Part Buyers Authority Issue #5

11 • Aerospace: Aerospace demands continue to increase. As the limits of aerospace grow, so do the limits of hermetic seals. It was once a breakthrough for hermetic seals to make it on an airplane, but hermetic seals are now on Mars and the International Space Station. • Military: The military was the first industry to regulate hermetic seals. These standards ensure compatibility, reliability, changeability, and performance standards. Hermetic seals can be found in military planes, ships, submarines, and research equipment. Because the military covers so many industries, it requires diverse seals. This means that the military requires wire and cable seals, connector seals, explosion-proof seals, and even more. • Ground Transportation: Even with specialized needs for hermetic seals, these parts find a way into everyday uses as well. Cars, motorcycles, ATVs, and other ground vehicles utilize hermetic seals. Fuel tanks, batteries, suspensions, fuel injections are all systems that use hermetic seals. The vehicles you use daily require hermetic seals to function. • Oil and Fuel: Hermetic seals, most often wire or explosion proof seals, make an appearance in the fuel industry. It is important to have hermetic seals in this industry as to not allow moisture or dust to disrupt the environment. • Medical: Hermeticity in the medical industry has greatly evolved over time to meet different sterilization and operation requirements. From hermetic packaging to soldered or welded seals, hermeticity is everywhere in healthcare. There are X-Ray machines, CT machines, laboratory equipment, computers, and so much more. All of these devices require that data is transferred properly, and these devices may come in contact with different environments. Dust and moisture cannot pervade any seals; this could affect readings, accuracy, and the operations of the equipment. • Refrigeration Compressors: Refrigeration compressors involve high pressure and condensation, both of which can harm machinery if these environments are not properly contained. Hermetic seals allow for currents to pass through two different pressurized environments without any leakage or disruption from moisture. • Research and Development: Research and Development drives innovation, so it should come as no surprise that R&D pushes the hermetic seal industry to continually broaden and improve. A common seal used in R&D is a thermocouple seal, which provides temperature data. These seals provide temperature measurements where thermometers aren’t practical. IN SUMMARY The concept of hermetic seals has been around for hundreds of years, and while hermetic seals have evolved over the years, the number of applications continues to increase. A quality, reliable hermetic seal is necessary no matter the type, size, material or use. Whether for an implantable medical device or the International Space Station, hermeticity is essential. Visit partbuyersauthority.com to SUBSCRIBE o r CONTRIBUTE as an author. Contact: MARK NUTTBROCK [email protected]