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I never imagined that the cause of the malfunction would be "humidity"! The product has a waterproof structure with a specified humidity range of 20% to 80%. During daytime inspections, the internal temperature was 25°C and the humidity was 60%, which is an acceptable environment. However, it malfunctioned later. Upon investigating the cause, I found that the humidity inside had risen at night! Why? At a temperature of 25°C and humidity of 60%, the dew point temperature at which condensation begins is 16°C. Just a few degrees drop in temperature can lead to high humidity and condensation. (Relative) humidity % = Actual amount of water vapor in the air / Amount of water vapor that can be held in the air (saturated water vapor amount) x 100. The saturated water vapor amount in the denominator decreases as the temperature drops and increases as the temperature rises. Therefore, even if the amount of water vapor in the air does not change, if the temperature drops, the humidity will rise. Conversely, if the temperature rises, the humidity will drop, making it a phenomenon that is not easily noticed. The humidity inside the product fluctuates between medium to high humidity levels, potentially exceeding the specified humidity range of the product. Without knowing this situation, damage can occur, leading to sudden malfunctions (such as poor contact, power loss, decreased insulation resistance, etc.) one day. Especially in infrastructure facilities, a malfunction of just one piece of equipment cannot be overlooked. Problems can arise whether the humidity is too high or too low.

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In fact, the failure of electrical products can be deeply related to "humidity." Even if electronic components are coated with moisture-proofing in a waterproof structure, while it can prevent the intrusion of water (liquid), it cannot prevent water vapor (gas) in the air. Moreover, even if there are no issues at a temperature of 25°C and humidity of 60%, when the temperature drops to 20°C, the humidity reaches 80%, and condensation occurs below 16°C. Even slight temperature changes can lead to a high-humidity environment with over 80% humidity, causing gradual deterioration of electrical components, semiconductors, and materials. Corrosion at the terminals progresses, eventually leading to failures such as insulation breakdown, signal interruption, power failure, and short circuits. These causes are often difficult to notice, leading to repeated troubles and incurring both operational and cost burdens. Additionally, even if dehumidifying agents are used, they reach their moisture absorption limit, necessitating replacement and increasing workload, which does not provide a fundamental solution. In response to these challenges, our G-Breath excels in "humidity control" characteristics, suppressing fluctuations in humidity and preventing condensation and corrosion, thereby contributing to the reduction of failures, prolonging lifespan, and lowering maintenance costs. G-Breath has also been adopted in social infrastructure and public works, receiving VE evaluation based on customer feedback in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's NETIS.

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It is often thought that "the waterproof structure is fine against humidity and condensation," but while waterproofing can prevent water intrusion, it cannot stop water vapor in the air. Additionally, humidity fluctuates with temperature changes between day and night. For example, even if the temperature inside the waterproof area is 25°C with 60% humidity, if the temperature drops to 20°C, the humidity can reach 80%, leading to condensation below 16°C. In this way, even slight temperature changes can cause the sealed interior to have high humidity levels of over 80%, and this repeated exposure can silently degrade and corrode electrical components, semiconductors, and materials, eventually leading to sudden failures such as insulation breakdown, signal loss, power failure, and short circuits. If this cause is not understood, it will be labeled as "unknown cause," resulting in repeated failures, repairs, and operational costs. In response to this issue, desiccants have only a temporary effect and incur replacement costs. Heating to raise the temperature may risk exceeding the product's temperature limits during hot summer months. Therefore, we have begun considering our unique "humidity control" technology, G-Breath. G-Breath suppresses fluctuations in humidity and prevents degradation, corrosion, and condensation that can cause failures by regulating humidity levels. By adopting this technology in infrastructure and factory equipment, we have received VE evaluation from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's NETIS.

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Factors causing "high humidity" and "condensation" within waterproof structures and the challenges of previous humidity control measures It may be thought that there are no condensation issues with waterproof structures, but failures can occur due to condensation and high humidity. Even if humidity is reduced using dehumidifying materials because it is high, if the factors causing that humidity to rise are not addressed, the humidity will rise again, necessitating the replacement of the dehumidifying materials with new ones. Repeating this incurs costs each time. Understanding the causes of failures arising from the humidity rising, falling, and condensing within waterproof structures, and implementing appropriate measures is the shortcut to a solution. If you are interested, please contact us through the "Contact Us" section on our NTT Advanced Technology G-Breath website.

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