Form in Place (FIP) Gaskets and Materials

The most important distinction of form-in-place EMI gaskets is that they were developed for applications where inter-compartmental isolation is required to separate signal processing and/or signal generating functions. FIP gaskets are meant to reduce “noise” between cavities on a printed circuit board (PCB) or in an electronics enclosure.

In addition, FIP gaskets provide excellent electrical contact to mating conductive surfaces, including printed circuit board traces for cavity-to-cavity isolation.

We can provide a fast free sample turn around service and produce single parts up to large batch production runs. Generally we would require a DXF file of the part to be able to work with it. This speeds up the programming time and reduces the lead time from receipt to completed goods. A non-contact measuring device is used to ensure the gasket size and shape.

More information can be found here.

• Low tooling costs – Simple housings and parts require little or no tooling.
• Small precise gaskets – gaskets can be dispensed in smaller bead sizes than most traditional EMI shielding gaskets.
• Excellent adhesion – high adhesion on prepared surfaces such as machined metals, cast housings, and electrically conductive plastics.
• High shielding effectiveness – FIP materials can provide >100 dB shielding effectiveness in the 200 MHz to 12 GHz frequency range.
• Quick programming – swift and easy turn around of samples and small batches.
• Complex geometries – FIP gaskets are able to follow very complex geometries including sharp turns, corners, and repeating patterns.
• “T” joints – FIP gaskets produce reliable junctions between paths to provide continuous EMI/EMC shielding and environmental sealing.

• The form in place gasket height covers a range of 0.35mm – 2mm. The width is nominally 1.5 x height for a single bead.
• A general tolerance of ± 0.1mm should be allowed.
• Form in place gasket adhesion is typically >100Ncm^-2 (of gasket ‘footprint’). This depends on the substrate type and condition. Oils and contaminants should be removed.
• A form in place gasket path can be defined from the part manually or generated from a CAD/DXF file
• Form in place gasket compression range is usually 20% – 30% of original height.

  
• Compression stops or limitations are recommended as they prevent over-compression and subsequent damage to the gasket. They also allow any fasteners to be tightened to their normal working torque .

  

  

  
• Our form in place gasket will provide a low voltage DC resistance of >200 mΩcm^-1 (this is measured down through the gasket cross-section into the substrate to which it is applied)
• Non-conductive form in place gasket materials can operate from -100°C up to +300°C
• Conductive form in place gasket materials can operate from -55°C up to +150°C

To specify the type and size of material required, please use the material code plus the container size as a suffix. For example for a 10cc syringe of Nickel Graphite material, the part number would be “FP-NC-10”

To specify a dispensed gasket, please use the material code plus the drawing number as a suffix. For example for a Nickel Graphite gasket to drawing 12345 would be, the part number would be “FP-NC-12345”