WaveZero Form/Met shields offers green alternative to EMC shields

WaveZero, green EMI/RFI/ESD shielding product supplier, offers an alternative to standard ESD shielding products for design engineers who want to help make a difference in their companies’ Greenpeace environmental rankings report.

On July 25, Greenpeace issued the eighth edition of its Guide to Greener Electronics report, which ranks 18 major electronics manufacturers on their greenhouse emissions, use of toxic chemicals, and electronic waste policies. This year, Sony Ericsson, Sony, and Nokia topped the list as “most green”, while Microsoft and Nintendo scored at the bottom of the list.

“What is exciting is that small decisions can have a big impact on a company’s green footprint. Individual design engineers can make a difference by specifying WaveZero Form/Met Shielding or WaveZero DeepCoat vacuum metallization instead of ESD paint,” said John Zarganis, general manager of WaveZero’s EMC division.

Historic EMI shielding approaches are poor choices for being green in ESD shielding. Spray painting uses toxic chemicals, produces significant VOC emissions, and is very difficult to remove for recycling, electroplating produces liquid chemical wastes. Masks and tools must be cleaned with solvents and all this waste must be safely disposed.

However, WaveZero Form/Met shields are created by thermoforming and die cutting a lightweight plastic substrate that conforms to the interior shape of the housing. The substrate is then metalized, creating a form-fitting shield that is dropped into the housing. It can also be shaped just to cover the circuit board or as an enclosure.

Designed as a separate component, the barrier eliminates the need for coating the part after molding and also eliminates the need to use conductive fillers in the polymer. The shield is easily removable for recycling of the device after disassembly at the end of its lifecycle, whereas a typical plated part or a part filled with stainless steel fibers is not.

For those who prefer direct application of shielding, WaveZero offers DeepCoat vacuum metallization, which bonds a functional thin film deposition of aluminum, one of the safest metals available, directly to a substrate, so the plastic can be easily recycled at a very small cost. The DeepCoat process does not require a base coat, so instead of destroying the plastic by incineration, you may recover it for reuse in other applications. Recycling requires no special equipment and no hazardous conditions are created by the cleaning process.

In Europe, several regulations have been passed in recognition of the importance of environmental responsibility. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive requires producers to recover/recycle their electronic products, while the Restriction on the Use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive restricts a variety of harmful chemicals.

WaveZero DeepCoat Vacuum Metallization, as well as WaveZero’s Form/Met and Fence and Lid products, fully comply with these regulations, and are some of the greenest products available for ESD shielding.

More information: www.wavezero.com


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