John Crabb asked >> Has anyone encountered problems in the use of "pre-plated" sheet steel in IT equipment metalwork ? Typically such material is cheaper to use than having to plate parts after they have been produced, but there may be issues with sharp edges produced when the material is punched out, and with rust on the edges which are not protected. <<
Yes indeed. A former employer used pre-plated steel for desktop computer chassis'. It was less expensive to build with and just as effective as a ground and shield as post-plating. It DID rust noticeably on the cut edges, though not so much as to corrode into the sheet and compromise structural and electrical integrity. This was apparently considered acceptable in the environment (consumer) into which the products were sold. However, pre-plated edges required deburring to prevent "saw-blade" type cuts, as some of us found out the hard way. Whether the required deburring costs more than pre-plating saves, I can't say. Cortland ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Ron Pickard: [email protected] Dave Heald: [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected] Jim Bacher: [email protected] All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://ieeepstc.mindcruiser.com/ Click on "browse" and then "emc-pstc mailing list"
