How to Protect With Magnetic Shield

Disturbance by Electromagnetic Field

Certain forms of electronic equipment are built to give the exact results. Even a small amount of deviation in the results could be disastrous. Sometimes there are outside influences that change the results of such electronic devices. One of the many such outside forces is an electromagnetic field.

While considering electromagnetic field the naturally occurring magnetic field of the earth is not taken into consideration. Outside forces maybe natural occurrences like a thunderstorm. This can create magnetic fields that will affect the performance of sensitive electronic instruments. Even the presence of power cables which are not grounded properly can create an electromagnetic field. 

A very critical place that is affected by the electromagnetic field is the radar of an aircraft. As all the meters are closely packed there is bound to be an electromagnetic field that will affect the performance of the radar.

Other common areas that get affected are the electron microscope, the recording devices in studios, high-resolution video recording etc. All these require a magnetic shielding.

What Is Magnetic Shielding?

In the above situation, the solution is to use magnetic shielding. Magnetic shielding is a process by which the area that is affected is fully covered with a metal alloy with high magnetic permeability. What these enclosures achieve is that they draw the magnetic field into themselves, form a path through them around the place to be protected. The magnetic shield thus isolates the instrument to be protected, from an electromagnetic field.

Magnetic shields are usually fabricated from an alloy called mu-metal. It is a soft ferromagnetic alloy which is available in different compositions. The main elements are Iron and Nickel. One such composition contains 77% Nickel, 16% Iron, 5% Copper and 2% Chromium. These percentages will change in different compositions which are available under different brand names.

Magnetic Shield Fabrication

At MuShield two variants of the alloy are used mainly viz. Mumetal and HyMu 80. MuShield has an experience of over 4 decades in the field of magnetic shielding. Magnetic Shield Fabrications requires specialized skills and we possess those skills.

The alloys are sourced from very reputable manufacturers. These alloy mills make the metals at the required temper, composition and grain size. This will ensure that the protection from electromagnetic field is complete.

The fabrication starts with the shaping of the metal sheet for the required shield. The shape is decided based on the environment to be protected. Once the metal is shaped, it is again subject to high heat annealing in hydrogen furnace for stress relief. Then it is subject to high heat treatment for ensuring that the fabricated shield has the maximum magnetic permeability.

Conclusion

We have seen how important the construction of a magnetic shielding is. Sometimes a particular component is kept inside a shield to protect from an electromagnetic flux. At other times the cause of the electromagnetic field is kept inside, preventing the leak of the field. For the best fabrication of magnetic shields learn more at www.mushield.com.

We are an industry expert in fabrication of MuMetal magnetic shields & magnetic shielding applications. For more information call us at (603) 666-4433 today! MuShield’s sixty plus years of experience guarantee high quality magnetic shielding components and excellent customer satisfaction.