Materials and Housings for Vehicle Cameras

Shape Follows the Mounting Position

Every housing family in our range exists because of a position on a vehicle. Shielded bracket bodies for exposed rear faces. Cylindrical barrels for flush bumper fitting. Slim bullets on lip brackets where there is no flat surface. Wedges for corners and flanks. Domes for interiors and ceilings. Choosing by shape first and specification second is the fastest way to a fitment that works.

Metal and Composite Bodies

Metal bodies carry heat away from the sensor and take impact better, which matters on the rear of a working vehicle. Composite bodies are lighter, do not corrode in salt and are easier to mould into complex wedge shapes. Neither is universally better; the mounting position and the environment decide.

The Lens Cover and the Sun Shield

A moulded shield above the lens does two jobs: it keeps rain off the cover glass and it keeps low angle sun out of the lens, which is what causes the washed out image drivers complain about in winter. On smooth faced housings without a shield, the trade off is a face that is faster to wipe clean, which is what depot based fleets often prefer.

LED Recesses Trap Dirt

An infrared LED ring around the lens is a recess, and recesses collect road film. On a vehicle that works in daylight and returns to a lit yard, a smooth faced housing with no LED ring stays cleaner and cleans faster. On a vehicle that reverses into unlit spaces, the LED ring is worth the cleaning.

The Cable Gland Is the Weak Point

Whatever the body is made of, the point where the cable leaves it is where water gets in. A properly compressed gland with strain relief is what separates a camera that lasts from one that fails in a season. When a camera is being specified for an exposed position, the gland and the tail termination deserve as much attention as the sensor.