The Characteristics of the Most Popular RF Shielding Materials

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When it comes to variables that influence the performance of an RF shielding enclosure, the selected material is at the top of the list. It either absorbs or reflects EMI radiations, ensuring the device is immune to radio frequency interference. Your RF shielding material should be based on your application&#;s specifications and performance needs.

The most popular RF shielding materials are aluminum, copper and steel. Each offers a unique set of characteristics for an enclosure.

Aluminum

A versatile RF shielding material option that can block low frequency radio fields. Aluminum is malleable, has a high strength-to-weight ratio, and is great at thermal and electrical conductivity. This material can also be integrated throughout the device to create an entire aluminum shield to act against low radio frequencies.

Aluminum can be subject to galvanic corrosion and oxidation, but that can be eased by limiting its exposure to the elements and through consistent maintenance.

Copper

As a base metal, copper is easy to manufacture and install. It is flexible and can effortlessly mold into different shapes. Copper offers a high conductivity, which serves as an effective shield against radio frequency waves. It also provides better resistance to oxidation and corrosion when exposed to weather elements. Copper-based shielding can be costly.

Steel

Steel-based alloys are an RF material that offer magnetic field shielding capacity but don&#;t provide as high of attenuation as copper and aluminum can.

Steel shielding offers various development processes. There&#;s hot rolling, cold rolling and grain orientation, which can all uniquely affect the shielding capabilities. It&#;s important to have a clear understanding of these process choices before introducing them into a project.

How Switzer Can Help

We are able to create your component out of a number of practical and durable metals, including stainless steel, copper alloys, and aluminum. Our experts can help you determine the right material.

• 300 & 400 series stainless steel
• Cold-rolled steel
• Copper
• Beryllium Copper
• Nickel Silver
• Phosphor Bronze
• Aluminum
• Invar
• Kovar
• Nickel
• Cupro Nickel
• Brass

When it comes to attenuating, leveling or terminating signals, Switzer can help consolidate your supply chain while maintaining compliance with RF industry standards. Learn more today!

When you are given the task of designing an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielded enclosure for a circuit board, understanding the balance between cost and performance is essential. There are many key decision points to always be aware of during the design process such as: budget (part price and tooling costs), galvanic compatibility, conductivity, the applications environment and how it relates to concerns with corrosion, material thickness, enclosure geometry (especially the shield height and how it relates to formability), application frequencies, short vs long term production quantities that will affect how your manufacturing method will evolve over time, packaging, and assembly of the shield onto the mating circuit board. One of the most crucial and fundamental decisions to consider after shield geometry is what material the shielded enclosure will be constructed from.

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The material choice will have a direct effect on project cost and application performance from an electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) point of view. Leader Tech Inc. offers a comprehensive selection of materials from pre-tin plated steel to high permeability metal to meet every designer&#;s needs. Our Applications Engineers are knowledgeable and ready to offer guidance to get you started in the right direction.

Popular Metals Used in RFI Shielding

The most common metals used by Leader Tech customers for RFI / EMI shielding are pre-tin plated steel in both bright and matte finishes and copper alloy 770, as known as nickel silver or German silver. Here is a quick look on how each one of them works:

Pre-Tin Plated Steel

Pre-tin plated steel is an ideal low cost solution that works well from lower frequencies in the kHz range through frequencies into the lower GHz range. Carbon steel has a permeability value in the lower hundreds range which provides the low-frequency magnetic shielding property that is missing in alloy 770, copper, or aluminum. The tin plating offers corrosion protection for the steel to prevent rusting as well as providing a great solderable surface to attach the shield to the traces on the surface board during assembly.

Copper Alloy 770 / Nickel Silver

Copper alloy 770, more commonly known as alloy 770, is a copper, nickel, zinc alloy used in EMI shielding applications mainly for its corrosion resistant properties. The alloy&#;s unified numbering system designation is UNS C. The base material is inherently aesthetic and does not require post plating to make it corrosion resistant or solderable. The material works well as an EMI shield beginning in the mid kHz range up into the GHz. The permeability is 1 which lends itself to be ideal in MRI related applications where no magnetic materials are permitted.

Copper

Copper is the most reliable metal in EMI shielding because it is highly effective in attenuating magnetic and electrical waves. From hospital MRI facilities to basic computer equipment, use of copper in RFI shielding serves the purpose effectively. Due to the versatility of this metal it can be easily fabricated along with its alloys brass, phosphorous bronze, and beryllium copper. These metals typically cost more than the alternative shielding alloys of pre-tin plated steel or copper alloy 770 but, on the other hand, offer a higher conductivity. Phosphorous bronze and beryllium copper are more commonly used in contact applications for batteries or springs due to their elasticity.

Aluminum

Although aluminum does pose a few fabrication challenges, it is still an excellent choice for a number of applications mostly due to its non-ferrous properties, its strength-to-weight ratio, and its high conductivity. Aluminum has nearly 60 percent of conductivity when compared with copper, however, using this metal needs precise attention to its galvanic corrosion and oxidation properties. The material will form into an oxide over time and has poor solderability on its own.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Whoelsale EMF Bed Canopies Company. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.