Massachusetts-based Parker Chomerics has developed a way to protect drones from electromagnetic interference and overheating.

Drones operating near mobile phone towers, buildings, antennas, high-voltage power lines and other obstacles can be affected by serious electromagnetic interference (EMI), compromising their performance and safety.

Another major issue is overheating, caused by the high processing load on the drone’s electronics and the rotors.

Meeting the EMI challenges demands effective shielding to protect the internal electronics from malfunctioning. Also required is a way to prevent overheating so the drone can operate efficiently.

To be commercially successful, drones need to be mass produced, so any shielding should allow use by automated methods to keep assembly costs down. Drones also need to reduce weight, as well as allowing effective connections from drone to controller. And weather resistance is a key characteristic.

To meet these requirements, Parker Chomerics Choform 5575 form-in-place (FIP) EMI gasket is a robotically dispensed material that can be directly applied onto the aluminium casting of the drone to act as a barrier, stopping the electrical circuits talking to each other and causing premature failure.

Choform 5575 is a moisture cured silver-plated aluminium-filled silicone material offering up to 80dB shielding effectiveness.

Using an FIP gasket can save up to 60% of space and weight in the drone housing, as flanges can be as narrow as 0.76mm. It has a high resistance to corrosion when dispensed onto aluminium, preventing galvanic corrosion in the electronic enclosure.

To mitigate thermal effects, Parker Chomerics has developed Therm-A-Gap Gel 37, offering a 3.7W/m-K thermal conductivity. This is used to conduct the heat from the chipset to the drone’s enclosure.

This pre-cured, single component thermal gel material can be dispensed directly onto the chipset by automation, reducing production time. It has a soft, paste consistency, eliminating any stress on the electronic components and requires no mixing or curing.

Adding both the EMI shielding and a thermal gel to the drone through automated methods can improve productivity and reduce time to market.