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RF Shields: Why a Vertically Integrated Partner is Best

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    keypoints-top-borderKey Points

    • Vertical integration is uncommon in RF shield manufacturing, but it provides big benefits.
    • A vertically integrated RF shield manufacturing partner can offer lower lead times and costs, as well as fewer hassles.
    • Modus is the vertically integrated partner you’re looking for.

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    Making an effective radio frequency (RF) shield is a process. The design alone is arduous, and it then has to work with the rest of the device to which you’re going to apply it. And just when you think you’ve crossed the finish line, you then have to find all the manufacturing partners who are going to make each individual part of the RF shield.

    Or do you? If you go with a vertically integrated RF shield manufacturer, you don’t have to do all of that. You find one partner, and they take care of the rest. 

    That sounds pretty good, but convenience isn’t the only benefit of vertical integration in RF shield manufacturing. In this post, the Modus Advanced team will walk you through the key reasons why a vertically integrated partner is best when you need to manufacture an RF shield.

    Modus Advanced’s proprietary SigShield process is vertical integration at its finest. Get your RF shield in half the typical lead time and with 100% fewer headaches. All you have to do is contact us to get started.

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    What Does Vertically Integrated RF Shield Production Look Like?

    Before we get into all of the benefits of vertical integration as applied to RF shield production, we should take a moment to define what a vertically integrated RF shield manufacturing process even looks like. 

    Vertical integration is simply the process of combining stages of production usually reserved for separate vendors. The idea is that it reduces costs for the end consumer (you) and can speed up production.

    We can’t speak for other manufacturers, but at Modus, our process breaks down into four key steps, which we describe below. In the traditional, non-vertical process, you would need to send your RF shield to a different manufacturer for each of these steps, but Modus takes care of all of them for you:

    1. Metal Housing

    We begin by machining the metal housing that will make up the bulk of your RF shield. Our CNC machinists will expertly form your metal housing perfectly to your specifications and move it on to the next phase of production.

    2. Coatings and Platings

    Any plating or coating required by your design comes next. The Modus team of engineers and experts will apply the exact right platings and coatings to ensure that your RF shield functions properly and exactly how you intended.

    At this phase, we send the part through a 100% inspection to make sure no detail has been overlooked. Then, we move on to the gaskets.

    3. Gaskets

    Typically, RF shields will have form-in-place (FIP) gaskets to make sure no problematic RF signals can get through the various openings in the metal housing of your RF shield. Using a top-of-the-line Datron FIP gasket dispenser, the Modus team applies your RF-shielding FIP gaskets with expert precision.

    4. Thermal and Microwave Absorbers

    While the other three steps have been happening, a separate Modus team has been making any thermal or microwave absorbers required for your RF shield. That way, as soon as the FIP gaskets are done curing, we can apply the absorbers.

    The only remaining step is quality inspection. If the RF shield is exactly right, we pass it back to you 100% complete.

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    RF Shielding: Everything You Need to KnowRF Shielding: Everything You Need to Know

    Benefits of Vertical Integration for RF Shield Manufacturing

    Great — but how does all of that help you? It’s a fair question, and it has a few answers. When you take advantage of our vertically integrated RF shield manufacturing processes, you get:

    Fewer Headaches

    Even if you don’t usually get migraines, you should prepare for some headaches if you go with the traditional process of wrangling four (or more) different manufacturers. 

    Right off the bat, you have the headache of communicating with several different vendors. Then, once the process starts, you have to either hope that the disparate manufacturers will care enough to communicate well with each other, or you have to handle all the communication yourself.

    All of that passing your RF shield back and forth leaves open a lot of room for error. A single error can render your shield unusable, and that’s a pretty big headache in itself.

    But with vertical integration, you communicate with a single partner, and there’s little, if any, chance for miscommunication. Instead of sending the part across the country for the next step, one of our team members carries it across the manufacturing floor to its next destination.

    Half the Lead Time

    Our SigShield process gets RF shields done in half the typical lead time associated with RF shields. That means you wait for one to three weeks, not four to six. If your project is on a tight timeline, the faster process that vertical integration allows for is invaluable.

    Way Lower Freight Costs

    While money isn’t everything, it’s a pretty big deal for most projects that involve RF shields. And if you go with a vertically integrated partner like Modus, you’ll spend less of it on freight costs. 

    Why? It’s simply a result of not having to ship your incomplete part back and forth from manufacturer to manufacturer over and over again. You send your design to us, and we send your completed RF shield back to you. 

    That’s one-time shipping — not four-time shipping — so it’s reasonable to expect to spend around a quarter of the typical freight costs.

    Work with a Vertically Integrated RF Manufacturing Partner

    When you’re designing RF shields, working with a vertically integrated partner isn’t just the best way — it’s the only way that will reduce all the room for error, the costs, the lead time and the hassles. 

    You don’t have time for the mess. You need your RF shield manufactured with precision, within budget and on time. That’s what you will get when you take advantage of SigShield, Modus Advanced’s proprietary, vertically integrated RF shield manufacturing process.

    Ready to get started? There’s no reason to wait. Just give the Modus team a call at 925-960-8700 or contact us online today. We’re ready to get to work on your RF shield.

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