If you are looking to alleviate EMI/RFI problems, you have many alternatives. As shielding-product maker Tech-Etch puts it, “EMI/RFI shielding products are designed to either keep out or keep in electromagnetic interference.” But whether you are looking to keep interference in or out, you have several issues to consider, including electromechanical compatibility, the pros and cons of various shielding materials, and levels of compression in a gasketed gap.
As for electromechanical compatibility, Tech-Etch notes that when choosing dissimilar shielding materials you need to minimize galvanic action between the materials to reduce corrosion over long periods of time. In its new catalog, it provides a helpful chart that shows which materials may safely be used together: for example, magnesium alloys and aluminum alloys are ok—chromium plating and cadmium plating, not so much.
Tech-Etch also provides a helpful summary of shielding materials. For example, beryllium copper (BeCu) is “the ideal shielding material,” offering high electrical conductivity, even in the RF range; superior tensile strength; RoHS compliance; high corrosion resistance; good spring properties; good plating compatibility; superior endurance; and moisture and UV resistance.
In contrast, the stiffer stainless steel, whose mechanical characteristics generally limit its use to low-profile strips, is an economical alternative to BeCu when high levels of attenuation are not required.
The company notes that for maximum attenuation of a gasketed gap, contact resistance between the shielding materials on each side of the gap must remain low throughout a product's life. Shielding must occupy the gap between adjoining surfaces and exhibit adequate compression characteristics to occupy minimum and maximum gaps that occur due to fabrication tolerances and misalignment.
The catalog also describes shielding installation options, including clip-on mounting, stick-on mounting, snap-on mounting, and extrusion mounting. You can find more details here.