Breaking the 5G EMI Trade-Off: AIR LOOP Gasket for Thin Devices

The Real 5G EMI Challenge: When Thin Design Meets Interference

During a flagship smartphone project review, an R&D director summarized the dilemma bluntly:
“The antenna interference is unresolved, the chassis is 0.3 mm too thick, and mass production is at risk.”

This scenario has become common across the electronics industry. In the 5G era, EMI shielding performance and ultra-thin industrial design often conflict.

Typical examples include:

• A laptop OEM reduced conductive foam thickness from 2.0 mm to 1.5 mm for narrow bezels, only to see shielding effectiveness drop from 80 dB to 65 dB.

• A new energy vehicle ECU project met EMI targets with conductive rubber, but excess weight increased vehicle energy consumption and procurement costs by 15%.

Behind these cases lie three structural industry pain points.

Key Industry Pain Points in 5G Devices

Why Traditional EMI Shielding Solutions Fall Short

Conventional EMI materials were not designed for high-frequency, lightweight, multi-point grounding environments.

Modern 5G electronics require high shielding effectiveness, thin profiles, low weight, durability, and cost efficiency—a combination that traditional solutions cannot deliver simultaneously.

For compact PCB grounding scenarios, many engineers now shift toward SMT-based solutions
→ Internal link placement: SMT Gaskets｜Compact Yet Powerful EMI Protection for Electronic Devices

AIR LOOP Gasket: Redefining EMI Shielding for 5G Devices

Developed by Konlida, the AIR LOOP Gasket is a structural and material breakthrough designed specifically for thin, high-frequency electronics.

Structural Innovation: Hollow Loop Design

Unlike fabric-over-foam constructions, AIR LOOP uses a hollow loop structure with no internal foam core.

• Thickness range: 0.8–1.5 mm

• Weight reduction: ~20% vs. traditional conductive foam

• Maintains stable contact pressure without foam collapse

In smartphone applications, this enables up to 0.2 mm chassis reduction while maintaining ~85 dB shielding across 30 MHz–3 GHz.

Material Upgrade: High-Conductivity Fabric + Conductive Adhesive

• Conductive fabric surface resistance ≤ 0.03 Ω/inch

• Shielding effectiveness: 60–90 dB, covering 5G frequency bands

• Abrasion resistance > 400,000 cycles, preventing metal powder shedding

This structure also improves long-term reliability compared with conventional plated fabrics.
→ Internal link placement: Hidden Corrosion of Conductive Silicone Rubber: How Micro-Scale Electrochemistry Undermines EMI Reliability

Manufacturing Flexibility and Fast Customization

• Custom profiles: D-shape, P-shape, rectangular, and special geometries

• Dimensional tolerance: ±0.1 mm

• Rapid response: 24-hour technical alignment, 48-hour prototyping

This flexibility supports fast design iterations in smartphones, laptops, and wearables.

Environmental Reliability Across Industries

• Operating temperature: –40°C to +120°C

• Shielding degradation ≤5% after thermal cycling

• Salt spray resistance with contact resistance ≤0.1 Ω

This allows AIR LOOP Gasket to serve not only consumer electronics, but also automotive ECUs and medical devices.
→ Internal link placement: PCB EMI Shielding: From Point Protection to System-Level Isolation

Proven Results from Mass Production

• Consumer electronics: Reduced weight by 15%, thickness by 0.3 mm, stable 88 dB shielding over 3 years of mass production

• New energy vehicles: ECU weight reduced by 25%, procurement cost lowered by 12%, passed –40°C to +125°C validation

• Medical devices: Shielding improved from 70 dB to 82 dB, resistant to repeated alcohol sterilization

Get Your Customized EMI Shielding Solution

If your project faces challenges such as insufficient EMI shielding, excessive thickness, or cost pressure, Konlida offers:

• Free EMI design evaluation based on your application

• Sample support with shielding performance data

• Fast prototyping within 48 hours and pilot production in 7 days

AIR LOOP Gasket is not just a material—it is a system-level EMI solution for the 5G era.