OEM: Matra Nortel Communications (FR)

Part design:

The Matra company developed the new, stable housing for the professional radio-sets used by the French police in a two-stage process employing elastic Desmopan® 385 and rigid PC-ABS (Bayblend®).

In the first step, the prefabricated housing components are injection molded in Bayblend® T85. In the second step the highly-stressed corners of the housing are overmolded with Desmopan® 385, offering a high resistance to wear and tear.

A perfect bond is essential in order to cope with the high mechanical stresses that act on this heavy unit when in service.

The relatively high volume and weight of the radio set are caused by the requirement for 18-24 hours' standby operation and ease of use. Additional requirements are a readily-legible display and a high transmitting and receiving power even under extreme conditions. The rechargeable battery alone accounts for some 40% of the overall weight of 400 g.

The housing was required to be "dust- and splash-proof" as specified in IP 54.