When purchasing an EMI shielding honeycomb waveguide window, many buyers start with only three pieces of information:
Size.
Quantity.
Price.
That may be enough for an ordinary ventilation grille.
It is not enough for an EMI shielding component.
A honeycomb waveguide window is installed directly into the electromagnetic shielding boundary of a cabinet, shielded room, EMC chamber, shelter or other enclosure.
If the wrong specifications are purchased, changing the product after the enclosure has been fabricated can be expensive and time-consuming.
So what should you confirm before placing an order?
1. Confirm the Application First
Start by telling the supplier where the waveguide window will be installed.
Typical applications include:
- EMC test chambers
- Anechoic chambers
- Shielded rooms
- RF enclosures
- Shielded cabinets
- Military shelters
- Telecom equipment
- Outdoor communication cabinets
- Industrial electronic enclosures
The application helps determine the required construction.
For example, an indoor EMC chamber may prioritize shielding performance and HVAC integration.
An outdoor telecom enclosure may require additional environmental protection.
A military shelter may require stronger mechanical construction and a specific surface finish.
The same “honeycomb vent” may therefore have very different specifications depending on the project.
2. Confirm the Required Shielding Performance
Do not simply tell the supplier:
“We need a high shielding honeycomb.”
Provide the actual requirement if possible.
For example:
-
90 dB
-
100 dB
-
110 dB
But the dB value should always be accompanied by a frequency range.
For example:
>100 dB from 14 kHz to 18 GHz
is a much more useful purchasing requirement than simply saying:
>100 dB.
Different honeycomb structures can have different frequency performance.
Noordin Etech’s product range includes honeycomb ventilation panels with shielding effectiveness above 90 dB, while certain nickel-plated and welded honeycomb waveguide configurations provide higher attenuation across specified frequency ranges.
3. Confirm the Cell Size
Cell size is one of the most important technical specifications.
Common configurations may include approximately:
- 3 mm cells
- 5 mm cells
Other cell dimensions can be customized according to the project.
Do not assume that all honeycomb waveguide windows are electrically equivalent just because they have the same external dimensions.
Cell aperture affects electromagnetic performance and should be selected according to the required frequency range.
If the project has an existing EMC specification, send it to the supplier rather than choosing the cell size only from a standard catalogue.
4. Confirm the Honeycomb Depth
Cell depth is another critical parameter.
A honeycomb structure with a deeper waveguide path can provide stronger attenuation than a shallow structure with the same cell opening.
For example, some Noordin Etech honeycomb waveguide configurations use a 45 mm thickness.
When requesting a quotation, therefore, include:
Cell diameter + honeycomb depth.
Do not specify only the external panel dimensions.
5. Confirm the Airflow Requirement
This is one of the most frequently overlooked purchasing requirements.
The panel is not only an EMI shielding component.
It is also part of the cooling system.
Ask the supplier about:
- Open area
- Airflow capacity
- Pressure drop
- Ventilation area
For example, Noordin Etech’s honeycomb vent panel configuration has an approximately 95% cell open rate, designed to provide high airflow with relatively low pressure drop.
If the waveguide window is being installed in an HVAC system, the HVAC engineer should provide the required airflow before the final product is selected.
Otherwise, the shielding specification may be correct while the cooling capacity is insufficient.
6. Confirm the External Dimensions
Provide the supplier with the actual required dimensions.
Typical standard sizes may include:
- 300 × 300 mm
- 300 × 600 mm
- 400 × 400 mm
- 500 × 500 mm
- 600 × 600 mm
However, custom dimensions may also be available.
For a new project, standard dimensions can sometimes reduce cost and simplify production.
For an existing enclosure, however, the supplier may need to manufacture the waveguide window according to the existing cut-out.
7. Confirm the Cut-Out Size
This is different from the overall panel size.
For example:
Overall panel size: 500 × 500 mm
does not necessarily mean:
Enclosure cut-out: 500 × 500 mm.
The frame, mounting flange and gasket can affect the required opening.
Before production, confirm:
- Overall size
- Effective ventilation area
- Cut-out size
- Frame width
- Mounting holes
- Hole spacing
- Mounting method
A drawing should ideally be approved before mass production.
8. Choose the Material and Surface Treatment
Depending on the application, different materials and finishes can be selected.
Possible options include:
- Aluminum
- Stainless steel
- Nickel-plated construction
- Chromium treatment
- Tin plating
- Flame-resistant paint
- Spray-painted welded construction
Noordin Etech’s product range includes aluminum alloy frames and aluminum honeycomb structures for its standard honeycomb vent panels, as well as nickel-plated and welded/spray-painted configurations.
The choice should be based on the actual environment rather than appearance alone.
9. Ask About the Gasket
A honeycomb panel needs to be electrically integrated into the shielding enclosure.
The gasket between the frame and the enclosure can therefore be important.
Depending on the project, options may include:
- Monel wire mesh gasket
- Conductive gasket
- Neoprene environmental gasket
- Fingerstock
- Other customized EMI sealing solutions
Noordin Etech’s honeycomb vent panels can be supplied with conductive and environmental gasket options depending on the application.
When requesting a quotation, specify whether the gasket is included.
Otherwise, the quoted price may not represent the complete installation package.
10. Confirm the Environmental Requirements
Tell the supplier whether the product will be installed:
- Indoors
- Outdoors
- In a telecom cabinet
- In an EMC chamber
- In a military shelter
- In a high-humidity environment
- In an area requiring flame resistance
Outdoor installations may require additional protection against rain and corrosion.
For telecom applications, flame-resistant finishes may also be required depending on the applicable system requirements.
These requirements should be confirmed before production.
11. Confirm the Test Standard
If the project has a specified EMC standard, provide it before quotation.
Depending on the application, the project may reference standards such as:
- MIL-STD-285
- IEEE 299
- NEBS
- Bellcore GR-63-CORE
- Customer-specific shielding specifications
The important point is to confirm not only the standard, but also the test frequency range and test configuration.
A product should not be selected based only on a generic “>100 dB” statement.
12. Ask for a Drawing Before Ordering
This is one of the easiest ways to reduce purchasing mistakes.
Before confirming the order, ask the supplier to provide:
- Product drawing
- External dimensions
- Cut-out dimensions
- Mounting hole dimensions
- Cell size
- Honeycomb depth
- Material
- Surface treatment
- Gasket information
- Shielding performance
- Airflow information
Then compare the drawing with your enclosure design.
If the project is customized, drawing approval should ideally be completed before production.
13. Do Not Compare Suppliers Only by Unit Price
Two honeycomb waveguide windows may look similar but have different specifications.
For example, one quotation may include:
Panel + frame
while another may include:
Panel + frame + conductive gasket + surface treatment + mounting hardware.
The lower unit price is not necessarily the lower project cost.
A proper comparison should include:
Technical specification + accessories + testing + customization + delivery.
This is particularly important for small quantities, where customization and tooling can have a significant effect on the final price.
A Practical RFQ Checklist
When requesting a quotation for honeycomb waveguide windows, you can send the supplier the following information:
Application: EMC chamber / shielded room / cabinet / shelter / telecom / other
Quantity: ___ pcs
Overall size: ___ × ___ mm
Cut-out size: ___ × ___ mm
Cell size: ___ mm
Honeycomb depth: ___ mm
Required shielding: ___ dB
Frequency range: ___
Airflow requirement: ___
Material: Aluminum / stainless steel / other
Surface treatment: Chromium / tin / nickel / paint / other
Gasket: Required / Not required
Mounting: Flange / frame / customized
Environmental requirement: Indoor / outdoor / flame resistant / corrosion resistant
Test standard: MIL-STD-285 / IEEE 299 / customer specification / other
This information allows the supplier to recommend a suitable construction instead of simply offering a standard ventilation panel.
Final Purchasing Advice
A honeycomb waveguide window may look like a relatively simple component.
But in an EMI shielding system, it has three jobs at the same time:
Ventilate.
Shield.
Integrate mechanically with the enclosure.
A good purchasing specification therefore should not stop at:
“500 × 500 mm honeycomb vent.”
A better specification describes:
Size + cell geometry + depth + shielding + frequency + airflow + material + surface treatment + gasket + mounting.
Once these requirements are clearly defined, it becomes much easier to compare quotations and avoid compatibility problems during installation.
For projects where the required dimensions or performance do not match a standard configuration, customized honeycomb waveguide windows can also be considered.
View Noordin Etech honeycomb waveguide window products and configurations:
Noordin Etech Waveguide Window Product Category
For more information：Do Not Choose a Honeycomb Waveguide Window by Shielding dB Alone
