Custom PCB EMI Shielding Services

A printed circuit board is only as reliable as its electromagnetic environment. As layouts shrink and clock speeds climb, components on the same board, and radiating sources nearby, interfere with one another. Deep Coat Industries shields PCBs at the board level with vacuum-metallized covers: plastic or composite covers formed to fit over the circuitry, then coated with a continuous conductive metal layer that attenuates EMI and RFI.

How Vacuum-Metallized PCB Shielding Works

Metal is vapor-deposited inside a vacuum chamber, forming a conductive film that follows the cover’s three-dimensional geometry, including ribs, walls and recesses. Installed over the board, the metallized cover reflects and absorbs electromagnetic energy, containing noise generated on the board and blocking outside interference from reaching sensitive circuits.

• Contain or protect: shielding can be designed to keep internally generated signals from reaching other components, or to protect sensitive components from outside sources.
• Defined grounding: custom masking keeps metal off the areas your design needs bare and leaves defined contact points for connection to the board’s ground.
• Selective coverage: shield only the zones that need it and keep connectors, displays and antenna areas clear.
• Lightweight: a metallized plastic cover takes the place of a separate metal enclosure.

Metals and Layer Options

Deep Coat Industries deposits six production metals: copper, aluminum, nickel, tin, nichrome and stainless steel. The right choice depends on the property that matters most: conductivity for RF shielding, corrosion and wear resistance for durability, or solderability for grounded contacts.

When one metal can’t do everything, layering solves it. Dual-Fire deposits up to two metal layers in a single draw, and patented Quad-Fire up to four, so a cover can carry a high-conductivity shield beneath a durable, groundable outer layer with no secondary operations. See the metals guide for how each metal compares.

Design Practices That Reduce Board-Level EMI

Shielding works best alongside a board designed for electromagnetic compatibility. The fundamentals:

• Ground plane: use a solid ground plane (a multi-layer board makes this easier), treat split grounds cautiously and join split planes at a single point, and tie bypass and decoupling capacitors to ground.
• Trace layout: avoid sharp right-angle bends, keep return paths short and keep signals separated.
• Component placement: isolate high-speed components and keep analog circuitry separate from digital.
• Plan the shield early: define the cover footprint, ground contact points and keep-out zones during layout so the board and shield are designed together.

For more detail, read Tips for Reducing EMI in PCB Designs.

One Source From Cover to Coating

Because Deep Coat Industries thermoforms, masks, metallizes and finishes in-house, the same partner that forms the cover also engineers and applies its shielding: one vendor, one quality system and fewer handoffs between prototype and production. Deep Coat has provided vacuum metallizing and EMI/RFI shielding since 1981 and operates under an ISO 9001:2015 quality system, serving medical, defense, aerospace, telecom and industrial OEMs.

Shielding is engineered to support MIL-STD-461 / IEEE 299 targets. Final shielding performance depends on the cover design, seams and grounding, and is validated by your accredited lab.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is PCB shielding?

PCB shielding is a conductive barrier placed over all or part of a circuit board to keep electromagnetic interference from escaping the board or reaching sensitive components. Deep Coat Industries makes these shields as vacuum-metallized plastic or composite covers.

How is a metallized cover grounded to the board?

Custom masking keeps metal off selected areas and leaves defined contact points, so the conductive layer connects to the board’s ground at the locations your design specifies.

Which metal is best for PCB shielding?

Copper offers the highest conductivity for broadband RF, and aluminum balances conductivity and cost at volume. Nickel, tin, nichrome and stainless steel add corrosion resistance, solderability or durability, and Quad-Fire can layer up to four metals on one part.

Can you shield only part of a board?

Yes. Selective shielding covers only the zones that need it and keeps connectors, displays and antenna areas clear.

Does Deep Coat make the cover as well as the coating?

Yes. Deep Coat Industries thermoforms, masks, metallizes and finishes in-house, so the cover and its shielding come from one source.

How do I start a PCB shielding project?

Share the board outline, the areas that need shielding, grounding points and your shielding targets. Call 630.466.1505 or request a quote.