VTI Vacuum Technologies Inc.

ESD Shielding and Plastic Enclosures

Hearing the words “electrostatic discharge” sends chills up the spines of anyone involved in manufacturing electronic devices. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is a sudden electric current that runs between two objects and is caused by direct contact or induced by an electrostatic field. For electronic components, this could be a death sentence.

The Need for ESD Shielding

ESD can cause electronic devices to be damaged beyond repair and you might not even know it. Most often, ESD damage may not be discovered until much later when the device experiences poor performance or malfunctions. The gaming industry is just one example of an industry taking a strong interest in preventing ESD by investing in ESD shielding. ESD shielding is used not only to prevent accidental occurrences of ESD, but also intentional ones where casino patrons might purposely initiate an electrostatic discharge in order to hack into the system.

With ESD shielding, a vacuum metallization process is used to coat plastic enclosures of electronic components with a very thin coat of metal. This metal works as a barrier to prevent ESD from occurring. While metalizing a plastic enclosure will help reduce the susceptibility to ESD, the OEM must still perform EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) testing to ensure compliance. At VTI, we want our customers to understand the benefits of vacuum metallization without any risk. Request a free sample today, and we’ll apply an aluminum conductive coating to one of your sample parts free of charge. This free sample will show you how ESD shielding can easily protect all of your electronic devices.

Protecting these electronics with ESD shielding prevents them from malfunctioning or breaking due to electrostatic discharge. At VTI Vacuum Technologies Inc., we provide you with fast, reliable ESD shielding for your plastic enclosures so that you can be sure your devices are protected from electrostatic discharge. If you’re looking for a cost efficient ESD shielding solution to protect your machines, take advantage of our free vacuum metallization production masking offer to get started on your ESD shielding project.