EMI and Environmental Sealing for Munitions Applications
Material selection for military applications requires careful consideration, as there are strict requirements to ensure maximum durability, security and of course performance. In munitions, or missiles and missile launch systems, materials that provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and environmental sealing are critical for the functionality and field life of the application.
Let's look at three areas of a munitions application -- specifically nose cones, cable shielding, and connectors, as each of these areas exemplify why EMI and environmental shielding are a necessity.
Nose cones
Nose cones are what goes over the top of missiles, planes and other airborne technologies to assist with aerodynamics and to protect the electronic components inside. In missiles, all the electronics are stored within the nose cone and the fuel is held inside the canister. If these two parts are not properly shielded from each other, contamination can become a catastrophic event.
Therefore, shielding the nose cone from EMI and other outside environmental dangers and shielding the components of the missile from each other is of utmost importance.
Another threat to missile electronic malfunction is external tampering from malicious forces. Unintended or intentional EMI can result in misfires, false trajectory, and other problems. Often, anti-jammers are installed to help prevent this problem in combination with EMI shielding materials.
Cable shielding
Cable shielding is a woven fabric that goes over cables to prevent electromagnetic cross-talk between the cables and the components. Typically, a metal mesh is wrapped around the cables that will prevent any EMI from interacting with the cables or emitting from the cables.
Different amounts of layers can be added to increase EMI shielding effectiveness, however adding more layers will also add more weight. Cable shielding that is lighter, typically non-metal based, is ideal for applications where weight is of concern like in munitions.
Connectors
Connectors are where wires are plugged into to keep electric circuits intact. In munitions, connectors can be a failure point because environmental agents can more easily enter which is why they require more attention to be shielded properly.
The complexity of military electronics has increased significantly on air, sea and land-based applications. The environments in which systems are required to operate are often extreme. Design engineers need to consider wide variations in ambient temperature, shock and vibration, and electromagnetic interference (EMI).
With a wide choice of shielding materials and a range of advanced shielded optical windows, JHC helps ensure the protection of complex electronics from damage and compromised reliability caused by EMI.
Sensitive electronic components can be kept within their operating temperature range limits by using heat management materials that include highly conformable, thermally efficient gap fillers and gels.
JHC offers the products, technical know-how, close customer support and supply chain capabilities to meet these challenges and deliver superior, reliable and cost-effective solutions.
