Hermetically Sealed Connectors: Advanced Solutions for Extreme Environments

Hermetically sealed connectors are essential components in applications where machinery and equipment are exposed to extreme conditions. From aerospace to medical industries, these specialized connectors ensure airtight protection, making them indispensable for sensitive electronic systems. Their robust design prevents the ingress of gases, moisture, and contaminants, safeguarding equipment functionality in harsh environments.

What Are Hermetically Sealed Connectors?

Hermetically sealed connectors are engineered to provide a secure, vacuum-tight seal between systems. They are commonly used in environments that experience extreme weather, fluctuating atmospheric pressure, and high altitudes. For instance, photographic and surveillance equipment on unmanned vehicles rely on hermetic seal products to maintain airtight integrity. These connectors are also critical in submarines and satellites, where they resist significant pressure differences while ensuring no moisture or gases compromise system performance.

Reliable Moisture and Gas Protection

One of the primary advantages of hermetic connectors is their ability to act as a robust barrier against moisture and gas penetration. When high-pressure differential barriers are necessary for electrical systems, poorly constructed seals can lead to malfunctions. Hermetically sealed connectors effectively mitigate these risks, providing long-term resistance to corrosion and ensuring system reliability. This is why industries like automotive, offshore drilling, and defense frequently use custom hermetic connectors tailored for their unique requirements.

Circular and Rectangular Connectors for Versatile Applications

Hermetically sealed connectors come in various configurations, including circular and rectangular designs, to accommodate different systems. Circular connectors are often preferred for their compact and durable build, making them ideal for aerospace and military applications. On the other hand, rectangular connectors offer versatility for larger-scale systems in manufacturing plants and laboratory equipment.

Custom Hermetic Connectors by Complete Hermetics

For high-performance hermetic sealing solutions, Complete Hermetics stands as a trusted provider. Their custom hermetic connectors are designed to meet specific mounting requirements, ensuring compatibility with diverse industrial applications. Whether you need connectors for vacuum chambers, submarines, offshore rigs, or medical devices, Complete Hermetics delivers precision-engineered solutions.

Choose Complete Hermetics for unparalleled expertise in hermetic seal products and connectors that protect critical systems from environmental challenges.

Custom Hermetic Connectors

Custom-Made Hermetic Seal Connectors

When it comes to ensuring the integrity of sensitive equipment, custom-made hermetic seal connectors are essential. These connectors provide a reliable sealing solution that protects against the infiltration of oxygen, bacteria, and moisture, making them ideal for various industries such as aerospace, automotive, medical, and offshore drilling.

Versatile Applications

At Complete Hermetics, we specialize in designing custom hermetic connectors tailored to meet specific mounting requirements. Our connectors are perfect for a range of applications, including submarines, offshore oil rigs, vacuum chambers, laboratory equipment, and military aircraft. By filling the gaps left by conventional connector manufacturers, we ensure that our clients receive the most effective hermetic sealing solutions.

Precision Engineering for Every Need

Whether you’re seeking Mil-Spec hermetic connectors for military applications or custom designs for older or unique equipment, Complete Hermetics delivers. We manufacture connectors that adhere to standards such as MIL-DTL-38999, MIL-C-5015, MIL-C-26482, and MIL-C-26500, ensuring your specifications are met without compromise.

Lightweight Solutions

We also offer lightweight options for our hermetic connectors. Our titanium hermetic connectors are renowned for their high resistance to temperature while remaining lightweight. On the other hand, aluminum hermetic connectors provide an extremely light overall weight, making them suitable for low-temperature applications across military, aerospace, and commercial sectors.

Tailored Manufacturing Options

Complete Hermetics can produce both circular and rectangular connectors with glass-to-metal and ceramic-to-metal seals. Our customers have the flexibility to specify the number of contacts, sizes, and shell styles, ensuring they receive the perfect hermetically sealed connectors for their needs.

The Complete Hermetics Advantage

Located in Santa Ana, California, Complete Hermetics is a global leader in specialized hermetic connectors. We provide custom designs, modeling, and prototypes to meet the diverse needs of our clients. From small-scale manufacturing to mass production, we can accommodate projects of any size.

Complete Hermetics is your one-stop source for all hermetically-sealed connectors, including glass-sealed and ceramic-sealed options. Contact us today to discover more about our custom-made hermetic seal products and standardized sizes.

Custom Hermetic Connectors

How to Choose the Right Hermetically Sealed Connectors

Extremely harsh environments call for extra protection to ensure the integrity of a system. Hermetically sealed connectors provide such protection by keeping all air, moisture and contaminants out. If you’re looking for the right connectors for your application, consider these tips to begin your search.

  1. Select the Shell

There are two major types of connector shell shapes: circular and rectangular. Sizes typically range from 0.25 inches to 3.0 inches in diameter. Connectors can be made from a variety of materials such as:

  • 300 Series Stainless Steel
  • Cold Rolled Steels
  • Kovar
  • Inconel
  • Titanium
  • Aluminum

Kovar is a nickel- and cobalt-based alloy that contains iron, and Inconel is a nickel-based alloy that contains iron and chromium. Titanium and aluminum hermetically sealed connectors are lightweight but still provide the same quality of seal as heavier materials.

  1. Select the Pins

To select the correct pin configuration, determine how many pins you need and how they need to be oriented. Pin end shapes usually include rounded, eyelet and hook types and range from 4 AWG to 16 AWG in size. Typical pin materials are:

  • Kovar and Copper Cored Kovar
  • Alloy 52
  • Inconel
  • Molybdenum
  • Stainless Steel

Alloy 52 is composed of nickel and iron and works well for sealing glass to metal, while molybdenum is known for reducing wear and friction.

  1. Select the Finish

The finish is important because it protects hermetically sealed connectors from the environment. Standard finishes include:

  • Bright Tin Plating
  • Electroless/Electrolytic Nickel Plating
  • Copper Plating
  • Gold Plating
  • Silver Plating

Though the finish primarily protects the connector against corrosion, it is also a considered design element that makes your system look sharp. For instance, bright tin plating creates a shiny exterior, while gold plating can make the connectors stand out.

Ask the Pros

If you’re having trouble deciding which hermetically sealed connectors are right for your application, call your dealer for help. The experts can help you select the right size, shape and finish to ensure the integrity of your system.

Hermetically Sealed Connectors

What Are Hermetically Sealed Connectors?

Hermetically sealed connectors are commonly used when machines or equipment will be exposed to harsh environments. Some items, such as photographic and surveillance equipment mounted on unmanned vehicles, are exposed to severe weather, fluctuating atmospheric conditions, and high altitudes. Hermetically sealed connectors are chosen to connect vacuum-sealed boxes and equipment because they can maintain the airtight condition even under severe flight conditions. It’s also common to find a hermetically sealed connector in use on submarines and satellites in orbit. Although the connectors are exposed to very different environments, their ability to withstand pressure differences and prevent moisture seepage into machinery is consistent.

A Vital Component of Protection From Moisture

In these, and other conditions, packaging technology is used to prevent gases from moving through barriers because of the connector. When a high-pressure differential barrier is built to allow for the passage of electric currents, there’s a potential for gases or moisture to also penetrate the barrier. Appropriately-constructed, hermetically sealed connectors will be effective against those environmental exposures and should be unaffected by moisture as well as resistant to corrosion. Ultimately, the purpose of the hermetically sealed connectors isn’t just to prevent gas and moisture to get beyond the barrier, but to protect sensitive electronic systems from malfunctions related to moisture.