High Strength-to-Weight Ratio: It provides maximum structural integrity with minimal mass, which directly increases flight…
What is a Faraday Cage? (and why is it currently* so important)
What Is a Faraday Cage? (and why is it currently* so important)
Collins Aerospace Piccolo-Box-Autopilot-RF-EMI-Shielded-enclosure.A Faraday cage is an enclosure made from a conductive material—either a solid sheet or a mesh—that blocks external electromagnetic fields from penetrating its interior. When an external electric field hits the cage, charges in the conductive material redistribute themselves in such a way that the field is canceled inside the enclosure.
* Apologies for the obvious pun 😊
Key Characteristics
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Made of conductive material (solid or mesh).
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Shields the interior from electric fields and electromagnetic radiation.
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Used to protect sensitive electronics, ensure safety during high‑voltage demonstrations, and prevent electromagnetic interference.
Common Applications
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MRI rooms
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Lightning protection (e.g., aircraft fuselages)
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Secure communication rooms
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Anti-static bags for electronics
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UAV parts including avionics enclosures, servo trays, camera housings etc.
Who Was Michael Faraday?
Michael Faraday (1791–1867) was one of the most influential experimental scientists in history, known for groundbreaking discoveries in:
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electromagnetism
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electrochemistry
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materials science.
Major Contributions
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Invented the first Faraday cage in 1836.
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Discovered electromagnetic induction (1831), which made electric generators and transformers possible.
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Developed the first dynamo, the ancestor of modern electrical generators.
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Discovered benzene (1825).
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Formulated the laws of electrolysis.
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Laid the foundations of classical field theory, later formalized by James Clerk Maxwell.
Faraday is widely regarded as the greatest experimentalist in the history of science, and his work made electricity a practical technology.
So, as promised why is this history and science so important?
Well, in the recent past we made our aircraft and electronic enclosures from metal, so a Faraday Cage was provided at no extra charge*
* Another pun. 🙂
Now that we’re making more and more parts and enclosures from composites, at Real Carbon we use Carbon Fiber pre-preg, we need to design a Faraday cage.
How Faraday Cages Are Designed
A well‑designed Faraday cage isn’t just “a metal box.” Engineers tune several variables:
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Material choice: Copper and aluminum dominate because they’re highly conductive and lightweight.
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Thickness: Thicker walls improve shielding at lower frequencies, where fields penetrate more deeply.
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Mesh size: For cages made of perforated metal or wire mesh, the size of the openings must be much smaller than the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation you want to block.
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Grounding: Not strictly required for electrostatic shielding, but grounding improves performance for high‑frequency or high‑energy events (like lightning).
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Seams and joints: Even tiny gaps can leak energy; high‑performance cages use conductive gaskets, overlapping panels, or welded seams.
Designing one is a balancing act between weight, cost, frequency range, and required attenuation.
At Real Carbon we have been building Faraday Cages since 1999, so please contact us if you need a lightweight, Carbon Fiber RF\EMI shielded enclosure.
