the most effective, cost-efficient materials we could access quickly. After thoroughly evaluating the requirements, cellular closed-cell blended sponge rubber was recommended as the best solution.

Results

The initial selection of medium-density sponge rubber with a 3M acrylic PSA on one side performed very well in prototyping and preliminary pre-production builds. Within a few weeks of the original request, prototypes were on their way to the customer. The customer expressed their appreciation for PGC’s engineers, speed, and material knowledge.