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Here’s the thing about EMI shielding gasket manufacturers: they aren’t all the same. Each one brings a wide variety of skills, capabilities, processes and values to the table.
If you’re looking for the best manufacturer of EMI shielding gaskets for your particular project, there is, in fact, a right answer. The trouble is figuring out how to identify that answer. That’s why we have put together this list of considerations as you start your search for a manufacturer. Read on for everything you need to know.
Don’t feel like reading the rest? No worries — you’ve already found the EMI gasket manufacturer you’re looking for. At Modus Advanced, we have a long history with EMI shielding gaskets and quality standards that make others look like child’s play. Contact us to learn more.
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Read the Complete EMI Shielding Design Guide.
Do They Use the Best EMI Shielding Materials?
Materials already make a huge difference in gasket manufacturing, but when you need your gasket to shield against electromagnetic interference (EMI), materials become way more important. That’s because you have a variety of base materials and conductive filler materials to choose from, and each brings its own unique properties into the equation.
Some are better at shielding but use a more expensive filler material. Some are more affordable but won’t resist extreme temperatures or other environmental hazards very well. There’s a long list of EMI shielding gasket materials, and one of them is right for your design. But will your manufacturer of choice have access to it?
Make sure they have expertise in-house to be able to support you in selecting the right material for your project. You can also ask all the EMI shielding gasket manufacturers you’re considering about their materials to ensure that they work with a wide variety.
Are They Certified?
There are several important certifications that manufacturers of EMI gaskets should have. They don’t have to have them by law or anything, but if they don’t have them, you have to wonder why. Are they not good enough to get them, or do they just not care?
For nearly any industry, you’ll want to ensure that your manufacturer has ISO 9001 certification. And if you’re designing something for aerospace, defense or a similar industry, you’ll also want to look for the more specialized AS9100 certification.
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Visit our complete EMI shielding resource center.
EMI Shielding Gasket Manufacturers Should Understand DfM
Because your design is technically perfect and gorgeous, you might assume that it will be easy to manufacture. But you might be wrong. Sometimes, beautiful designs will be an expensive nightmare to manufacture — and they may not even be possible.
As an expert EMI shielding design but not necessarily gasket manufacturing, how are you supposed to know? You’re supposed to be able to ask your manufacturing partner. High-quality EMI shielding gasket manufacturers will have a robust Design for Manufacturability (DfM) process in place. That means you should be able to submit your design and get expert feedback on whether it’s manufacturable and ways you could make it more so. And they shouldn’t charge you for it, either.
Look for Quality
Quality is everything in manufacturing. If you don’t have quality, you have a potential manufacturing disaster on your hands. When you’re talking about EMI shielding gaskets, low quality could mean that your device doesn’t work at all because it’s bogged down in interference.
How do you assess quality in a gasket manufacturer? Just ask them. But when you ask, really listen to their answer. They should be excited to talk about it. They should have defined quality management practices, a robust quality system, and a well-staffed quality management team.
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Read the Case Study: Medical Device Company Solves Assembly Issues.
Vertical Integration is Key
The question, “Can you manufacture my EMI shielding gasket?” should be followed by this question: “What else can you do?”
Why? Because vertical integration is how you save money, stress and time in the manufacturing phase. EMI shielding gaskets are one part of a whole, so who’s going to manufacture the whole?
You shouldn’t have to start your search for a manufacturer over again after your gaskets are done. So, ask about the housing and the various other parts of your device. If your gasket manufacturer can take those on, too, the whole process is going to be a lot easier on you.
Do They Have Specialized EMI Shielding Expertise?
This one may be obvious, but you need to dig a little deeper than the yes-or-no answer this question will likely get you. If a manufacturer claims to have in-depth experience with EMI shielding gaskets and design, ask them for more detail.
What kinds of industries have they built EMI gaskets for? What kind of volume have they handled? How often do they have manufacturing defects that make it onto the market? These are all key factors you should consider as you make your decision.
Assess Their Security Measures
Many devices that need EMI shielding gaskets are related to defense or aerospace — industries that require a high level of security. But really, any device that has yet to be manufactured is a secret. Whether it’s a matter of keeping bad actors from finding weaknesses in the device or keeping the competition from copying your work, security is a big deal in original equipment manufacturing. And with cyber threats on the rise, security becomes more important all the time.
This is why you need to ask any EMI shielding gasket manufacturer you are considering about their security measures. Do they follow Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification practices? What internal systems do they use to share designs? Ask them to walk you through their security measures, and if something doesn’t sound as secure as it should, that’s a sign that you need to look elsewhere.
Modus: Setting New Standards for EMI Shielding Gasket Manufacturers
Each of the above considerations can make or break your device, so it’s important to take your time addressing each one with any EMI shielding gasket manufacturer you’re considering.
Why not start with us? The Modus Advanced team would be happy to walk you through all of these considerations point by point and show you how we’ll meet and exceed your expectations. All you have to do is contact us. Reach out online or give us a call at (925) 960-8700 to get started.
