INDIANAPOLIS--Because of their portability and densely populated circuit boards, handheld electronic devices are especially vulnerable to damage and compromised performance from mechanical shock and vibration.

Cell phones, pagers, personal digital assistants and other portable electronic devices get bumped and dropped throughout the day. This rough use will often damage internal components or crack the LCD, rendering the device inoperable.

Snubbers, shock pads, seals and boots made of highly damped elastomeric materials can help protect these products from damage. These molded or die-cut components can help increase product reliability and quality without adding bulk.

Viscoelastic components have numerous uses inside a cell phone. Molded frames and gaskets provide flexural relief and hysteretic dampening for LCDs. They also keep out dust and moisture. Boots slipped onto the microphone, speaker and transducer decouple those components from the case and reduce audio distortion. Circuit board snubbers mirror the board topography and fit tightly between stacked boards or between the board and case to prevent excessive flexing and dissipate shock energy. A soft foam pad near the speaker acts as a muffler, preventing echoing and improving audio performance.

For more information about protective elastomeric materials, call EAR Specialty Composites at 317-692-1111 or visit www.earsc.com.