WaveZero Offers Green Alternative for EMI Shielding
WaveZero Products Provides Greener Alternative to ESD Paint
July 15, 2008, Sunnyvale, CA — WaveZero, a leader in green EMI/RFI/ESD shielding solutions, offers a better alternative to standard ESD shielding solutions for design engineers who want to help make a difference in their companies' Greenpeace environmental rankings report.
On July 25, Greenpeace issued the eighth edition of its Guide to Greener Electronics report, which ranks 18 major electronics manufacturers on their greenhouse emissions, use of toxic chemicals, and electronic waste policies. This year, Sony Ericsson, Sony, and Nokia topped the list as "most green", while Microsoft and Nintendo scored at the bottom of the list.
"What's exciting is that small decisions can have a big impact on a company's green-ness. Individual design engineers can make a difference by specifying WaveZero Form/Met Shielding or WaveZero DeepCoat vacuum metallization instead of ESD paint," said John Zarganis, General Manager of WaveZero's EMC division.
Historic EMI Shielding Approaches are poor choices for being green in ESD shielding. Spray painting uses toxic chemicals, produces significant VOC emissions, and is very difficult to remove for recycling, electroplating produces liquid chemical wastes. Masks and tools must be cleaned with solvents and all this waste must be safely disposed.
However, WaveZero Form/Met shields are created by thermoforming and die cutting a lightweight plastic substrate that conforms to the interior shape of the housing. The substrate is then metalized, creating a form-fitting shield that is dropped into the housing. It can also be shaped just to cover the circuit board or as an enclosure. Designed as a separate component, the barrier eliminates the need for coating the part after molding and also eliminates the need to use conductive fillers in the polymer. The shield is easily removable for recycling of the device after disassembly at the end of its lifecycle, whereas a typical plated part or a part filled with stainless steel fibers is not.
For those who prefer direct application of shielding, WaveZero offers DeepCoat vacuum metallization, which bonds a functional thin film deposition of aluminum, one of the safest metals available, directly to a substrate, so the plastic can be easily recycled at a very small cost. The DeepCoat process does not require a base coat, so instead of destroying the plastic by incineration, you may recover it for reuse in other applications. Recycling requires no special equipment nor hazardous conditions are created by the cleaning process. Should you want to remove the aluminum before recycling, immersion in a mild caustic solution or household bleach will chemically remove the coating. The average aluminum deposition is .000118 inches thick so that its mass is inconsequential in relation to that of the plastic.
In Europe, several regulations have been passed in recognition of the importance of environmental responsibility. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive requires producers to recover/recycle their electronic products, while the Restriction on the Use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive restricts a variety of harmful chemicals.
WaveZero DeepCoat Vacuum Metallization, as well as WaveZero's Form/Met and Fence and Lid products, fully comply with these regulations, and are some of the greenest solutions available for ESD shielding.
About WaveZero, Inc.
WaveZero, Inc. specializes in custom EMC shielding solutions for medical and similar devices. Its line of patented Form/Met products and DeepCoat vacuum metallization service are designed and optimized specifically to meet the needs of medical device manufacturing. WaveZero is a US operating subsidiary of Block Shield Corporation, a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange AIM. For more information, visit http://www.wavezero.com or call 408 830-5100.
Contact:
Catherine van Zuylen
(408) 702-1800
moreinfo@wavezero.com
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