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Today's
automobiles are equipped with automotive electronics
that direct drivers and manage vehicle safety and performance. Advanced cameras
check for pedestrians. Adaptive cruise control automatically adjusts your speed
to stay a safe distance away from vehicles ahead. An alarm beeps or the
driver's seat vibrates if your car leaves its lane. Truck headlights brighten
or dim with changes in lighting conditions and oncoming traffic. Collision
warning with automatic braking can slow or even stop your vehicle.
Does your car, truck, or sports
utility vehicle (SUV) have these safety features? If not, your next ride probably
will. Meanwhile, automakers are incorporating additional electronics for security,
navigation, communications, and entertainment. After all, technologies such as
global positioning systems (GPS), Bluetooth, and other radio frequency (RF)
applications delight car buyers. For electronic designers and electromagnetic
compatibility (EMC) consultants, however, there are other important
considerations.
What Is Electromagnetic
Interference (EMI)?
Installing
a large number of electronics into a small interior space can cause these systems
to interfere with each other. Malfunctions or failures caused by cross-talk aren't
the only risks, however. Strong electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can affect human health.
That's why the batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) are enclosed in more than
just a metal box. A shielding gasket atop the box contains EMFs and prevents
electromagnetic interference (EMI) from the battery from disrupting other
electronics.
EMI
gaskets are also used with the inverters and converters that manage the power
and recharging circuits in electric cars and hybrid electric vehicles. Shielding gaskets are also needed at EV charging stations, where
multiple chargers can generate strong EMFs as well as EMI. Paying for an EV
charge could pose a problem, however. Electronic cash registers have drawers
for dollar bills, and point of sales (POS) systems use electronics for credit
card processing. Both need EMI gasketing.
EMI shielding isn't
just for electric cars and hybrid vehicles, however. Luxury automobiles powered
by gasoline or diesel engines use cameras, sensors, and radar. As more mid-range
models add automotive electronics, carmakers will need EMI shielding solutions
that balance performance with cost. For EMC consultants and designers of
automotive electronics, it's important to know which shielding materials work
best - and which gasket fabricator can meet all of your requirements.
Particle-Filled Silicones for EMI
Gaskets
EMI gaskets aren't new, but some buyers still think that
particle-filled silicones are too hard, too brittle, too expensive, and too
thick for automotive electronics. Loading a high percentage of particle filler
into silicones can result in tough tradeoffs, but Elasto Proxy sources
innovative elastomers that address these concerns. The shielding materials we recommend
balance electrical conductivity with cost-effectiveness, and provide benefits
that strengthen your electronic designs.
For example, the particle-filled
silicones we source can be used in shielding gaskets that are thin, flexible,
and able to withstand the high temperatures associated with automotive engines.
Silicone gaskets from Elasto Proxy also provide environmental sealing. Fluorosilicone
gaskets are available for automotive applications that involve contact with
fuels or solvents. Silicones provide many desirable properties, and compounding
this rubber makes it a great choice for EMI shielding.
Today, silicone gaskets that are
filled with nickel-coated graphite particles are used between metal enclosures
to protect automotive fuses. Elasto Proxy can also source semi-conductive
silicones filled with carbon black for static dissipation. Both conductive materials
are available in continuous rolls, a form factor that promotes the
cost-effective fabrication of EMI shielding. Elasto Proxy can also source
particle-filled EMI shielding as uncured moldable compounds and compression
molded sheet stock.
Join the Conversation
For over 25 years, Elasto Proxy has custom-fabricated specialty
seals and custom insulation for a wide range of industries, including automotive
and mobile specialty vehicles. How can we help you with
EMI gasketing? Contact us today, or join the conversation about this CR4 blog
entry.
Note: Elasto Proxy also provides M83528 connector gaskets for military applications.
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