Get It Right—Right From the Start
When developing electronic enclosures for high-stakes industries like medical, military, aerospace, or industrial applications, early design decisions can make or break your project. That’s why VTI Vacuum Technologies, Inc. partners with engineers during the earliest stages of development to help you optimize for EMI/RFI shielding and Form-In-Place (FIP) gasketing—before tooling, before commitment, and before costly revisions.
Engineering Collaboration from Day One
As an engineer or product developer, you’re under pressure to meet strict performance, regulatory, and budget requirements. We understand that. Our early design support is built to help you:
Avoid design rework by aligning geometry with shielding/gasketing best practices.
Speed up time to production with early-stage consultation and prototyping.
Reduce risk by ensuring material compatibility and application precision.
Maximize performance through optimized enclosure layout and gasket path planning.
Expert Feedback That Saves You Time and Cost
We routinely assist OEM engineers, injection molders, and metal fabricators by reviewing drawings, CAD models, and prototypes to ensure they’re fully compatible with our vacuum metallization and FIP gasket application processes.
You’ll benefit from:
Design tips for optimal EMI/RFI shielding coverage.
Guidance on mask line placement, geometry considerations, and curing requirements.
Insights on gasket path accessibility and surface conditions.
Advice on compatible resins and substrates.
An Example of an Avoidable Design Issues
The conductivity of the coating is not necessarily the driving factor in high-frequency shielding effectiveness. Instead, it is the longest dimension of the case’s opening, which is almost always at the mating seams. Unfortunately, most molded plastic cases are not designed along the seams to accommodate metallization or gasketing, making them difficult to shield from radiated emissions. In fact, a poorly-shielded seam can actually increase measured emissions by collimating RF energy through the unintended gaps, causing hot spots.
If you allow our experts to give input on your design early on in the process, you can avoid any surprise costs later on in production by finding out what the cost of the tooling and application process for our shielding solutions will be.
Shorten the Path from Concept to Production
We provide fast-turn sample processing on both test plaques and your actual parts—so you can evaluate real-world shielding and gasketing results, make informed decisions, and move forward with confidence.
You will benefit from the skills and experience of our production and engineering staff by letting them assist you during the initial stages of your product development. They have extensive expertise working with in-house design and OEM engineers, as well as third-party design houses, injection molders, and prime contractors.
Thus, you will avoid any unnecessary complications that can add time and cost to your production if not considered in advance.
You will benefit from the skills and experience of our production and engineering staff by letting them assist you during the initial stages of your product development. They have extensive expertise working with in-house design and OEM engineers, as well as third-party design houses, injection molders, and prime contractors.
Thus, you will avoid any unnecessary complications that can add time and cost to your production if not considered in advance.
At the end of this collaborative process we will deliver plastic metalized samples to your facilities for prototype analysis and field testing in advance of your early production.
We’re Ready When You Are
Whether you’re still sketching concepts or already prototyping, we’re happy to review your designs and help you plan ahead.
FAQs About Early Design Support
Why should I involve VTI early in my design process?
Because small design decisions—like corner radii, wall thickness, or parting lines—can impact coating coverage or gasket adhesion. We help catch those issues early, saving you costly tooling changes later.
What files or formats should I send for a design review?
We typically review STEP or IGES files, but can also evaluate PDFs, photos, or drawings if needed. Just reach out—we’ll work with whatever you have.
Do I have to be a current customer to get help?
No. We offer early design assistance whether or not you’ve worked with us before. It’s part of our commitment to long-term partnerships.
Will early design support delay my project?
Not at all. Our team is responsive, and catching design issues early actually accelerates your timeline by reducing rework.
