Month: Nov 2019

Protect Your Equipment and Employees With Shielding Tapes

The effects of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electrostatic discharge (ESD) can be devastating to sensitive electronic and electrical equipment and the employees that operate them. For example:

  • EMI can ruin data collection and transmission, degrade signals, and interfere with or damage critical devices such as pacemakers.
  • ESD can cause component failure and circuit destruction and result in electrical shock if the charge is not adequately dissipated.

Shielding products—such as shielding tapes—help disperse ESD and block EMI to minimize the risk of injury to life and limb and ensure the continued operation of the equipment. Shielding tapes act as a sealant. Instead of sealing in or out liquids, dirt, and other physical contaminants, they create a barrier that isolates the equipment and seals in or seals out EMI, ESD, and radio wave signals generated by environmental sources or the equipment itself.

Due to their critical function in electronic and electrical devices, shielding tapes find application in a wide range of industries, including medical and aerospace. Within these industries, companies employ EMI seals to protect their equipment and employees.

ADVANTAGES OF USING SHIELDING TAPE

When used in electronic and electrical systems for industrial applications, EMI shielding tape offers numerous advantages, including:

  • Broader design flexibility and versatility. Shielding tapes are available in a variety of designs, materials, and sizes, which allows them to be tailored for use in a wide range of equipment and employee protection applications.
  • Easier application and use. The application of EMI tape requires minimal surface preparation—i.e., ensuring the surface is dry and clean—and no specialized tools. As shielding tapes generally come with a pre-applied adhesive backing, they only require sufficient pressure to ensure adhesion to the equipment surface. As a grounding solution, the metallic part of the tape helps to disperse electrical charges safely without needing screws or other fasteners.
  • Reduced crosstalk. Using these tapes reduces crosstalk—i.e., the interference of one signal by another nearby signal—across program or transmission channels.
  • Greater protective properties. Shielding tapes minimize the adverse effects of ESD and ESI, resulting in greater protection for employees and equipment.
  • Better durability. Many shielding tapes demonstrate superior abrasion and corrosion resistance and flame retardant properties, which enable them to withstand the stresses of use and result in longer service lives.

WHY WORK WITH SHIELDING TAPE EXPERTS?

With the numerous types of shielding tapes available, choosing the right one for a shielding application can be difficult. In these situations, it helps to get help. By consulting with an experienced fabricator and distributor of shielding tapes, customers receive qualified advice about which tape(s) is/are suitable for their needs or application and how best to apply it/them.

Advantages of Shielding Tapes

ORDER YOUR CUSTOM SHIELDING TAPES TODAY

Shielding products such as shielding tapes help protect your equipment and employees from EMI and ESD. At Robert McKeown, we offer shielding tapes and gaskets for use in industrial shielding applications. To further customize these EMI shielding products to our customers’ needs, we offer die cutting services.

To learn more about our EMI shielding tape and gasket offerings, contact us or request a quote.

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