Specialty Silicone Products (SSP) can help military contractors to reduce EMI gasket costs without sacrificing quality or hurting performance. As efforts to cut government spending grow, more military projects are looking for an alternative supply of EMI shielding materials in order to reduce program costs. If you’re part of the defense supply chain, are you ready to provide a cost savings?
Over the past few months, SSP has received many inquiries from defense contractors and subcontractors who want to reduce EMI gasket costs. A recent example stands out. One of the top five defense contractors asked us for help with an EMI gasket. The goal was to lower the part’s total cost, which is insignificant compared to the system that it’s supposed to protect. So, why bother?
Saving Money Across the BOM
If the naval radar module costs $1M to build and install, a $300 EMI gasket is inexpensive by comparison. Why worry about the cost of a part like this? It’s because military projects and programs want to reduce costs across the entire bill of materials (BOM). That can add up, especially if the U.S. military or a prime is asking for a 20% cost reduction.
Compromising quality or performance isn’t an option, however. When EMI gaskets for military projects must meet the MIL-DTL-83528 standard, buyers want proof of compliance. SSP makes EMI shielding silicones that are part of the M83528 Qualified Products List (QPL) from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
Proven EMI Gasket Performance
For each of our Type A, B, C, D, and K materials, SSP shares our QPL approvals right on our website. They’re downloadable as PDFs, and defense contractors and subcontractors can also view technical data sheets (TDS) and third-party EMI shielding reports. Then, for every batch of materials we make, SSP offers a Certificate of Analysis (COA).
Finding the right partner is the first step in achieving a cost savings on defense contracts for EMI gaskets. Among our advantages, SSP offers EMI silicones with low minimum order quantities (MOQs) and quick turn-around times. In our next article, we’ll examine three specific ways that SSP shines in balancing cost vs. performance. In the meantime, we invite you to contact us for a quote.
