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Laird: Highlighting World-Class EMI Shielding Capabilities

Laird Highlighting World-Class EMI Shielding Capabilities

When electromagnetic waves flow, interference can put the most essential devices and the lives of people who depend on them at risk. Skilled engineers use coordinated systems designed to help build the best EMI defenses. 

Laird is a company that has been perfecting the art of creating high-quality EMI shielding materials for over two decades. They aim to suppress interference and meet immunity requirements, isolate offending circuits by filtering, grounding, and shielding, desensitize devices by increasing their immunity to susceptible circuits, and solve complex EMI dilemmas from PC board emissions to conductive radiation. In addition, Laird takes complete ownership of their process and embeds engineers and technical specialists in every design phase to provide timely, cost-effective, and tailored products to their customers, unlike their competitors.

ABLE, a leading converting contractor, prioritizes providing its customers with the best products in the converting industry by using materials of the highest quality. To accomplish this, ABLE has partnered with Laird, one of the best brands in the industry, to ensure their customers receive top-of-the-line EMI shielding materials. Laird has perfected the art of creating high-quality EMI shielding materials for over two decades, suppressing interference, meeting immunity requirements, and solving complex EMI dilemmas. Through their partnership with Laird, ABLE is able to offer timely, cost-effective, and tailored products to their customers, ensuring they receive only the best materials in the converting industry.

Learn more about Laird’s world-class EMI shielding expertise and why they are the best among the rest. 

Laird: Offering Protection for the Aerospace and Defense Industries

Laird offers custom solutions to enhance the survivability, reduce signal interference, and improve thermal management of electronics used in various applications. These may include fifth-generation fighter jets, missile systems, UAVs, refueling tankers, satellites, and more. They use advanced modeling and simulation, materials database, and particle research capabilities to develop materials that perform reliably across various frequencies, from low frequencies under 500 MHz to millimeter wave frequencies up to 90 GHz. Laird’s fluorosilicone elastomers, thermal insulators, and microwave absorbers can withstand high temperatures and exposure to jet and missile fuel. These further provide reliable solutions to combat electromagnetic interference and improve the reliability of critical survivability components and electronics housed near jet engines.

For engineers working on satellite electronics systems, Laird provides silicone and silicone-free thermal interface materials that resist outgassing. Precision metals solutions are also available to manage electromagnetic interference and improve device structural integrity within enclosures.

Laird’s electrically conductive elastomers perform key structural and electromagnetic interference mitigation roles aboard aircraft of all types. Their measurement, testing, modeling, and simulation capabilities ensure that they can respond to the evolving needs of design engineers developing next-gen aircraft.

Laird Performance Materials: Building the Best EMI Defenses

Laird takes complete ownership of their process, setting them apart from their competitors. They embed their engineers and technical specialists in every phase of the design to ensure the highest-quality products that are timely, cost-effective, and tailored to their customers’ needs. Laird offers thousands of standard EMI shielding materials and unlimited custom options for various metal components. Customers can explore their catalog or contact an engineer through their customer service center to create their own EMI application in just an hour.

A Summary of Solutions

Laird’s solutions for effective EMI shielding and grounding of electronic and electric applications includes:

These solutions provide reliable protection in various conditions, such as high dynamic flex conditions or harsh environments.

Enclosure Solutions Groups: A Solution for Every Challenge

Board Level Shielding (BLS)

Effective management of electromagnetic interference necessitates protection that considers space, weight, and application constraints. Laird offers shields that provide isolation of board level components, whether a one-piece, two-piece, or custom BLS, to meet the specific needs of their customers.

Conductive Foam Gaskets

Laird offers a solution for enhanced EMI shielding needs through their innovative Ecofoam, which provides X, Y, and Z-axis conductivity for effective performance in low-cycling applications. Ecofoam can be customized by die-cutting, hole-punching, and notching, and features conductive PSA on one side.

Products under this group include:

EMI Tapes

Laird’s thinner tapes offer a solution to EMI issues. Their highly conductive tapes, fabrics, and adhesives are made from nickel/copper metalized fabric and come with a conductive PSA, providing exceptional EMI shielding, grounding, and flexibility.

Products under this group include:

Electrically Conductive Elastomers

Electrically conductive elastomers offer a solution to seal slight openings in shielding systems. They can conform to surface irregularities and are effective even in harsh conditions, preventing closure issues from creating an easy-access path.

Products under this group include:

Fabric-over-Foam Gaskets

Laird offers Ni/Cu and Sn/Cu fabric-over-foam gaskets that provide excellent low shielding attenuation and high conductivity for applications that require low compression force. These gaskets are designed for durability and offer soft shielding.

Products under this group include:

Fingerstock Metal Gaskets

Laird has over 80 years of expertise in producing thin strip metal in varying quantities, from thousands of pieces to millions. They offer high-frequency grounding and shielding solutions that are readily available off the shelf. Laird has dozens of variations, so customers can inquire about which option best suits their needs.

Form-in-Place Elastomers

One can optimize electronic performance by using molded form-in-place gaskets to provide reliable protection for compartmentalized cast or plastic enclosures for electronic assemblies. This cost-saving solution offers shielding effectiveness of 85-100 dB up to 10 GHz.

SMD Metal Contacts

Laird specializes in providing thin strip metal solutions for high-frequency EMI shielding and grounding ideal for bridging large gaps while requiring low compression force. These solutions are made of Beryllium Copper and are RoHS-compliant.

Sample Kits and Accessories

A variety of EMI shielding materials sample kits are available, providing customers with access to products and data to examine board-level shield, elastomer, gasket, fingerstock, and tape solutions.

Soft SMD Contacts

Laird offers a circuit grounding solution that uses foam-cored, soft SMD foam contacts with a metalized polyimide film outer covering. These contacts are suitable for automatic processing and are solder-reflow compatible.

Wire Mesh Knitted Conductive Gaskets

Design engineers widely recognize Laird’s knitted wire or conductive thread gaskets as a preferred solution for achieving high-performance EMI shielding and grounding in electronic devices and electrical applications.

Vent Panels

Laird offers a range of EMI/Dust Filtration panels, including MaxAir and Electrovent, which effectively shield against EMI while capturing airborne contaminants. This ensures reliable protection without compromising on ventilation and airflow.

EMI interference can pose a significant risk to critical devices and the lives of those who rely on them. With over two decades of experience in creating high-quality EMI shielding materials, Laird offers custom solutions to suppress interference, meet immunity requirements, and solve complex EMI dilemmas across various industries.

By partnering with Laird, ABLE provides top-of-the-line EMI shielding materials to our customers in the converting industry. Laird’s commitment to providing reliable solutions is evident in its ability to enhance survivability, reduce signal interference, improve thermal management, and ensure long-term reliable performance of electronics used in various applications such as fighter jets, missile systems, UAVs, satellites, and more. 

Their electrically conductive elastomers perform key structural and electromagnetic interference mitigation roles aboard aircraft of all types, and their rigorous measurement, testing, modeling, and simulation capabilities enable them to respond to the evolving needs of design engineers developing next-gen aircraft.

Interested in learning more about Laird’s EMI shielding materials? Get in touch with ABLE today and we’ll be more than happy to assist you! 

References:

https:// www.laird.com/products/enclosure-solutions
https:// www.laird.com/aerospace-and-defense