DEK, Gore introduce shielding solution.

DEK (Zurich, Switzerland, www.dek.com) and W. L. Gore & Associates Inc. (Dundee, Scotland, www.wlgore.com) have combined their technologies to deliver an electromagnetic interference (EMI) board-level shield for wireless communications devices. Gore's new snapSHOT shield and DEK's DirEKt Imaging Ball Placement technology provide devices with protection against EMI and overcomes the limitations of metal cans.

Gore's shield, composed of a metallized, high temperature plastic material, can be thermoformed to accommodate intricate designs or multi-cavity configurations. The material weighs 80 to 90% less than a metal can of similar size. The electrical insulating property of the base material allows a lower profile shield design that narrows the gap between components and shield and reduces the minimum component-to-component spacing by 25 to 50%. A snap-attach mechanism secures the shield to the surface of board. A series of holes around the shield's perimeter snap over solder spheres placed and reflowed on the printed circuit board (PCB), providing mechanical retention and electrical connection.

DEK's materials transfer technology enables the shield to be integrated into high-speed, high-volume surface-mount production lines. The process begins with a screen printer depositing solder onto solder mask defined (SMD) pads that have been designed on the PCB.

A second in-line printer, equipped with a ball placement head, places solder spheres into the solder on the PCB using a stencil. The fully enclosed head and imaging technology ensure rapid and repeatable deposition of the spheres.

Following reflow and inspection, the shield can be installed manually, semi-automatically or fully automatically using a standard surface-mount odd form cell. The shield can be removed and replaced without de-soldering or re-soldering of the shield.