TURNING DESIGNS INTO PRODUCTS
Once a design is completed, converters procure the necessary materials and turn them into shielding products. Common converting processes produce slit rolls of foil tapes and die-cut parts of various shapes. In addition, some converters have advanced production machines such as lasers and water jets, which can cut intricate designs into a variety of materials.
Converters can also laminate multiple materials together to produce finished products. Leading firms are equipped with wide- and narrow-width machines that allow them to laminate a variety of materials with different adhesives. Laminating capabilities range from one-step processes to multiple-material operations incorporating final finishing such as punching and cutting. Some converters can laminate up to five individual materials together in one pass. Laminated products can include one material for EMI/RFI shielding and another that provides electrical insulation or some other necessary property.
In some applications, very close-tolerance die-cut parts and complex shielding configurations are required, such as a composite consisting of an insulator like Mylar with a die-cut shielding patch “island” placed on it. Or, a multilayer product comprising a foil, an adhesive, and a specialty liner could allow easy removal by the OEM’s pick-and-place machine during final assembly. The converter would laminate these three elements together and then die cut the lamination to produce the finished product.
When a shielding application calls for a box-shaped part, converters can provide customers with creased or scored materials. This allows OEMs to easily produce the needed shape by folding flat materials along the crease or score lines.
Leading converters also offer printing capabilities that can handle everything from basic one-color applications to intricate multicolor designs. They can print on a variety of shielding materials using both water-based and ultraviolet-cured inks.
CONCLUSION
Firms that specialize in the conversion of flexible materials can make the multifaceted task of shielding sensitive components from EMI and RFI easier. Leading converters have the in-house engineering resources to help electronics manufacturers choose the best materials and designs for shielding applications.
After procuring the raw materials from a network of leading suppliers, converters use a variety of manufacturing processes to turn them into shielding products. In many cases, converters use multiple materials and techniques to produce effective solutions for the toughest shielding problems posed by a variety of industries.
CRAIG McCLENACHAN, VP of the fabrication and assembly business, graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., and holds a post-graduate degree from the University of Virginia. He has also completed the Management Development Program at Genuine Parts Company, parent company to EIS and Fabrico, as well as the leadership program at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga.
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