When a
manufacturer of military vehicles isn't satisfied with a product design, more
than just the bottom line is at stake. For coalition forces in Iraq and
Afghanistan, armored fighting vehicles provide mission-critical force
protection. Most military observers focus on features like the steel plating
and the guns, but this type of vehicle won't deploy anywhere without a big
diesel engine under the hood.
In military
vehicles such as armored personnel carriers, diesel engines run hot and loud.
Without engine bay insulation, this heat and noise could put both the
powerplant and military personnel at risk. Thermal acoustic insulation must
also meet flame, smoke, and toxicity (FST) standards. In addition, engine bay
insulation must withstand vehicle wash-downs and exposure to detergents and other
cleaning chemicals.
Technical Design
As the
manufacturer of military vehicles explained to Elasto Proxy, power washing had
become especially problematic. The engine bay insulation, a regular
polyurethane foam with a heat-resistant Mylar facing, proved unsuitable for
hose downs. The defense manufacturer wanted to replace this thermal acoustic
insulation, but still needed to meet all of its other application requirements.
That's when
Elasto Proxy's technical design team applied its expertise in building
"insulation sandwiches" from thermal and acoustic materials. By using foams,
fillers or barrier materials, and adhesives, Elasto Proxy can design custom
insulation that dissipates heat, quiets noise, and even dampen vibrations. The
specialty insulation we can design is ideal for engine bays, but that's not
where our expertise ends.
Compound Selection
During compound selection, technical buyers and product designers may be challenged by the many
different choices for insulating materials. For example, do you need ether,
ester, polyurethane, Triamid, or silicone foam? If so, which grade or type will
meet your requirements? With insulation sandwiches, which type of adhesive
meets FST requirements and can handle exposure to cleaning chemicals?
In the case of
the defense industry manufacturer, Elasto Proxy researched the available
materials and recommended a high-temperature silicone foam with acoustical
properties. The laminated facing material that we selected was specialized, and
resisted engine-cleaning chemicals. Armed with expert technical design and
compound selection, the vehicle manufacturer's mission now became custom
fabrication.
Custom Fabrication
Initially, the
military vehicle manufacturer just wanted some sample parts. That's where
Elasto Proxy's water jet capabilities saved time and money. Unlike die cutting,
water jet cutting doesn't require metal dies or expensive setup charges. This
makes water jet cutting ideal for parts prototyping and low-to-medium volume parts manufacturing.
Water jet
cutting is great for rubber and plastic, but also works well with thermal and
acoustic foams. The high pressure heads in our water jet machine enable Elasto
Proxy's skilled production personnel to cut multiple sheets or parts at the
same time. Our custom fabrication expertise also extends to adhesive bonding.
From insulation sandwiches to taped gaskets, we supply sealing and insulations
that stick.
How Can We Help You?
For the
manufacturer of military vehicles, partnering with Elasto Proxy meant more than
just solving their problem with thermal acoustic insulation. Since then, we've helped
this defense industry leader with cost-effective redesigns for new military
contracts and space restrictions. Today, the military vehicles that we help
keep cool and quiet are used by Canada, the United States, and several other
countries.
Does your business serve the defense
industry? How can Elasto Proxy help solve your sealing and insulation
challenges? Contact Us
Note: Elasto Proxy also provides M83528 connector gaskets.
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