Foam gaskets provide effective EMI shields

Soft-Shield 4500 is a conductive z-axis EMI shielding foam gasket.

Soft-Shield 4500 from Chomerics is a conductive z-axis EMI shielding foam gasket.

The material has excellent electrical characteristics given by a network of filled vias and provides a credible alternative to fully wrapped conductive gaskets.

Soft-Shield 4500 is ideal for use in applications such as I/O panels, backplanes, connectors and access panels where some degree of compartmental shielding is needed.

The material consists of a perforated low compression set (less than 10%) microcellular urethane foam coated with a silver-copper filled conductive coating with a compatible dynamic range.

The vias formed by the perforations are filled by the conductive coating creating short ground paths; these give Soft-Shield 4500 excellent through conductivity and low resistance.

Shielding effectiveness averages 90dB between 100MHz and 10GHz.

Soft-Shield 4500 is suitable for use at temperatures between -40 and +70C.

The low compression set figure helps to ensure that material performance is maintained after repeated closure cycling.

Available in thicknesses of 1.6, 2.4 or 3.2mm, Soft-Shield 4500 can be converted either by die-cutting or by using high-speed rotary die tools to give precision custom shapes and profiles.

The material can also be supplied in sheet or roll form.

Parts can be supplied with conductive or nonconductive pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) to simplify assembly.

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