RFI shielding for modern manufacturing needs early design focus

Although EMC enclosures are not strictly electronic components, their design, manufacture and assembly onto the PCB needs to be considered at an early stage in the equipment design in order to avoid costly modification and delays in bringing the product to market. Offering a single-source solution to these issues, Tecan has a division dedicated to the provision of EMC enclosures which is set up to offer advice and assistance, from initial concept through to volume manufacture.

Typical issues to consider include the shielding manufacturing process, handling of the shielding during PCB assembly, packaging and the change to non lead solder. Whatever the case, the company can deliver application-specific solutions to meet individual needs.

The company’s dedicated fast-response ‘design to delivery’ team offers cost-effective bespoke screening solutions. Free consultation followed by ongoing advice and support are available, saving time and costs from the outset. The company welcomes entry into the system at any level, offering value-engineered solutions whatever the individual case and ensuring ‘defined costs for defined goals’.

Exploiting its detailed knowledge of RFI solutions, the company offers structured levels of service, catering for those who know they need screening but don’t know where to go next, to those with fully dimensioned drawings needing professional enhancements to incorporate special manufacturing techniques, for example.

Typically, screening cans can be produced from an open-ended selection of options such as fences, dividing walls, multi-cavity enclosures (labyrinths), full enclosures, spring-finger lids, simple fold lids, dimple-lock lids and screening meshes. Resultant fabrications are designed to meet end-user’s specific assembly and production requirements, such as hand or machine placement, surface-mount or through-hole assembly, and re-flow, hand and lead-free soldering issues.

Also offered are design guidance, site visits, prototyping, sample production, finish and thickness options, forming, assembly and re-evaluation of established designs for productivity enhancements and cost reduction. The company uses a range of well-established and proven manufacturing systems, such as photo-chemical machining (PCM) and punch / press progression tooling, to provide cans for the most demanding low-, medium- or high-volume production needs.