Technical Library | 2023-12-06 03:28:49.0
Mastering Precision: I.C.T's SMT Conformal Coating Valves Introduction Of SMT Conformal Coating Valves: In various industries, including electronics, lighting, energy, and life sciences, the SMT conformal coating process plays a critical role. Precision is key, and the choice of a SMT coating valve significantly influences application quality. This article explores I.C.T's SMT conformal coating valves, focusing on the C-0101, C-L101, PJ-01, PJ-01 (with plastic bucket), C-0100, D-0100, D-0300, and the W Series. C-0101 Water Curtain Spray SMT Conformal Coating Valves: The C-0101, a non-atomizing water curtain spray valve, excels with low-viscosity solvent materials. It ensures clean and precise edges in applications like conformal coatings, UV adhesives, backfilling, and volatile substances. C-L101 Rotary Water Curtain Spray Valve: Similar to the C-0101, the C-L101 suits low-viscosity solvent materials, offering a precise edge without splashing for various coatings. PJ-01 Injection Valve (Without Plastic Bucket): Designed for high-precision applications in electronics, lighting, energy, and life sciences, the PJ-01 excels in accurate dispensing and coating. It accommodates various materials, including red glue, liquids, and pastes. PJ-01 Injection Valve (With Plastic Bucket 30CC): The PJ-01, with a 30cc plastic bucket, maintains high precision for complex circuit board applications, offering precise dispensing for materials like red glue, liquids, and pastes. C-0100 Non-Rotating Film Valve: Different from pneumatic atomizing valves, the C-0100 provides precise edge definition without air pressure involvement. It addresses issues related to atomizing drift and fast-drying adhesives, allowing control over the film width. D-0100 Precision Valve: The D-0100, with a unique fluid-sealing structure driven by compressed air, minimizes seal replacement frequency. Suitable for various fluid dispensing, it handles UV adhesives, encapsulating materials, silicones, epoxies, and surface coatings. D-0300 Dispensing Valve: Tailored for precision fluid dispensing at low driving pressure, the D-0300 accommodates a range of materials, including acrylics, silicones, epoxies, and UV adhesives. It's ideal for applications where accuracy and consistency are crucial. W Series: Needle Design Atomization Valves: The W Series offers needle design valves leaving zero residue. Easy to clean without disassembly, they provide adjustable fluid and air pressure for various coating materials, ensuring excellent atomization effects. Analyzing The Options: When selecting a conformal coating valve, consider specific application requirements. C-0101 and C-L101 suit low-viscosity solvent materials, providing clean and precise edges. PJ-01, with or without a plastic bucket, offers high-precision dispensing for complex applications. C-0100 and D-0100 are versatile for various materials, and D-0300 excels in precision dispensing. The W Series offers residue-free needle design atomization valves. Choose based on material, precision, and coating needs. Integration with I.C.T's Conformal Coating Machines: Integral to I.C.T's Conformal Coating machines, these valves enable precise application tailored to specific requirements. Machines like I.C.T-T550, I.C.T-T550U, I.C.T-T600, and I.C.T-T650 come equipped with a range of valve options catering to diverse production line needs. I.C.T SMT Coating Machine.png Conclusion: Selecting the right conformal coating valve is crucial for consistent, high-quality results. Evaluate options based on material, precision, and coating requirements. I.C.T provides tailored solutions for electronic assembly needs. For detailed insights into coating and dispensing machines, follow the provided link. Professional engineers are ready to assist in designing a production line that perfectly matches your requirements, ensuring optimal performance. Contact us for more information and tailored solutions to elevate your conformal coating processes.
Technical Library | 2013-10-13 10:54:13.0
The measurement of the conformal coating thickness on a printed circuit board (PCB) to ensure internal and international standards are met is now a critical factor in conformal coating process control. There are several methods for measurement of conformal coating thickness and they fall into two categories. These categories are wet film measurements applied during coating application and dry film measurements made after the coating is dried enough not to damage the coating.
Technical Library | 2024-01-08 18:44:00.0
Printed circuit boards, especially multilayer, flexible and rigid-flexible printed circuit boards, are extremely hygroscopic, i.e. they absorb and bind the moisture in the air. A dried polyimide film, for example, will have reached its moisture saturation level again after just a few hours.
Technical Library | 2017-11-22 12:38:51.0
The use of copper foils laminated to polyimide (PI) as flexible printed circuit board precursor is a standard practice in the PCB industry. We have previously described[1] an approach to very thin copper laminates of coating uniform layers of nano copper inks and converting them into conductive foils via photonic sintering with a multibulb conveyor system, which is consistent with roll-to-roll manufacturing. The copper thickness of these foils can be augmented by electroplating. Very thin copper layers enable etching fine lines in the flexible circuit. These films must adhere tenaciously to the polyimide substrate.In this paper, we investigate the factors which improve and inhibit adhesion. It was found that the ink composition, photonic sintering conditions, substrate pretreatment, and the inclusion of layers (metal and organic) intermediate between the copper and the polyimide are important.
Technical Library | 2015-07-21 13:50:37.0
Achieving an even coat at the right desired thickness is a major challenge when it comes to applying conformal coating to a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). Applying a coating too thin will ultimately render the electronic assembly vulnerable to potential environmental risks therefore defeating the purpose of the coating. Apply the coat too thick, and it could leave the electronic specific components non-functional therefore destroying the electronic assembly entirely. Coating thickness must meet quality specifications. Measurements for coating thickness may be taken while film is dry or wet. Once measurements are recorded, thickness is compared to quality specifications and fluid dispensing automation machinery is calibrated as necessary. There are a handful of methods for measuring conformal coating thickness that are commonly used in the Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) and Original Electronic Manufacturer (OEM) industries. A few commonly used methods for checking conformal coating thickness include:
Technical Library | 2017-04-20 13:51:14.0
The one constant in electronics manufacturing is change. Moore's Law, which successfully predicted a rate of change at which transistor counts doubled on Integrated Circuits (ICs) at lower cost for decades, is ceding to be an appropriate prediction tool. Increasing technical and economic requirements, deriving from the semiconductor environment, are cascaded down to the printed circuit and in particular to the IC substrate manufacturers. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for IC Substrate manufacturers, when dealing with the demands of the packaging market. (...)This paper introduces two new electroless copper baths developed for IC substrates manufacturing based on Semi Additive Process (SAP) technology (hereafter referred to as E'less Copper IC) and HDI production (hereafter referred to as E'less Copper HDI) and optimized for high throw into BMVs. An introduction to reliable throwing power measurement methods based on scanning electron microscope (SEM) is given, followed by a compilation and discussion of key performance criteria for each application, namely throwing power, copper adhesion on the substrate, dry film adhesion and reliability.
Technical Library | 2020-07-29 19:58:48.0
The majority of flexible circuits are made by patterning copper metal that is laminated to a flexible substrate, which is usually polyimide film of varying thickness. An increasingly popular method to meet the need for lower cost circuitry is the use of aluminum on Polyester (Al-PET) substrates. This material is gaining popularity and has found wide use in RFID tags, low cost LED lighting and other single-layer circuits. However, both aluminum and PET have their own constraints and require special processing to make finished circuits. Aluminum is not easy to solder components to at low temperatures and PET cannot withstand high temperatures. Soldering to these materials requires either an additional surface treatment or the use of conductive epoxy to attach components. Surface treatment of aluminum includes the likes of Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold plating (ENIG), which is extensive wet-chemistry and cost-prohibitive for mass adoption. Conductive adhesives, including Anisotropic Conductive Paste (ACP), are another alternate to soldering components. These result in component substrate interfaces that are inferior to conventional solders in terms of performance and reliability. An advanced surface treatment technology will be presented that addresses all these constraints. Once applied on Aluminum surfaces using conventional printing techniques such as screen, stencil, etc., it is cured thermally in a convection oven at low temperatures. This surface treatment is non-conductive. To attach a component, a solder bump on the component or solder printed on the treated pad is needed before placing the component. The Aluminum circuit will pass through a reflow oven, as is commonly done in PCB manufacturing. This allows for the formation of a true metal to metal bond between the solder and the aluminum on the pads. This process paves the way for large scale, low cost manufacturing of Al-PET circuits. We will also discuss details of the process used to make functional aluminum circuits, study the resultant solder-aluminum bond, shear results and SEM/ EDS analysis.
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