Unlike plastic, hermetic products protect against various environmental conditions, including changes in atmospheric pressure, humidity/moisture, soil/grime, and other natural hazards that would otherwise disrupt electrical connections or damage delicate electronics within a hermetic product. Hermetics are constructed from materials that offer continuity of use over a long period of time so you can be rest assured that your electronics are secure and safe.
Who Uses Hermetics and Why?
Product applications that are susceptible to harsh environmental conditions and whose disrupted functionality could cause catastrophic outcome require the use of hermetics. For example:
- The Petrochemical industry uses hermetics to protect sensors and electronics in downhole drilling exploration equipment. Exposed to dirt, oil, grime and extreme pressure, hermetic connectors, terminals and headers, as well as microelectronic packages are able to meet these stringent requirements
- The Aerospace industry uses hermetic connectors, hermetically sealed terminals and hermetically sealed headers in many systems within an airplane. Hermetic connectors are used to ensure that the integrity of delicate electronics within a black box are maintained in case the contents of the box are ever needed. Additionally, hermetic connectors are used in sensor systems within fuel systems – fuel tanks – to help notify and prevent the seepage of fuel
- The Optical Networking industry uses hermetics to protect delicate circuitry in the infrastructure currently being installed underground
- The Medical industry uses hermetics within the human body to protect ensure electronic functionality in pacemakers and hearing devices
- The Automotive industry uses hermetics to ensure sensor functionality in rollover devices and airbag equipment
How Reliable are Hermetics?
High reliability of hermetics in providing protection in harsh environmental conditions is unmatched. AMETEK Inc. corrosion proof hermetic packages, hermetic connectors, and hermetically sealed terminals and headers are designed to withstand rugged surroundings and are perfectly closed or sealed to offer airtight and watertight protection to meet today’s hermetic requirements, which are listed below.
Hermeticity validation to 1 x 10-11cc/sec of helium at 1 atmosphere differential pressure. Ceramic Packages test to 1 x 10-13 cc per sec
Hermetics can withstand pressure of up to 40,000 psi (at ambient temperature). For some applications, our hermetics can withstand 35,000 psi at 525oF
Hermetics offer insulation resistance to 10 gigaohms at 500 VDC
High voltage to 6000 VAC/VDC
There are additional requirements that specific designs and materials adhered to. For additional information, please contact Engineering (link to the new Product Library contact section)
How are Hermetic Products made?
The basic manufacturing process is as follows:
Hermetic Seals are formed by assembling sets of component parts on graphite fixtures that hold components in place
- Metal contacts or pins
-
Glass beads or high temperature co-fired ceramic (HTCC) feedthroughs
- Housing, shell or composite material
- Special electronic low-temperature braze preforms
- Assemblies are put through controlled atmospheric furnaces at temperatures that vary from 300oF (brazing) to approximately 1800oF (fusing) to 2000o+F (high temperature brazing)
- In the case of glass-to-metal seal (GTMS), as an assembly cools, a physical and/or chemical bond is formed between the glass and the shell, as well as the glass and the pin
For additional information about terms and definitions used in hermetic product manufacturing, please visit our Definition of Terms page.
Highly Reliable Hermetic Products
AMETEK's hermetic products are designed to meet strict specifications and offer protection of sensitive, high precision devices. AMETEK’s expertise in creating custom hermetic packages, hermetic connectors and hermetically sealed headers and terminals has lead to the development of various new and practical customer applications. From aerospace to communications, AMETEK Electronic Components and Packaging provides custom hermetics for your project needs.
AMETEK Inc. is the largest and most technologically advanced provider with the broadest range of products and design services. Visit our industries served page to find out how several industries use our hermetic connectors, hermetic packages, hermetically sealed terminals and hermetically sealed headers.