Spira Manufacturing Corp.

United States

Spiras ZT Fixtures offer an inexpensive and reliable means of testing the shielding quality of EMI gaskets and gasketed joints where the testing is consistent with the SAE ARP-1705 Rev A standard. The fixtures are intended for use by: (1) gasket manufacturing companies for developing new products and to perform quality assurance testing on their products; (2) the users of gaskets for selecting gaskets and joint surfaces to comply with their systems radiated requirements; and (3) by the users Quality Assurance departments to certify gasket products. The standard fixtures are delivered with gold plated joint surfaces (gold plated base plate and contact plate) for quality assurance testing of EMI gaskets. The base and contact plates are available in a variety of materials and finishes for engineering evaluation testing. See below for ordering information. ZT-1000 Fixture: This fixture is designed to test relatively small samples of a gasketed joint as illustrated. The maximum diameter of the sample is 3.5 inches (89 mm) with a maximum thickness of .25 inches (6.4 mm). The ZT-1000 fixture provides accurate shielding quality data up through 2 GHz with repeatable data to 4 GHz.

D Multi-Seal is a groove-mounted gasket with a bulbous silicone elastomer for an excellent environmental seal. It comes standard with the Spira-Shield for superior shielding quality or can be ordered with any other spiral material. See below for ordering information. Application Information This combination EMI and environmental gasket is ideal for applications that need excellent sealing and have somewhat limited space or want to utilize a groove-mount solution (For surface mount applications, refer to the Basic Multi-Seal data sheet.) Materials:

This gasket uses our high shielding tin plated beryllium copper Spira-Shield as its base. We inject a liquid silicone adhesive into the center of the spiral, which hardens and bonds completely to the metal, making this gasket extremely durable when properly used. See below for ordering information. Application Information Because of its durability, this gasket is ideal for groove-mounted sliding applications, such as in connectors. This gasket material is used in our Spira-Seal O-rings and Connector-Seal gaskets.

All Spira-Cell, Econo-Cell, and Fan Filters include our patented blending process of the aluminum honeycomb panel that provides high and reliable levels of shielding. Our filters also include the use of epoxy which mechanically bonds the honeycomb panel to the frame and the use of our patented spiral EMI gasket, which ensures an excellent, long-lasting EM bond between the panel and the frame.

Application Information: Die-cut gaskets are made by stamping out a piece of rubber and then attaching one of our types of spiral to it. Die-cut gaskets are economical when sealing the cover of a box at a high volume. They also allow unusual shapes to be sealed more easily. Spiral can be placed inside or outside so the rubber can be correctly oriented to achieve environmental sealing. Available Options:Die-cut gaskets can be made using any type of spiral and many types of rubber including those shown below. Other types may be available. Please contact us for information. EPDMNeoprene Sponge (adhesive backing mandatory)Silicone Sponge (adhesive backing available)Solid Silicone (adhesive backing available)Solid Fluorosilicone

Dovetailed grooves are recommended since they hold the gaskets in place and allow the gaskets to expand laterally as they are deflected without constraining the sides. See below for ordering information. Manufacturing Considerations To use the groove properly, care must be exercised during its manufacture. The flatness between the bottom of the groove and top surface must be held flat within .001. This can be easily achieved by taking a fly-cut on the surface prior to milling the groove. Note: do not remove the part from the mill between making the fly-cut and milling the groove. In milling the groove, a regular o-ring groove using the dimensions of "W" and "L" must be made first, then finished up with a dovetail cutter. To deburr use a Scotch Brite pad (a deburring knife will destroy the "W" tolerance). Click to view the Groove Cutter Speed and Feed Data for high speed end mill applications if desired.

O-rings are made using a standard or custom size groove mounted Spira gaskets. O-rings can be used either in circular or rectangular groove applications. We assemble the o-rings either by winding one end of the spiral into the other and soldering (Spira-Shield and Quick-Shield) or using adhesive (Endur-o-Shield, Flexi-Shield and D Multi-Seal). When installing a D Multi-Seal o-ring into a rectangular groove, put the corners in first, then press the gasket into the straight sections of the groove. We recommend a corner radius of 1 12 times the diameter of the spiral or width of the D Multi-Seal gasket.

The Spira-Shield patented spiral is the basis for all of our unique high shielding EMI gasketing solutions. The spiral is wound out of spring temper beryllium copper for excellent spring memory and compression set resistance. The spiral is tin plated for superior conductivity and shielding properties. The edge plated version exhibits excellent corrosion resistance against aluminum when exposed to humid or salt-fog environments. See below for ordering information. Application Information This high-shielding gasket provides up to 165 dB of shielding and is well known for solving shielding problems that no other gasket can solve, and is perfect for military and aerospace projects. However, the cost is competitive enough that this gasket is also perfect for many commercial applications that require high-shielding.

We offer the newest inspiration in Connector-Seal gaskets, providing superior EMI and Environmental protection for square flange-mounted circular connectors. Spira's unique design includes a rigid layer between silicone or fluorosilicone sealing which provides the most reliable and effective one-atmosphere seal for the life of the system. Our Environmental Connector-Seal gaskets can be specified to front or back mount on your connector, and include Spiras patented spiral gasket for excellent EMI shielding up to 152dB.

Spiras Flexi-Shield gasket offers the best of both worlds! This gasket combines the EMI shielding performance of our other spiral gaskets with the rainwinddust sealing of an elastomer! A special process wraps our highly conductive spiral around a soft silicone tube. This results in gaskets that are very easy to handle, are rugged enough to be used in demanding sliding applications, provide as little as two pounds of closure force per inch, and offer moderate to high shielding, depending on the materials chosen. The low force series is especially well-suited to shielding the frontrear panels of VMEVXI and similar enclosures. See below for ordering information.