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This is video of the Golden Shellback coating in action. We will be keeping you updated with more information on our Golden Shellback page, the product homepage and via twitter. Stay tuned for the details!

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Photo By Tom Jervis

Last year Sid Martin, Director of Technology at Northeast Maritime Institute was faced with a dilemma. He had been hired to spearhead a project bringing the latest technology to the field of Maritime Security and test it in the field. Martin was the perfect candidate for this job. Prior to working at NMI he was a member of the project team responsible for the wheel bearings on the Mars Lander and in doing so became familiar with the obstacles faced in developing products for use in harsh environments. But the project was nearing completion and he needed to find new ways to use his experience at the institute.

Before developing Aerospace technology Martin worked for years in the manufacturing of semiconductors and during this time he gained both knowledge and experience coating objects at a molecular scale. With the sole directive of realizing the Institute’s mission to “honor the mariner” Sid diverted his focus from maritime security to a long stirring idea; Waterproofing Electronics.

With the backing of NMI President Eric Dawicki he began work on techniques he learned during the time he worked in the semiconductor industry, applied coatings to surfaces at the molecular level. Up to this point marine electronics were separated from the corrosive and conductive properties of salt water with the use of protective shells. A waterproof radio for example, combines a protective shell with plastic coating and gaskets to keep water away from sensitive electrical components. This works fairly well provided you maintain the watertight integrity of the unit but it’s expensive to manufacture and maintain not to mention the extra weight and bulk it adds to the device itself. Damage the shell or service the components in harsh conditions and that protection is useless.

Martin’s idea was different. By merging his experience in harsh weather design with his knowledge of semiconductors he developed a new coating that provides direct protection to both internal and external components of a device regardless of size. The process itself is a closely guarded secret but results in a ultra thin yet durable protection at the molecular level.

To test this claim we visited NMI’s workshop in Fairhaven Massachusetts and asked him for a personal demonstration. The results were simply astounding. Standing above a 5 gallon bucket of water Martin picks up a working Balckberry phone and drops it straight into the salt water. Minutes later he removes the device and makes a call with the water still pouring out of the keypad. As if this was not impressive enough he proceeds to pour what remains in the bucket onto his Dell laptop computer. He then remarks, “The possibilities are endless. Not only are the internal components protected but the CPU is actually being cooled by the water inside the case!”

The possibilities are exciting indeed and to help convince me (as if that was still required) he refills the bucket and begins dunking the other items he has coated. First in was a 372 year old letter sent to mariner from his wife, then he dunks an ipod touch and finally compares two sets of stainless steel bolt; one exposed to salt water and the other not. The difference was noticeable.

What’s next for Martin’s dunk tank? He replies with a wide grin, “ I’ve already tried this coating on sugar cubes, I think the next challenge will be to coat an ice cube!”

Regardless of the next product to be tested Martin is currently looking for companies wishing to employ this technology in the manufacturing process. Otherwise he hopes to team up with retailers and offer the coating as a service provided in-store. If all goes according to plan it won’t be long until you can take your new iPhone to the pool and drop it in just to witness the reaction of onlookers. Martin’s goals are slighltly higher, “I’m waiting for the day a mariner finds trouble in harsh conditions and a coated device provides a lifeline to help. That will turn my grin into a big smile”.

Expect NMI’s Golden Shellback coatings to be available on some of your favorite devices in the coming months. For our full Golden Shellback Coverage click HERE.

1. Who developed this coating?
a. Northeast Maritime Institute in Fairhaven, MA USA has an engineering group under its sister company Transportation Security Logistics. This group worked to solve a problem of splash proofing and water proofing a man overboard system. This coating evolved out of that product and the need to make the device work when exposed to water.

2. What is Northeast Maritime Institute?
a. The Northeast Maritime Institute is an educational facility for mariners. The Institute’s creed is to Honor the Mariner. We expect that this process will help to keep mariners safe.

3. Where is the process currently performed?
a. The process is currently performed in our laboratory in Fairhaven, MA. The lab has the ability to perform coating in small volume exists in this facility.

4. Can a camera be coated?
a. There is no reason a camera would not be able to be coated but it does have challenges that make it different then some other electronic items. We’re currently looking at the optics and how they’ll be handled, also there are some small moving parts that we’ll have to consider.

5. Were there other reasons this product was developed?
a. Like many people we’ve had our own phones drop into water. After Skiing one of the inventors managed to wash two of his daughter’s cell phones. That drove him to want to find a coating that would prevent this problem.

6. Can I get specific answers to my individual questions.
a. Yes, subscribe to the newsletter and we’ll contact you to see if you have questions.

7. When will this process be available to the public?
a. We can provide the process now, but we need to set up the distribution system and regionalize the process. The availability is measured in months and we expect that it will be 4-6 months before we can say we’re fully on line. We’ll update the website on how we can do it sooner.

8. What’s your favorite thing you’ve coated so far?
a. We had lots of fun coating a 100W speaker and blasting some country music in the 5 gallon bucket.

9. What aspects confuse people most about this process:
a. People get confused and think this is a spray. It isn’t, the coating needs to be applied in a piece of equipment.
b. People seem to wonder a lot about the contacts and how they’re sealed. The contacts aren’t, the surfaces are sealed. So, water can run in and out.

10. Why haven’t you coated any cameras?
a. We’ve been researching the cameras and the best way to handle the lenses and shutters. We’ll be coating some digital cameras soon.

11. How do I stay informed about new developments?
a Keep an eye on our homepage, follow us on twitter or bookmark gCaptain’s Golden Shellback section.