Defense Electronics, Ground Vehicle & Naval Materials

A conductive elastomer gasket: silicone or fluorosilicone filled with conductive particles, from families whose TDS carry MIL-DTL-83528 type designations (2368 and 2486 silver-aluminum classes, 2569 / 2571 / 2573 silver-copper and silver-glass classes), with elastomer physicals per ASTM D2240 / D412 and conductivity methods per D991 on the same TDS.

The closed-section die-cut construction does the environmental job while the filler network does the shielding job. Where the cover cannot deliver solid-gasket closure force, conductive sponge (EC-2130 class) closes at a fraction of the force.

Specify by the maker's grade and designation. The deep selection treatment lives on the aerospace EMI shielding page. [1]

No material is. IP codes per IEC 60529 are earned by enclosures: the assembled box, with its gasket, fasteners, vents, and tolerances, passes or fails the dust and immersion tests as a unit. A gasket material is commonly evaluated to those program-derived requirements, and its honest contribution is documented on the TDS: compression-deflection class (ASTM D1056 for sponge), compression set over life, and temperature band.

H-O's pages frame ingress this way deliberately: the material keeps the seal compressed and recovered over years. Your program's testing awards the rating. Put the target IP code on the RFQ and engineering will recommend the sponge class and cross-section that give the enclosure its best shot. [4]

The corrosion-resistant conductive grades: 2529 conductive silicone and 2551 conductive fluorosilicone, whose TDS report ASTM B117 salt-fog exposure data in their MIL-DTL-83528 context. The underlying problem is galvanic: a silver-filled gasket against aluminum is a couple, salt spray is the electrolyte, and the joint corrodes from the bond line outward. The CR grades manage the filler chemistry for exactly this duty.

The fluorosilicone adds fuel and fluid resistance for deck-edge and aviation-fuel zones. Material choice is half the fix: pair it with compatible mating-surface plating and joint drainage, and inspect on a schedule taken from the platform's corrosion-control plan. [5]

A closed-cell sponge whose compression-deflection class matches the latch. Compute the closure force per unit length the latch actually delivers, then pick the class (ASTM D1056 on each TDS) and cross-section that reach 20–40 percent deflection inside that budget: BISCO silicone sponge for wide temperature swings and FR documentation, kSil V-0 where the program wants UL 94 V-0 on the gasket TDS, EPDM foam for economical exterior weatherseal, SCE neoprene for trim and covers.

If the seam is also on the shielding boundary, the same force logic moves you from solid conductive elastomer to conductive sponge. The latch force is a fact; the gasket is the variable. [6]

On this page, the FST-rated neoprene (low smoke / low flame / low toxicity, 65 Shore A) is the dedicated grade: its TDS reports UL 94 V-0, ASTM E662 specific-optical-density smoke data, and ASTM C1166 flame propagation, with REACH / RoHS statements. On the sponge side, the kSil super-soft grade (KSV001) reports E162 / E662 data for gasket duty in the same spaces.

The selection rule: in enclosed, occupied compartments, flame class alone is not enough. The safety review will ask what the material emits, so specify by the E662 data line on the TDS rather than by catalog adjectives like "marine-grade." [7]

Several of the conductive elastomer grades' TDSs carry MIL-DTL-83528 type designations and note QPL listings. That status belongs to the material manufacturer and the specific grade, and it is confirmed against the current qualified products database at order time, not assumed from a webpage. H-O's role is converting: we cut the listed maker's material to your drawing and ship it with the maker's TDS and our certificates of conformance, preserving the documentation chain your contract requires.

If your program mandates QPL-sourced gasket material, state it on the RFQ so the right grade, from the right source, with the right paperwork, is on the order from the start. [1]

Specify against compression set, the property that decides whether a permanently clamped gasket is still pushing back in year five. PORON 4701-series micro-gaskets are the standard answer because low compression set is the family's signature (reported per ASTM D3574 on each TDS): the gasket keeps its spring under constant clamp and chassis vibration.

Check the set value at the service temperature rather than room temperature, keep the working deflection inside the grade's documented window, and where the panel sees real shock, size with travel in reserve.

Silicone sponge carries the same logic onto larger, temperature-swung covers. Values per the TDS on file.

Often the sponge family carries over; the data lines that justify it change. A ground vehicle door seal is chosen on closure force, compression set, UV and ozone exposure (EPDM's home turf), and wash-down chemistry. The naval version of the same seam adds two gates: salt-fog corrosion logic for anything conductive (B117 data on the CR grades' TDS) and FST smoke data for anything below deck (E662 on the FST neoprene).

So a BISCO silicone sponge that seals a vehicle hatch may serve a topside locker too, while the below-deck equivalent shifts to documented-FST materials. Specify the environment on the drawing and let each grade's TDS answer for it. [5]

The same documented stack H-O converts for industrial drives, selected with vibration in mind: Sil-Pad class reinforced silicone insulators where the device must float electrically (ASTM D5470 impedance plus D149 dielectric per TDS), Gap-Pad class fillers where tolerance stacks need absorbing, graphite (SpreaderShield, HiTherm) where raw conduction wins, and Secure / Protect adhesive thermal films where fasteners are unavailable and the interface must stay seated through chassis inputs.

Compare candidates per D5470 at the same pressure, declare each interface's electrical role on the drawing, and let the avionics thermal management page carry the family-by-family depth. [8]

Material traceability to the lot and roll, lot-code TDS records, and certificates of conformance to the purchase-order requirements, all under an ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system. The source manufacturers' documentation (MIL-DTL-83528 designations, UL 94 listings, B117 and E662 data, REACH / RoHS statements where published) travels with the converted parts.

H-O does not claim equipment qualifications or registrations it does not hold, and cites military specifications by designation only. Program-specific compliance, sourcing, and documentation requirements are reviewed at quote so the records your contract requires are on the order from the start.

Yes; retrofit is a converting problem more than a material one. From a sample gasket, a worn part, or a reverse-engineered drawing, H-O die-cuts replacement seals and EMI gaskets in the documented families on this page, kiss-cut on liner and kitted per door or per enclosure so depot installation is peel-and-stick in sequence. Conductive foil tapes cover seam repairs and cable-penetration wraps where a full gasket replacement is not practical.

The practical wins are consolidation (one kit per assembly instead of a dozen part numbers) and documentation (every kit traceable to lot and TDS), which is what a maintenance program audits for. Send the sample or the worn part and engineering will quote the kit.

The drawing (DXF, STEP, or PDF) or a sample part, plus the seam context: shield / seal / both, latch or fastener closure force, environment (ground, topside, below deck, coastal), required data lines (83528 designation, UL 94 class, B117, E662), vibration exposure, and the documentation that must travel with the parts. Every part is made to order; sample and production lead times are listed in the process strip above and confirmed with your quote through the form below.

No. H-O is a precision materials converter: we die-cut, kiss-cut, slit, and laminate engineered sheet materials into gaskets, seals, pads, and thermal parts built to your drawing, for the enclosures, vehicles, and support equipment of defense programs. We advise on material selection at the level this page covers, properties, documentation, and converting format, and stay out of weapons-system design, integration, and performance entirely.

You own the design and its qualification. We own dimensional conformance, material traceability, and converting quality on the parts we ship.

Tolerance depends on the material class, the thickness, and the cut method. Soft foams and sponges move more than rigid laminates or films, so the achievable band is material-specific. Flag the critical dimensions on your drawing. Engineering confirms the achievable tolerance band for your geometry at drawing review, before tooling is committed. That review, not a generic chart, is what goes into the quote.

Yes. Send the sample part and engineering measures it, confirms the geometry back to you at drawing review, and quotes from that confirmed geometry. A drawing is still the fastest path, because nothing has to be reverse-measured. A DXF, STEP, or PDF with the material call-out shortens the review.