Technical Library | 2017-11-30 10:29:29.0
Each year the electronics industry is faced with new product designs that call for smaller printed circuit boards (PCBs) to function in more aggressive and rigorous service environments. As demands change, conformal coating is becoming increasingly adopted to ensure PCB reliability in environments where moisture, condensation, dust, dirt, salts, chemicals, abrasion, thermal shock, mechanical shock, and other factors can all affect circuit performance. This guide reviews the benefits of using light-cure conformal coatings as well as cost justification, typical processing guidelines and best practices, product selection criteria, data, and industry specifications.
Technical Library | 2016-05-19 16:03:37.0
As consumers become more reliant on their handheld electronic devices and take them into new environments, devices are increasingly exposed to situations that can cause failure. In response, the electronics industry is making these devices more resistant to environmental exposures. Printed circuit board assemblies, handheld devices and wearables can benefit from a protective conformal coating to minimize device failures by providing a barrier to environmental exposure and contamination. Traditional conformal coatings can be applied very thick and often require thermal or UV curing steps that add extra cost and processing time compared to alternative technologies. These coatings, due to their thickness, commonly require time and effort to mask connectors in order to permit electrical conductivity. Ultra-thin fluorochemical coatings, however, can provide excellent protection, are thin enough to not necessarily require component masking and do not necessarily require curing. In this work, ultra-thin fluoropolymer coatings were tested by internal and industry approved test methods, such as IEC (ingress protection), IPC (conformal coating qualification), and ASTM (flowers-of-sulfur exposure), to determine whether this level of protection and process ease was possible.
Technical Library | 2020-02-18 09:56:24.0
Glob Top, Dam and Fill & Flit Chip Underfill To protect PCBs from damaging outside influences, they are coated with a thin layer of casting resin or protective finish during the conformal coating process. In addition to sealing the entire circuit board, it is possible to pot only sections or individual components on the substrate. Different methods ranging from "glob top" to "dam and fill" and "flip chip underfill" have been developed for this purpose.
Technical Library | 2013-04-18 16:46:42.0
Conformal coatings are considered a method of providing corrosion protection to electrical assemblies used in high-humidity or harsh environments. They are applied to PCBs for various reasons: to protect from moisture and contamination, to minimize dendritic growth, to provide stress relief, and for insulation resistance. These contribute to more durable handling, enhanced device reliability, and reduced warranty costs. Increased miniaturization of new circuit board designs requires flexible, low stress coating material to protect delicate components and fine-pitch leads. Silicone conformal coatings offer many advantages that address the general trend of ongoing PCBs designs, such as: high flexibility and low modulus to reduce stress on delicate or small components... First published in the 2012 IPC APEX EXPO technical conference proceedings.
Technical Library | 2016-09-06 04:54:27.0
Printed circuit boards are the base of electronic products in a variety of consumer and industrial applications. New PCBs always perform well. However, their performance will deteriorate with time due to exposure to different environmental conditions like condensation, moisture, contamination of the iconic material on the surface, dust and dirt, mildew, alpha particles, etc. To avoid these problems, PCBs are protected with conformal coatings. Let’s see how this is done, and how they protect PCB components.
Technical Library | 2020-01-01 17:06:52.0
The majority of electronic failures occur due to thermally induced stresses and strains caused by excessive differences in coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) across materials.CTE mismatches occur in both 1st and 2nd level interconnects in electronics assemblies. 1st level interconnects connect the die to a substrate. This substrate can be underfilled so there are both global and local CTE mismatches to consider. 2nd level interconnects connect the substrate, or package, to the printed circuit board (PCB). This would be considered a "board level" CTE mismatch. Several stress and strain mitigation techniques exist including the use of conformal coating.
Technical Library | 2017-12-11 22:31:06.0
Typical printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) processed by reflow, wave, or selective wave soldering were analysed for typical levels of process related residues, resulting from a specific or combination of soldering process. Typical solder flux residue distribution pattern, composition, and concentration are profiled and reported. Presence of localized flux residues were visualized using a commercial Residue RAT gel test and chemical structure was identified by FT-IR, while the concentration was measured using ion chromatography, and the electrical properties of the extracts were determined by measuring the leak current using a twin platinum electrode setup. Localized extraction of residue was carried out using a commercial C3 extraction system. Results clearly show that the amount and distribution of flux residues are a function of the soldering process, and the level can be reduced by an appropriate cleaning. Selective soldering process generates significantly higher levels of residues compared to the wave and reflow process. For conformal coated PCBAs, the contamination levels generated from the tested wave and selective soldering process are found to be enough to generate blisters under exposure to high humidity levels.
Midwest Circuit Technology provides Carbide Router Bits and End Milling Cuters for use in PCB Depaneling equipment. We have over 35 years of supplying tools and machining experience in drilling, Routing, Test Fixture manufacture.
114 Barrington Town Square
Aurora, OH USA
Phone: 13309956900
