Quiet Ventilation for Shielding Cans

The effectiveness of board-level shielding can be compromised by the need to cool the device being shielded. Ventilation apertures in shielding cans are frequently the location of the ‘maximum linear dimension’… the longest contiguous hole or slot. The maximum opening permitted is dependant on the frequency range of the device being shielded and the level of attenuation required.

Using Photo etching to produce EMI/RFI shielding cans offers many benefits to the user, including bespoke design, exceptional co-planarity, low tooling costs, speed etc., but the technology has been further exploited by Precision Micro with the introduction of “quiet ventilation”.

The Company can manufacture shielding cans with a ventilation mesh in both the walls and the top of the can with aperture sizes so small that they couldn’t be produced by conventional presswork. These exceptionally small aperture sizes, circumvent the ‘maximum linear dimension’ problem while the high open area ratio facilitates the optimum air flow required by high frequency, power devices.

This air-flow also assists the assembly process by allowing both can and device to be solder attached simultaneously under forced convection. 

Because the manufacturing process uses digital tooling, Precision Micro can demonstrate these benefits to users in their own designs, in a short time frame and at minimal cost. Prototypes can be manufactured in hours and production volumes can be supplied in a matter of days.