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Slater plastics are manufacturers of optical filters, contrast
enhancement filters, RFI / EMC shielded windows, instrumentation and display
fascia panels, we also offer a design and consultation service.
RFI / EMC Filter Windows
Shielded filter windows are designed for use with electronic displays
and give a high level of shielding from both internally and externally
generated electromagnetic emissions. These windows can be designed to
incorporate any of the filter characteristics described in the Optical
Filters and Fascia Panels data page.
RFI / EMC shielded windows can be manufactured in allyl carbonate or CR39TM, acrylic,
polycarbonate or glass. The shielding element is either a cast in micro
- fine mesh (allyl carbonate or CR39TM only ), laminated micro - fine mesh or ITO deposition.
Cast allyl carbonate or CR39TM embedded mesh windows.
These shielded windows offer the superb screening performance of micro - fine
mesh, combined with the outstanding characteristics of allyl carbonate
or CR39TM
( see Optical
Filters and Fascia Panels for details on allyl carbonate or CR39TM ).
The general properties of cast windows are:
- Micro - fine mesh is cast in to a one piece sheet, therefore no delamination
problems and higher temperature specification than laminated parts.
- They can be machined to any desired profile, with or without rebates.
- Extremely good abrasion, solvent, impact and heat resistance.
- Light weight.
- Different meshes available to suit the application and mesh is blackened
to reduce reflections.
- None reflective surfaces can be cast in.
- Mesh can be set at any desired angle.
- Silver loaded bus - bar termination.
Laminated Mesh Windows.
These shielded windows again offer the superb screening performance of
micro - fine mesh, which in this version can be left flying for direct
termination to the equipment screen. Material and characteristics for
the filter can be selected from the full range,
( see Optical
Filters and Fascia Panels for details of the filter range ).
The general properties of laminated windows are:
- Micro - fine mesh is laminated in between your selected filter medium.
- Plastic versions can be machined to any desired profile, and glass
versions can be constructed with or without rebates.
- Different meshes available to suit the application and mesh is blackened
to reduce reflections.
- None reflective surfaces can be included.
- Mesh can be set at any desired angle.
- Various termination methods are available including ; tape edge, mesh
over gasket, flying mesh, silver bus - bar.
Mesh Performance.
The performance of any RFI / EMC window is dependent on how well it is
bonded to the equipment screen. The following table shows the screening
capability of the mesh, where the mesh itself is clamped to the screen
with no gaskets in between. The size of the test window was 300 x 300
mm and the shielding performance will improve as the window size reduces,
due to the performance characteristics of the aperture. Mesh selection
should be based on required performance and with the way that it interacts
with your chosen display.
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Shielding performance (dB attenuation )
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Mesh
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Openings per inch
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Wire diameter
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E field
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Plane wave
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Open area %
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1 MHz
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10 MHz
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100 MHz
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100 MHZ
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400 MHz
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1 GHz
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10 GHz
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Copper
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100
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0.002
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107
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111
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85
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70
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70
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58
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-
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64
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Stainless
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50
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0.002
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94
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90
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82
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-
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58
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55
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28
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82
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| Stainless
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80
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0.001
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106
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88
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82
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-
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64
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60
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34
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84
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Stainless
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100
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0.001
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128
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112
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92
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77
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80
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86
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74
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81
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ITO Deposition Windows.
Indium Tin Oxide ( ITO ), is a transparent semiconductor which can be
coated onto optical filter materials. ITO benefits over metal depositions
because it is more transparent and less reflective, for a given impedance
level. A good ITO coating will have optical transmission levels of greater
than 75 %.
The ITO coating can be sputtered onto glass or plastic and has good chemical
and mechanical durability, it will also not oxidise when exposed to air.
The oxygen content of the coating is adjusted to a compromise point,
giving good optical transparency and low impedance, normally between 10
- 40 Ohms / square for shielding.
The shielding effect of thin film coatings is due to reflection of the
electromagnetic wave. This means that the coatings are only effective
when the wave impedance is greater than the coating impedance. This in
turn means that the coatings have no effect in the magnetic, or H - Field,
and are not suitable for all applications. There can also be some optical
limitations to ITO coated windows and these should be fully discussed
before selection is made.
Performance of an ITO window will depend on its impedance and the field
impedance, but generally will produce between 80 and 120 dB attenuation
in the E - Field, and around 20 dB for Plane waves.
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