WOLFEBORO, NH — GI Plastek has significantly expanded its in-house electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) shielding capabilities. With its new mechanized production paint line, GI Plastek applies a copper shielding emulsion onto plastic molded parts to eliminate EMI/RFI penetration that could disrupt sensitive components and circuits in electronic equipment and potentially throw off instrument calibration. The shielding is also used to eliminate emissions from healthcare instruments that could interfere with other patient care equipment and affect patient safety.

The new 9,000-square-foot paint facility enables GI Plastek to apply shielding to parts as large as four feet by five feet on a controlled, mechanized line. GI Plastek’s paint operation runs two shifts a day, five days a week, increasing customer throughput potential. The line has four drafted booths for priming, painting, coating and texturing operations, along with an in-line convection oven. GI Plastek can apply spray-on EMI and RFI shielding onto most substrates.

Conductive spray-on material is a far more cost-effective option than large, heavy sheet metal liners or sheet metal enclosure doors. Spray-on shielding reduces the number of parts used on instruments, eliminating the cost of a box within a box and associated attachment parts. This in turn reduces overall product cost.

The availability of in-house shielding capabilities is a benefit to customers who want to keep the entire process under one roof to control quality and production time — from molding plastic parts, to finishing processes, to coating/painting and decorating.

GI Plastek, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, specializes in large to medium, high aesthetic complex molded products that provide added value in a one-stop-shop environment. Core capabilities include standard injection molding, structural foam molding, gas assist and gas counter pressure molding, finishing, painting, EMI shielding, assembly, and graphics.