Humiseal Conformal coatings, masking dots and tapes photo has been published on flickr.

Humiseal Conformal coatings,  masking dots and tapes photo has been published on flickr.

Click on Humiseal conformal coating materials and masking to go to the SCH website or click on Flickr Humiseal conformal coating masking dots picture for photo direct from flickr.

Humiseal Conformal coating masking dots photo has been published on flickr.

Humiseal Conformal coating masking dots photo has been published on flickr.

Click on Humiseal conformal coating materials and masking to go to the SCH website or click on Flickr Humiseal conformal coating masking dots picture for photo direct from flickr.

SCH launch Minicure UV cure conveyor for low volume curing of conformal coatings

SCH have launched the Minicure Benchtop UV cure conveyor for low volume curing of conformal coatings, inks, lacquers and surface coatings.

Click here for the Minicure Lab UV cure conveyor for further information.

So what options are there when considering solvent conformal coatings?

Option 1: Regularly measure the solvent exposure to operators.

Solvents can be used safely. However, the exposure of the operator to the solvent fumes must be REGULARLY measured and RECORDED. This ensures a safe operating environment and if a HSE problem does arise in the future, evidence exists to rule out the conformal coating process as the culprit.

 

The regular measurement of solvent fumes can be a low cost, easy exercise using products such as Solvent Exposure Monitors (SEA’s). SEA’s can easily be integrated into the coating process, continuously monitoring the solvents and raising an alarm if needed when exposure limits are reached. This ensures operators stay safe and have the confidence to use the processes safely.

 

Option 2: Change to a safer conformal coating material

Solventless conformal coatings are now widely available and are almost a drop-in replacement due to the advances in technology. Types available include water based acrylics and polyurethanes, solventless silicones and UV curable acrylics and all do a similar job in protecting the boards compared to solvent based materials.

 

Changing materials would mean no need to measure solvent fumes, operators would not be exposed to hazardous coatings, and litigation due to employee sickness would be much less likely.

 

Option 3: Use an Independent Subtract Coating Service.

This solution using an independent coating service eliminates all the hazards of solvents immediately. Allowing another company to utilize the harmful coating materials means no re-qualification is required without needing to invest in operator safety and equipment.

 

Summary

 

There are three options for companies using solvent based conformal coatings.

1. Measure the solvent fumes regularly to ensure the operators are always safe.
2. Change to a solventless conformal coating eliminating the issue completely.
3. Subcontract the hazardous process to a coating service.

SCH Technologies are experts in all aspects of conformal coating whether it is providing the Humiseal range of conformal coatings, coating application equipment including spray booths and dip systems, subcontract conformal coating service and providing SEA solvent exposure monitoring equipment.

Contact SCH for further details or click here for further help.

Conformal coating dipping video now published on Motionbox

A basic video on the DS101 conformal coating dip system is now available on Motionbox.

Click DS101 conformal coating dip system video to view

Humiseal Conformal Coating Masking tapes Photo on Flickr

Humiseal Conformal coating masking tapes photo has been published on flickr.

Click on Humiseal conformal coating materials and masking to go to the SCH website or click on Flickr Humiseal conformal coating masking tapes picture for photo direct from flickr.

Stripping of Humiseal Conformal Coatings Using the WS100 Conformal Coating Wet Removal System

The removal of humiseal conformal coatings such as 1B31, 1R32A2, 1B73 and 1A33 can be completed using the WS100 Conformal coating wet stripping system.

Stripping of unwanted conformal coating from a PCB can be a simple process but depends on what conformal coating is to be removed or stripped, the area of coating to be removed, where the conformal coating is and the type of components on the board.

The WS100 Conformal coating Stripping System has been designed for complete removal & stripping of conformal coating from circuit boards.

The WS100 consists a workstation of four tanks contained behind a safety screen, filled with appropriate stripping materials for the conformal coating material to be removed.

The principle of operation is that the circuit board to be stripped is manually placed by the operator in the first of the tanks for initial ‘rough’ removal and softening of the coating. Each tank has a rinse pipe and solvent pump fitted for gentle circulation and rinsing of the fluid and the operator working behind the safety screen is able to gradually remove the majority of coating, leaving a small amount of residue remaining.

Click for the video for the WS100 Conformal Coating Wet stripping System.

Click for the brochure for the WS100 Conformal coating Wet Stripping system.

DS101 Conformal Coating Dip System Video

Video on DS101 Conformal Coating Dip system showing vertical and horizontal dipping of PCBs in conformal coating material.

The DS101 Conformal Coating Dip System is a precision built, floor standing, conformal coating dip machine for medium to high volume batch processing of printed circuit boards.

Operating completely on compressed air and utilising an air over oil pneumatic system, the DS101 dip coating system offers total precision regulated speed control to allow a wide range of conformal coatings to be correctly coated and an unparalleled repeatable high tolerance of coating thickness to be achieved.

Being entirely pneumatic the machine is safe to use with flammable materials, and the automatic dip cycle process provides a smooth immersion and withdrawal rate which eliminates air entrapment and ensures an even film.

Automatic Dip Coating is one of the most efficient methods for application of conformal coatings and is excellent for all volume production whether large or small.

The process of dipping a circuit boards into a conformal coating material contained in a tank ensures complete coverage, including underneath components and around difficult large 3D boards and there is no over spray or material wastage

Click here for the conformal coating dip video.

What type of conformal coating should be used if the board has “press fit” connectors to be pushed through the conformal coating?

The key is to choose a soft coating to enable ease of push-fit and avoid risk of damaging the connector. Acrylic materials are generally used by most people doing this kind of assembly, although some softer urethane coatings can work with a bit more effort, especially if the connector is fitted as soon as the material is touch dry. UV cure materials are generally pretty tough after UV curing and so are less suitable (in general) for this kind of assembly.

Contact SCH for further support or click here for assistance.

Can I improve the adhesion of my conformal coating using a primer method?

Yes, Using a 5% solids content version of the conformal coating. To reduce the conformal coating down to a suitable primer-like material I would mix a ratio of 1:5 (coating: thinner). The primer can then be applied and leaves a ~5um layer on the surface.

It doesn’t necessarily need to be baked as it will cure in 5minutes and you can add the second layer on top. This thin layer of conformal coating increases the surface energy on the PCB so that the main conformal coating layer can next be applied. This is useful in cases of low surface energy solder resists.

Click here for information on conformal coatings for improved adhesion,  defects, finishing and repair.