GORE® Protective Vents Improve Reliability of Purewave Constellation™ Base Stations
GORE® Protective Vents, installed inside the housing of there Purewave Constellation™ base station where indicated, equalize pressure -- eliminating vacuum and preventing premature failure of the seals. Photo: PureWave Networks / W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
ELKTON, Md. (February 4, 2013) – PureWave Networks recently announced the latest addition to its portfolio of base stations – the PureWave Constellation™. This family of advanced LTE small-cell base stations delivers unmatched capacity in densely populated areas by providing high capacity wireless data service to as many as 256 simultaneous users. GORE® Protective Vents help the PureWave Constellation™ base stations perform reliably in fluctuating operating environments.
PureWave Constellation™ base stations are engineered with a sleek design so they can easily blend into any environment and simplify the urban permitting process. Yet their rugged construction is sufficiently durable that they can be installed on walls, street lights or utility poles without the need of an additional shelter. PureWave designed the Constellation™ to withstand extreme temperature and weather conditions anywhere in the world. It also meets the IEC standard for full immersion (IP67) required by military and oil/gas applications. For maximum durability and protection, PureWave uses a cast aluminium housing with a closed cell gasket and 11 perimeter screws to provide a solid seal. Although this design provides excellent protection, heat builds up during operation of the electronics and can cause internal pressure differentials of as much as ± 3 psi. So, PureWave integrated a GORE® Protective Vent into the PureWave Constellation™ enclosure to equalize pressure.
The constant airflow enabled by GORE® Protective Vents equalizes the housing’s internal pressure, thereby eliminating vacuum and preventing premature failure of the seals. At the same time, the vents provide a durable barrier against water, dust, dirt and other contaminants, with ratings that meet ingress protection up to IP67. Available in a variety of shapes and sizes, GORE® Protective Vents are engineered with a screw-in, snap-fit, or press-fit construction so they can be easily integrated into any housing design. According to Brett Catterall, Director of Operations at PureWave, they selected an adhesive vent because it was easy to install on the flexible aluminum housing.
Catterall described their experience with Gore’s venting products, saying, “We expect our products to perform reliably for at least ten years, regardless of where they are installed. Therefore, we have integrated GORE® Protective Vents in many of our product lines, and we have not had any leakage issues in thousands of installations worldwide. This level of consistently reliable performance is why we continue to select Gore when developing all of our products.”
For more information about the PureWave Constellation™, visit www.pwnets.com. For more information about Gore’s full line of venting products, visit www.gore.com/protectivevents.
About PureWave Networks
PureWave is a rapidly growing, privately held company headquartered in Silicon Valley. A small cell pioneer, PureWave has commercially introduced multiple generations of small cell and compact 4G wireless base stations, starting with the 2009 launch of PureWave Quantum™ 1000. PureWave’s product portfolio includes the PureWave Constellation™, a family of advanced, small cell LTE base stations that deliver jaw-dropping peak data rates of up to 1Gbps of LTE capacity and offers an array of advanced options, including multi-channel and multi-frequency support, advanced SON and traffic shaping. The company’s PureWave Quantum™ family of award winning, outdoor, mobile WiMAX base stations is selling around the globe and has been deployed in over 120 commercial networks.
About W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
Gore is a technology-driven company focused on discovery and product innovation. Well known for waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX® fabric, the company’s portfolio includes everything from high-performance fabrics and implantable medical devices to industrial manufacturing components and aerospace electronics. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Newark, Delaware, Gore employs approximately 10,000 associates in 30 countries worldwide. Gore is one of a select few companies to appear on all of the U.S. “100 Best Companies to Work For” lists since the rankings debuted in 1984. The company also appears regularly on similar lists around the world. Learn more at gore.com.