Your Complete Guide to EMI Shielding and its Applications – ListDen

Due to the growing development of electronic and electrical devices in the past few years, people have been stressing a lot over electromagnetic pollution. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) disrupts electronic devices, equipment, and systems used for critical applications; with results ranging from temporary disturbances to even data loss in worst cases.

Thus, it is important to design electronic gaskets that have got high shielding performance and can provide complete protection against electromagnetic fields.

What is EMI Shielding?

Electromagnetic shielding is the practice of reducing the electromagnetic field in a space by blocking it with conductive or magnetic barriers. In simple words, it is a technique used to safeguard sensitive signals from other electromagnetic signals and let your products work as they are supposed to even if there is any interference present around.

The concept of shielding is based on a principle used in a Faraday cage where you use a conductive enclosure to reduce the coupling of radio waves, electromagnetic fields, and electrostatic fields. However, the amount of reduction does depend on the shielding materials, their thickness, size, and the frequency of electromagnetic fields.

How does EMI Shielding Work?

Electromagnetic frequencies can often leave a huge impact on your sensitive electronics and cause problems like hiss on a communication line or a turmoil of a safety-critical signal. This is where EMI shielding plays its role – it entirely blocks the radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic radiation.

EMI shielding is done by using a metal screen that absorbs all sorts of interfering signals in the air. The current remains within the body of the screen and is further absorbed by a ground connection or a virtual ground plane. That way the signals don’t get to reach your product’s sensitive circuitry and remain protected from EMI.

What Materials can be used for EMI Shielding?

The choice of EMI shielding materials depends majorly on the type of electronics and frequencies involved. Some of the common materials used for this purpose are mentioned below:

  • Pre-Tin Plated Steel – is the most cost-effective shielding solution. It offers great protection against corrosion.
  • Copper – is a great material choice for providing shielding against radio frequencies. It has a high conductivity attribute and is commendably durable and flexible.
  • Copper Alloy 770/Nickel Silver – is a composition of copper, nickel, and zinc. It has tremendous corrosion resistance power, anti-galling properties, and cryogenic performance.
  • Aluminum – is another viable metal that works great in the case of RF shielding. It has high conductivity and non-ferrous properties.

What are the Applications of EMI Shielding?

Here is how EMI Shielding is used across a broad range of applications:

  • In the medical industry and laboratory, where equipment needs to be protected from disruption and any signal interference.
  • In telecommunications and data communications to protect the equipment at the broadcast facilities.
  • In the military, government, and financial systems to increase security measures.
  • In computers and keyboards to prevent passive monitoring of keyboard emissions and passwords getting captured.

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