Heat-shrink tubing can provide a versatile EMI RFI shielding solution in industrial, medical, and Mil/Aero applications.
Are you designing an interconnect system that could be susceptible to electromagnetic or radio frequency (RF) interference? If so, you have several options, but one cost-effective and lightweight solution could be your best “electronic bandage.”
This solution, using shielded conductive heat-shrink tubing with a metallic conductive ink coating on the inside of the tube provides electrical continuity and EMI, RFI, and ESD shielding around the joints being connected. This tubing can solve a variety of EMI/RFI problems easily and inexpensively and does not
require that the designer, the engineer, or the user have in-depth knowledge of electromagnetic and RF interference and their attendant shielding issues.
ECCO’s ShrinkMate combines use of MIl-I-23053/5 polyolefin tubing, or clear medical grade polyester tubing, and a highly conductive polymer thick film silver coating. The coating reduces evenly with the tubing using a heat gun, oven, or any conventional heat source. When the tubing is set, the conductive layer provides an electrical connection between the outside surface of the objects being joined by the tubing. Coaxial cable butt joints and cable to shielded connector housing joints can be made fast and easy and without the use of solder.
Although not all EMI/RFI cable shielding problems can be fixed with a single product like heat-shrink tubing, this can be the most cost-effective and easily implemented solution to address many EMC challenges.