Pelican
Frequently Asked Questions
Pelican Products Inc, bases in Torrance California, acquired Storm-Hardigg early 2010. Pelican cases are regarded as top-of-the-line cases commercially utilized for shipping/transporting sensitive equipment. Pelican-Storm cases are more of a consumer case but still offers excellent protection for electronics and other sensitive equipment. Pelican-Hardigg are roto-molded cases (rather than injection-molded) to protect server racks to large screen displays among other electronics.
The cases are made out of a Polypropylene copolymer material that is light weight, durable and highly chemical resistant.
The cases will withstand temperatures from -40ºC (-40ºF) to +98.9ºC (+210ºF)
Due to the nature of the polypropylene being chemically inert, very little will attack the material. That also means that very few adhesives and paints will adhere satisfactorily. For an adhesive, we have found that 3M’s DP-8005 two-part adhesive works very well with our case material. It has also been reported that “Shoe Goo” works very well. For paint, Krylon has a product out called Fusion that they claim will adhere to polyolefin-based materials like polypropylene.
RoHS, or “Restriction on Hazardous Substances” – RoHS specifically bans or restricts the use of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDE). At the July 1, 2006 implementation of the RoHS provisions, Peli cases will not contain the banned or restricted materials and will therefore be RoHS compliant. NOTE: Directive 2000/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment – is aimed at reducing the hazardous materials content in electronic products as well as increasing the recycling efforts for these products.
Pelican cases have been tested to Ingress Protection (IP), Def Stan 81-41/STANAG 4280, MIL-C-4150J and ATA 300. Certificates are on file and copies are available upon request. Please note that for deep submersion internal bulkheads should be installed.
Yes, the cases are water resistant. There is an o-ring in the lid and a Gore-Tex® membrane in the pressure equalization valve that keep water out of the case.
The Pressure Equalization Valve (Purge Valve) is a simple device. It consists of a housing with a hole through it that is covered with a thin Gore-Tex® membrane. According to the GoreTM tech sheet: “The microporous expanded polytetraflouroethylene (ePTFE) membrane continuously allows the free passage of gases and vapours, equalizing the pressure differential between the enclosure and ambient before it builds to the point that a seal is compromised. Water, dust and dirt are repelled by the hydrophobic membrane, thereby protecting expensive and sensitive electronics”.
The o-ring is made of EPDM or Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer. It is well known for its excellent ozone, weathering and aging resistance. It also has excellent water and steam resistance, maintains its flexibility at low temperatures, features excellent resistance to alkalis, acids and oxygenated solvents and is very colour stable. (It is not recommended for resistance to oil, gasoline and hydrocarbon solvents.) EPDM is found in a wide range of applications and is excellent for use outdoors.
Custom sizes may be available based on many factors, like quantities or design requirements. The cases are available in custom colours based on customer requirements. There are certain conditions that must be met when making cases in custom colours. Please contact Peli’s sales department for more detailed information.
With the hurricane season upon us and the lessons of Katrina still fresh, those of us in the Gulf States are doing more than ever to prepare for the next big one. The basics of boarding up, gassing up and stocking up are being taken seriously, but have you given much thought to your irreplaceable possessions?
With a little planning, you can survive a devastating hurricane with most of the things that really count.
First, take inventory of your possessions. In the event of damage, you’ll need this inventory for insurance purposes. But beyond monetary concerns, be sure and include objects with sentimental value such as family photos, trophies and mementos.
Next, group them according to size: small, medium and large. Be practical and plan to take only small, irreplaceable items such as birth certificates, passports and stocks and bonds. Even though evacuations are likely once or twice a year, you may still need to do it several times in a season. So using your value and size grouping as a guide, you can pack your most important possessions and be prepared to leave at a moments notice.
One item that is often over-looked is the family computer. While a laptop is ideal, most people don’t realize how much they depend on the data in their desktop computer. If you can, invest in a portable hard drive. You can download everything in minutes into a unit the size of paperback book and walk away. Portable hard drives are a great way to back up your data regularly, and their costs have dropped dramatically over the last few years.
The next group of possessions is medium sized, high value and small, low value items. Depending on the size of your vehicle you may be able to bring these as well. If so, you’ll want to pack cases and stage them for loading.
If you plan on leaving secondary possessions behind, think about moving them into protective storage in your home. Depending on your budget, you may want to invest in crush-proof, waterproof injection molded cases (expensive, but reliable), a “dry bag” (about half the cost of a hard case) or even a basic storage bin with the lid duct taped tightly.
Injection molded cases can withstand being knocked around by floodwaters and even submerged while keeping the contents safe and dry. Even if your home is above the flood line, hurricane wind and rain can destroy much of your home if a boarded up window blows open or your roof comes off, so when possible use an injection molded, waterproof case.
Even if the contents are safe, it doesn’t help if you can’t find the case they’re in. To discourage them from washing away, locking the cases and chaining them to something sturdy, such as a pipe or banister will prevent floodwaters from making off with them. One New Orleans resident was lucky enough to recover his Pelican Case (and the laptop computer inside) floating miles from his home.
Dry bags are heavy duty rubber bags with waterproof zippers, often used by whitewater enthusiasts. These do well when packed and then stored in a closet or trunk, so they won’t get knocked around. They also provide the benefit of being able to collapse for storage. On the other hand, they aren’t buoyant, don’t protect contents against crushing and are prone to punctures.
As a last resort, plastic bins can offer some protection. Look for bins with a one piece removable lid, not hinged lids. These can be nested and stored until needed, and they won’t hurt your wallet. After loading the bins, secure the lids by running duct tape all the way around the lip of the lid. Finally, shrink wrap the upper half with stretch plastic like the type used in warehouses.
Bins do provide good basic protection from the elements, but they are still thin walled and the tape won’t keep the water out if submerged.
Lights have a circuit in which any arc or thermal effect (heat) produced under normal operating conditions of the equipment is not capable of igniting a particular flammable gas/vapor mixture, in the air.
Most of our lamps are gas filled with Xenon, Halogen, or Krypton gas. We also use high intensity LEDs on selected models.
Think of a lighthouse in the palm of your hand. By mounting and pointing the LED backwards into the reflector, 100% of the light is captured and reflected forward. The result is a true collimated beam with brightness that rivals incandescent lights.
Alkaline torches will function with rechargeable batteries, but we strongly advise against this. The lamp life is cut drastically by doing this. Also, this will void the light’s safety approvals.
The laser spot beam is a tight collimated beam and the modified spot is a flood beam.