Douglas Electrical Components, Inc. (DECo), has developed back potted epoxy hermetic seals as fast, flexible, reliable and low-cost alternatives to expensive standard ceramic or glass seals. The back potted epoxy seals provide a fully harnessed pressure and vacuum sealing solution that can be customized to meet customer needs. DECo provides fully harnessed back potting solutions that avoid some of the drawbacks associated with generic glass or ceramic connectors, which traditionally come supplied with only solder cups or PCB tails, creating potential points of failure. Without a wire harness, these connectors also need additional assembly work and potential investment in tooling, training, quality control and testing. With a nimble solution not limited by months of turnaround time, engineers are able to respond more quickly to changes in design. "We engineered our back potting solution to allow us to use common connector and wire harness materials and our own epoxy material, providing the customer with a totally customized and prewired solution in weeks instead of months," said Ed Douglas, president of Douglas Electrical Components. "At DECo, we recognize that connectors should be seamlessly integrated into a project rather than be a cause for costly delays." Design engineers can specify from a range of commonly available plastic and metal connectors, from jam-nut and o-ring to wall mount, radial o-ring and others including the accommodation of fiber optic connectors and cables. Today's range of high-performance epoxies greatly extend the application range of this versatile hermetic sealing option; the DECo epoxy material can withstand pressure up to 15,000 PSI and temperatures ranging from cryogenic to over 350F. Current application areas for back potted seals include semiconductor fabrication, HVAC compressors, magnetic bearing enclosures, electrical switch gears, X-ray machines and military applications.
