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For protection of electronics

Conformal coating line from one-stop ensures hassle-free implementation
For protection of electronics

Despite the growing challenges it is facing, conformal coating is becoming more and more important. As printed circuit boards become smaller and smaller, the process requirements grow when coating them. It is increasingly important that products are protected from damage, as well as from moisture, dust and other unwanted contamination, as this can lead to trouble and even cause the board to fail. Being able to protect electronics is of critical importance in applications where fault-less function is essential.

Rehm Thermal Systems, Blaubeuren-Seißen (Germany)

By the protective coating process (conformal coating), printed circuit boards (PCBs) are protected from dust and environmental effects by applying a targeted protective coating, this measure additionally helps ensuring their reliability. Theoretically, any PCB assembly can be coated, although, depending on the system used, the size of the board and how it is populated may need to be reviewed beforehand. Because of the very technologically complex challenges and the extreme climatic changes involved, protective coating of electronics is essential in air and space applications, ship building, automotive engineering and military technology. But this coating is also very useful to protect the function of products that come into contact with dirt or other environmental conditions. Therefore, coating processes are used in all areas of the industry where electronics technology is being applied: such as security, telecommunications, industry, traffic and railway. medical, food and many other fields.
To implement a conformal coating line, as well as the coating system itself, handling equipment and a drying or annealing oven are also needed. It is very important to have a detailed, tightly controlled temperature oven profile to prevent blistering or other flaws in the surface of the coating layer.
The first step is choosing the appropriate coating material. Several relevant factors must be considered, including the protection required, whether the selected coating can be processed in the line considering its application, drying and cycle time and its cost effectiveness. Popular coatings are epoxy, urethane, silicone and acrylic based. Choosing the right coating material requires a wealth of experience and technical knowledge, and is an almost impossible decision for anyone except a skilled expert. After choosing the right coating material to optimally fit the mechanical, chemical and electronics requirements of the board, the core conformal coating line process, the task itself, can begin then. There are different methods for applying the coating on to the board, such as squirting, spraying, dipping, flooding, dispensing and vapour depositing. As most assembled circuit boards contain components that cannot and must not be coated, the state-of-the-art in the industry is selective spray coating.
Temperature profile tightly controlled
Various parameters must be considered, as not every coating formulation can be applied with every process. One problem is, for example, that many of the nozzles in selective spraying equipment can become clogged quickly, so highly viscose coating fluids cannot be used and changing coating materials can be problematic. Another important factor is the layout of the board, which should be designed for the coating process in advance to ensure the most effective and cost-efficient coating operation. This is because the spaces in very high or tightly packed circuit boards cannot be sprayed with every nozzle. After the protective coating has been applied, the next step is the drying or annealing process. This procedure should take place at a precisely controlled temperature profile so that the results can always be reproduced and are reliable. Incorrect temperature profiles or hardening the coating too quickly can lead to several defects, such as blistering, holes or the orange peel effect. From these it becomes clear that the application of protective coating is both crucial and complicated.
Because of the complexity and the interaction of the individual parameters and process steps, it is vital that the customer agrees on the desired result and the best solution for each end-product with the equipment manufacturer and material supplier(s). To ensure that such a solution can be realized and provided in a hassle-free way, in addition to the RDS (Rehm drying system) oven, the company now offers a complete coating line as the general contractor supplying all needed items and services just from a one-stop shop. This unique offer is made in cooperation with Rehm’s partner and an external handling modules supplier. With this concept, customers will profit from Rehm’s 25 years of experience in machine engineering, and also more than 37 years expertise in working with protective coatings in the area of conformal coating from our partner. Therefore we are able to offer our customers expert professional support in all relevant areas, namely high-quality machine engineering, technical and solution expertise, as well as profound process know-how in drying applications and applying protective coating. Furthermore, we are offering on-site service, technological advice and all relevant system elements from one source.
Large companies requiring a wide range of different coatings on their products and also the high-volume manufacture need quick reaction times, so it is therefore more cost-efficient to have the equipment in-house to be able to adjust perfectly to changing market demand. The conformal coating line from Rehm is an ideal solution for these companies with high production volumes, due to its ability to reproduce optimum results and the speed at which these results can be produced.
Productronica, Booth A4.335

Zusammenfassung
Immer wenn komplexere System in eine Fertigung integriert werden, sind zumeist verschiedene Lieferanten beteiligt. Hochfahren von Prozessen und eventuelles Troubleshooting gestaltet sich bei der Kommunikation mit einer Reihe verschiedener Partner selten einfach. Die Rehm Gruppe hat nun eine Linie für Schutzbeschichtungen (Conformal Coating) neu konzipiert, bei der man als Generalunternehmen für alle Systemkomponenten, Materialien und den nötigen Support allein verantwortlich ist. Solche Lösungen aus einer Hand werden in enger Kooperation mit den Anwendern konfiguriert.
A chaque fois que des systèmes de plus en plus complexes sont intégrés dans une fabrication, il y a la plupart du temps l’implication de plusieurs fournisseurs. La mise en œuvre de processus et un éventuel Troubleshooting est rarement simple dans le cadre de la communication avec toute une série de partenaires différents. Le Groupe Rehm a désormais conçu une nouvelle ligne pour les revêtements de protection (Conformal Coating) avec laquelle, en qualité d’entrepreneur général, on est seul responsable pour tous les composants des systèmes, pour les matériaux et pour le support nécessaire. De telles solutions d’un seul tenant sont configurées en étroite coopération avec les utilisateurs.
Current Issue
Titelbild EPP EUROPE Electronics Production and Test 11
Issue
11.2023
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