Feb 14, 2003
Gore's snapSHOT� shield, composed of a metallized, high temperature, high performance plastic material, can be thermoformed to accommodate intricately shaped designs or multi-cavity configurations. The innovative material weighs 80 to 90 percent less than a metal can of similar size. The electrical insulating properties of the base material allow a lower profile shield design that virtually eliminates the gap between components and shield and reduces the required minimum component-to-component spacing by 25 to 50 percent.
Gore's patented snap-attach mechanism secures the snapSHOT� shield to the surface of the circuit board. A series of holes around the shield's perimeter snap over solder spheres placed and reflowed on the PCB, providing both mechanical retention and electrical connection. In cavity-to-cavity testing, the shielding effectiveness of snapSHOT� shield has been shown to out perform typical metal cans and removable lid cans.
DEK's advanced expertise in materials transfer technology enables the snapSHOT� shield to be integrated easily into high-speed, high-volume SMT production lines. The robust process begins with a screen printer depositing solder onto solder mask defined (SMD) pads that have been designed onto the PCB.
A second in-line printer, equipped with a DEK DirEKt Imaging Ball Placement head, places solder spheres into the solder on the PCB using a stencil that has been configured to the correct pattern. The fully enclosed head and DirEKt Imaging technology ensure gentle, but rapid and repeatable, deposition of the spheres.
Once the circuit board has been fully populated with components, it proceeds to reflow, where both components and spheres are soldered in place. Following reflow and inspection, the snapSHOT� shield can be installed manually, semi-automatically or fully automatically using a standard SMT odd form cell. If needed, the shield can be removed and a new shield installed easily, without de-soldering or re-soldering of the shield.
"We are pleased to join forces with DEK to introduce a revolutionary, board level, multi-cavity shielding product that provides excellent protection against electromagnetic interference," states Bill Candy, Technical Manager for Gore. "By combining DEK's wealth of experience in the electronics assembly industry with our years of experience in EMI shielding, we can better meet the needs of our customers."
According to Rich Heimsch, President of DEK International, the process illustrates "the value of flat, focused specialists in the new value chain, who can partner more quickly and effectively to advance core technologies."
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. is a worldwide leader in providing high technology solutions for electronic, industrial, medical, and fabric applications. DEK is a technology leader in materials deposition, supplying both equipment and advanced process expertise to the global electronics marketplace. For more information, contact Gore at http://www.wlgore.com or DEK at http://www.dek.com.
