Understanding and controlling electromagnetic interference unites hardware engineers and security officers. While one group worries about product reliability and regulatory emissions, the other focuses on preventing data leaks and remote attacks. Both rely on effective shielding — using the right EMI gasket at an enclosure seam and choosing the right Faraday bag for a mobile device. At JEMIC, we’ve seen that a shared checklist can bridge these worlds, ensuring that everyone speaks the same language and avoids costly mistakes.

Getting the Most from EMI Gaskets

When you design or secure an electronic device, you’re really managing the same invisible force. Stray electromagnetic noise from a microprocessor can cause a product to fail an emissions test, and a malicious signal riding in on a cellular band can compromise evidence on a seized phone. Both scenarios hinge on how well the device is shielded and how carefully its interfaces are sealed. The stakes are high: interference can erode product margins, while data leaks can undermine trust and jeopardize investigations.

A unified approach starts with acknowledging that hardware engineers and security professionals share many of the same tools. A properly specified EMI gasket ensures that a metal chassis forms a continuous conductive path, while a well-constructed RF pouch prevents stray signals from reaching a device in transit. Bringing these tools together into a single checklist helps each team see the bigger picture and reduces the risk that a decision in one department will compromise another department’s work.

Understanding RF Risks Across the Device Lifecycle

Before you pick materials or write specifications, it’s worth pausing to ask where your devices will operate and what signals they’ll encounter. RF risks change as a product moves from initial design through field deployment. Recognizing these shifts helps you allocate resources wisely and choose the correct EMI gaskets and shielding solutions.

Products used by consumers often occupy busy wireless environments. Phones, tablets, and laptops compete with WiFi access points, Bluetooth peripherals, and nearby microwaves. Industrial sensors sit near motors and highvoltage equipment; they have to shrug off large amounts of electrical noise. Automotive control modules live inside vehicles packed with electronics and must not interfere with safety systems. Medical devices are installed in hospitals crowded with staff phones and network gear, so they need to meet strict immunity standards. When devices become evidence in an investigation, the risk profile changes again: they must be isolated immediately to prevent remote tampering.

These scenarios suggest a framework for assessing risk and setting priorities.

• Everyday use:Determine which frequencies your product emits or receives. Choose EMI gaskets that meet regulatory standards and maintain performance throughout your product’s life.
• Industrial environments:Look for gaskets and shielding materials that tolerate vibration, temperature extremes, and strong interference. Consider using highercompression profiles and corrosionresistant materials.
• Critical or medical applications:Specify tighter tolerances and more durable gaskets. Pay attention to mating surfaces and choose Faraday bags that are tested across the full range of relevant frequencies.

Once you know where your devices will go and what they’re up against, you can make more informed design and procurement decisions.

Design and Procurement Definitions and Checks

1. Compression Range:A gasket compresses like a spring. If it isn’t squeezed enough, it won’t make a solid electrical connection; if it is crushed too much, it can take a permanent set. For most conductive elastomers, aim for roughly ten to thirty percent of the gasket’s height when installed. Include compression stops in the mechanical design to prevent overdeflection.
2. Material Pairing: Different metals behave differently when they come into contact. Aluminium paired with nickelgraphite can corrode quickly, whereas aluminium paired with aluminiumbased fillers remains stable. Match your gasket’s filler material to the enclosure’s metal to minimize galvanic corrosion. This also ensures longterm reliability and makes maintenance easier.
3. Surface Preparation:A gasket can only work if it’s pressed against a clean, conductive surface. Paint, anodization, and grime act as insulators. Specify surface roughness and flatness on your drawings, and call for finishes that remain conductive. A clean, flat flange helps any EMI gasket perform at its best.
4. Profile Selection and Termination:Profiles come in many shapes: solid, hollow, Dshaped, and more. Choose a profile that fits your geometry and compresses easily. Terminate the gasket near fasteners or clamps to maintain uniform compression along the seam. A little attention to profile and placement can eliminate slot antennas and leakage paths.

By defining these concepts up front and writing them into your drawings, you give procurement teams clear targets and help suppliers deliver the right parts.

Start Closing the Gaps in Your Shielding Process

Every product and every seized device depends on the same fundamentals: clean surfaces, correct profiles, matched materials, and gaskets that compress within a safe range. These aren’t small details. They shape reliability, regulatory performance, and the security of digital evidence. The patterns outlined above give you a roadmap for catching issues before they reach the field or the lab. Strengthening your shielding process starts with adopting these checks, sharing them across teams, and ensuring every enclosure seam is intentionally designed rather than assumed.

Related Reading

• Why EMI Gaskets & Shielding are More Critical Than Ever in Today’s Connected World
  For engineers, product designers, and project managers, robust EMI shielding solutions, including conductive materials, specialized enclosures, and specifically EMI gaskets, are now foundational rather than optional considerations.
• Why Do EMI Gaskets Lose Shielding Effectiveness Over Time?
• How to Choose the Right EMI Gasket for Your Application