According to Weymouth based screening specialist, Tecan Components, electronics designers are increasingly taking advantage of the significant cost and performance benefits available from fabricated labyrinth screening solutions, as opposed to expensive traditional methods involving casting and milling.

A Tecan labyrinth RFI screening can fabrication is an effective board-level solution for single- or double-sided PCB designs, where cast and milled solid-metal enclosures, or multiple screening cans, are traditionally used. The technique can be applied to a wide range of areas, enhancing performance and offering significant time, cost and PCB real-estate savings, especially in microwave and telecommunications applications. One labyrinth from a single source makes procurement easier and a less expensive, the RF design and PCB track layout can be simplified, board sizes can be reduced and assembly simplified.

A recent case study cites a specialist microwave engineering company looking for a double-sided board level alternative to expensive cast and milled aluminium housings. The company had already made some development progress, away from the original milled metal housing, by employing a large number of small RFI cans of different sizes and profiles, mounted on both sides of a microwave application PCB, but this was far from ideal, being logistically cumbersome and labour intensive.

For each side of the board, Tecan suggested a single labyrinth can, with separate lid, replacing the multiple can approach and providing a completely hermetically sealed and EMC sealed low-profile board-level solution. Along the way to achieving this integrated solution, new techniques were simultaneously established for the re-flow operation to ensure consistent electromechanical integrity for the solder joints.

Labyrinth screening is still a cutting-edge technology, there are no off-the-shelf solutions, each solution is bespoke. It is necessary to ensure all aspects of the design, from electrical performance to production line compatibility are considered at the outset, to ensure total fitness-for-purpose designs result. This is achieved with Tecan engineers in close liaison with customers’ engineers, materials suppliers and third-parties such as PCB assembly houses.

Tecan offers design expertise which allows a wide range of cost-effective benefits to be applied to individual printed circuit board screening cans, from concept to production. Free consultation followed by ongoing advice and support are available from a dedicated design team offering ‘defined costs with defined ends’. Once a design is agreed and proven, the long-term benefits can be significant.

Five levels of service are offered, from those who know they need screening but don’t know where to go next, to those with partial or fully-dimensioned drawings needing professional enhancements to incorporate special manufacturing techniques. Also on offer are design guidance, site visits, prototyping, production samples, finish and thickness options, forming, assembly and re-evaluation for cost reduction.

The company uses a range of well-established and proven manufacturing systems, such as photo-chemical machining (PCM) and punch/press, to provide cans for the most demanding low, medium and high-volume production needs. Resultant fabrications can be made compatible with standard production requirements, including surface-mount, and pick and place assembly.

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