The circuits present in electrical devices are sensitive to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and isolated from their surroundings. Shielding is the practice of protecting electronic circuits by reducing the electromagnetic field in a space with the help of barriers made of conductive or magnetic materials. RF shielding is a similar concept where the radiofrequency electromagnetic radiations are blocked. All this is done by simple metal enclosures called shield cans.
What exactly are shield cans?
Often called cans, cages, covers, lids, or metal shields, they are metal boxes mounted directly to the PCB (printed circuit board) to enclose it completely. The cans play a key role in keeping the harmful interference and unwanted emissions out. These cans are attached to the PCB using through-hole solder tails and contribute to keeping the component and assembly costs low without compromising the product’s appearance and ease of maintenance at any stage. They are usually made of metals that can be steel, aluminum, brass, copper alloys, silver, etc.
What are the benefits of shield cans?
With PCBs shrinking each day, the shield cans are the best invention. They have provided numerous benefits, some of which are listed below –
- They have provided greater interference suppression levels without adding mass, weight, or cost to the device.
- They have helped with thermal management and successfully kept the EMI from entering or leaving the covered region.
- They are straightforward and affordable to install as no secondary processing is required, and the assembly takes just a few seconds.
- They are mechanically robust and are resistant to shock and vibration.
- They save huge costs in comparison to the fence and cover styles.
- They can be easily removed during inspection, repair, or rework without fearing damage to the PCB.
What are the applications of shield cans?
These cans benefit many industries and markets as they aid in optimizing automated processes and eliminating hand assembling processing. Their cost-effectiveness is extensively used as a shielding material for aerospace and military tools in wireless equipment and consumer electronics.
Per your specifications, you will get anything from enclosure to multi-level shields. You can get them custom-built for telecom base stations, radio communications, data processing, or in-car information systems.
How do we attain the perfect integration?
When you identify the components that require shielding, you should calculate the appropriate shield size – not based on just the external dimensions. Still, the internal ones, especially the height to perfectly fit your components. You must add solder pads around the details on your PCB to attach the cans to the board. You can also use clips or frames to do that. But make sure it is removable so you can rework under the cans anytime. You can also get them custom-made based on your requirements. It will be a costly affair but surely worth it.
