Material Options
Nickel Silver
Nickel Silver (55% Cu, 27% Zn, 18% Ni) is less conductive than copper and brass but it's stronger than copper or brass. It's more corrosion resistant than copper or unplated brass, and can be soldered without plating if you use a fully-activated flux. Despite the name, there is no silver in nickel silver. Notate Nickel Silver on your drawing, or CDA C77000.
Brass:
Brass (70% Cu, 30% Zn) is about 30% as conductive as copper and easily formed. Brass is a good general purpose metal used to manufacture parts from housings to shims. For RF shielding applications, tin plating is recommended to enhance its solderability and corrosion resistance. Notate Brass on your drawing, or CDA C26000.
Copper:
Copper (99.9% CU, 0.05% oxygen max) is a very conductive metal commonly used for RF shielding applications. Tin plating is recommended to enhance its solderability and corrosion resistance. Notate Copper on your drawing, or CDA C11000.
1010 Steel:
1010 steel, or any ferromagnetic metal, is ideal if you are shielding against frequencies 15 MHz of lower. Tin plating is recommended to enhance its solderability. Notate G1010 steel on your drawing, or low carbon steel.
Finishing Options
Bright:
Bright-tin plating has excellent solderability, corrosion resistance and an attractive finish (a small amount of organic is added to provide brightness). Also a good candidate for formed applications. Designating bright-tin on your blueprint is sufficient, or if you require a Mil Spec, you should reference Mil-T-10727, Type I Bright. Tin is not good for low temperature applications (Changes structure and loses adhesion when exposed to temperatures below −40°C).
Tin/Lead 60/40:
Tin/Lead 60/40 plating is most commonly used in satellite, spacecraft, and other vacuum-environment applications since it is resistant to "whiskering" or "tin whiskers", the flaking off of fine slivers of plating. Offers excellent solderability. Mil-P-81728B.
Tin/Lead 63/37:
63/37 plating, also known as eutectic, will have a dull or whitish finish.
Tin/Lead 90/10:
90/10 plating will have a dull or whitish finish. Eliminates the risk of "tin whiskers" which can occur with tin plating. Tin/Lead is excellent for soldering. Specify Tin/Lead 90-10 on your drawing.
Forming Options
Leave in sheets w/bend lines:
Parts will be supplied flat and tabbed into 12" X 18" sheets. A bend line is etched into the part and can be formed (by hand) to create a 90° bend.
Detach and form @ Fotofab:
Select this option and leave the detaching and forming to us. Fotofab will detach, hand form and package parts per your request.
Soft forming tool:
Select this option if your parts have bends or forms that are not 90° bends, or if your material thickness is less than .008" thick.
Snap Top:
Fotofab's Snap Top shield is an easy solution for a low volume need for removable lid shields. Please supply us with your outside, formed dimensions and our engineers can incorporate the Snap Top design to your shield. A forming tool is not required for this design. Multi-cavity configurations can be used with the Snap Top design. The minimum shield wall height is .150".
Dimple Shield:
Fotofab's Dimple-fit removable lid shield is an excellent design for medium-low production and prototype runs that need a removable lid. It can be made with multi-cavity features. The minimum shield wall height is .015".
