Case Advisor Archives - Sierra Cases

Engineering Strength and Durability into Transit Cases

Sierra Cases — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 19:28:48 +0000

Transit cases lead hard lives. They bang together in the backs of trucks, are often dropped, and take knocks from all directions. Yet, users expect them to shrug off this abuse, protect their delicate contents and be as light as possible. Case designers tackle these conflicting requirements in three ways. 1. Material selection Lightweight polymers […]

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Understanding Transit Case Rotomolding

Sierra Cases — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 19:38:55 +0000

Rotational molding, or rotomolding, is a cost-effective way of making large, joint-free polymer containers. “Rotationally Molded Transit Cases: 8 Advantages” discussed what makes this process so useful. Here, we’ll dive deeper into the details of the process. Cavity coating The principle behind rotomolding is pretty simple. A molten polymer is spread over the internal surfaces […]

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Protecting Electronics from Vibration (Part 2)

Sierra Cases — Wed, 06 May 2015 19:10:10 +0000

A transit case uses isolating mounts to protect electronic payloads from vibration. These mounts are chosen with a natural frequency of vibration significantly different from the expected excitation frequency. This helps ensure the minimum of vibration is transmitted to the payload. However, there are challenges: Often the excitation frequency is either not known or a […]

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Protecting the Payload from Vibration (Part 1)

Sierra Cases — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 20:38:10 +0000

Vibration is bad for electronic devices such as radio transmitters and computers. Screws can work loose and cards and cables can come unplugged. As a result, equipment is sometimes inoperable after a long journey. Fortunately, that kind of damage is usually easily repaired, unlike the harm caused by resonance. Excitation at the natural frequency Like […]

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Verifying How Much Shock Protection a Transit Case Provides

Sierra Cases — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 18:04:01 +0000

Electronic systems need transporting with care. Sudden impacts, as if dropped from the back of a truck, can pop IO cards out of their slots, disconnect cables, and damage hard drives. That’s why you’ll often see acceleration or g-force limits called-out in specification documents for many electronic products. Controlled deceleration A transit case protects against […]

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Consider a Cut and Weld Case for Odd-Sized Payloads

Sierra Cases — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 21:20:00 +0000

Study the Sierra Cases website and you'll see transit cases come in many sizes. Sometimes though, a standard case doesn't work well for the item or payload to be moved. Perhaps you need to transport something long and thin, like an antenna. In those situations you can end up buying a much larger, and more […]

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If it Needs Connecting, it Needs an I/O Panel

Sierra Cases — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 19:31:06 +0000

Something first-time transit case buyers often overlook is adding an I/O panel for easy cable connection. Without it, the case is little more than a storage box, albeit one providing protection from temperature extremes, dust, humidity and shock impact. Using the equipment inside means either taking it out of the case or running with the […]

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Removable Racks Simplify Equipment Exchange

Sierra Cases — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 20:29:21 +0000

Installing electrical equipment in rack mount cases can challenge the most dexterous technician. The usual procedure is to make the connections at the rear before mounting the unit in the rack. Inevitably though, the cables bunch up behind the equipment, stopping it from sliding into place. A second pair of hands is then needed to […]

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Does Your Transit Case Need A Load Spreader?

Sierra Cases — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 19:02:25 +0000

A load spreader does exactly what its name implies. It distributes a load over a larger area. Engineers might recall load, divided by area, as the definition of stress. So, a load spreader reduces stress on a load-bearing material or structure. Not a standard component A load spreader looks like a flat plate with stiffening […]

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Case Color and Internal Temperature

Sierra Cases — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 19:39:54 +0000

Leave a transit case in the sun and the interior can get hot enough to kill electronic components. Inlets and outlets for convection mitigate the problem if the ambient air is cool enough. But, they may draw in dust and moisture. Active cooling - thermoelectric or air conditioner - is an alternative but incurs installation, […]

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