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HIGH TECH PROBLEMS FOR HIGH TECH OFFICES

In today's competitive market, building developers and owners are being encouraged to make their properties high tech friendly. They are being told about the importance of providing central high-speed communication infrastructure supporting voice and data services, DSL Internet and public networking facilities. In order to compete for tenants, it is crucial for buildings to possess state-of-the-art communication and broadband amenities. But the explosive expansion of high tech equipment used in everyday business has opened the door to ever increasing problems with electromagnetic interference.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) has been with us forever, of course. And, as the widespread use of sensitive high tech equipment in our offices increases, so does the need to shield monitors and other devices from such interference. In some situations, the nagging problem of EMI can be cured easily through the use of an off-the-shelf-monitor shield, or by identifying the source of the interference and enclosing it in a shield. In more extreme circumstances, it is necessary to design and install a wall shield or complete room enclosure. For all of these applications, the use of annealed high nickel content steel alloy has proven to be the most efficient material to provide shielding from electromagnetic interference.

In the urban environment where older structures are being renovated and retrofitted for today's high tech clients, the problems can be more challenging. Neighboring electrical generators, sub stations or utility vaults are impossible to relocate and can generate large fields of electromagnetic interference, creating monitor screen jitters or data and voice transmission problems, as well as affecting other sensitive electronic and control devices. These conditions can result in rendering a space unleasable, a very costly situation in a premium downtown location.

As the most efficient method of dealing with high intensity fields, we recommend custom shielding manufactured in multiple layers of CONECTIC AA® and NETIC® alloys, our proprietary materials which have been extremely successful in many demanding applications. Because of the different properties these materials possess, the multi-layering approach has proven to be very effective in larger field strengths. Magnetic Shield Corporation also offers specialty wiring, cables and braided sleeving that reduce magnetic field pickup and radiation.

The problem of electromagnetic interference is an old and challenging one. In light of today's increased use of high tech office applications, it is an area that needs to be addressed in the earliest part of building planning and development. A little careful preplanning will save a lot of future frustration and added cost.