February, 2020
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Optimal Conformal Coating: Balancing Equipment and Process Control
M
any of today’s products must function in extreme environ- mental conditions. Confor -
mal coating serves as an insulative layer to ensure that the components on a PCB or in a module can achieve the functionality they were designed for, rather than being a cause of pre- mature failure. Conformal coating protects electronics from factors that include corrosion, whisker growth and shorts within the system. In the automotive and mobile
electronics industries, meeting the standards and requirements for high reliability has become critical. With an increased emphasis on Industry
Conformal coating is an entire process in itself.
This includes maintaining the coating quality,
choosing the correct curing process for that coating, and inspecting that the coating is applied correctly.
4.0 and automation, there is a press- ing need to address the entire confor- mal coating process as one system. Not only must the system be
able to apply conformal coating, but it also must support overall process tracking and traceability. Everything that goes into the assembly of these electronic systems must be recorded and monitored so the process can be research retrospectively and the spe- cific source of the problem can be identified if an issue arises.
Coating as an Entire Process When dealing with conformal
coating, the tendency is to focus on the conformal coating machine, but conformal coating is an entire process in itself. This includes main- taining the coating quality, choosing the correct curing process for that coating and inspecting the coating so the coating is applied correctly before the PCB heads to the next part of the assembly process. Increasingly, manufacturers are
moving to full conformal coating line solutions that combine coating, curing and inspection capabilities with closed-loop process controls and trace- ability to meet demand and deliver consistent product reliability. Closed-loop controls, or the move
to more automated operator-less facto- ries, are based on requirements for equipment to be more independent and self-monitoring. Cor rections and adjustments are made internally, without operator intervention. With automated coating inspec-
tion, a lot of operator subjectivity can be removed by setting pass/fail crite- ria around what is being inspected. There is verification that the coating material is placed where intended and not placed where it is not intend- ed and that the final product is with- in the accepted tolerance. The same is true with ovens and
other systems having closed-loop controls to make sure that the tem- perature is being appropriately regu- lated to avoid an incomplete cure that may potentially cause other con- cerns and considerations. The benefit of a complete line is that not only can these pieces of equipment collect
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data and gather information, but that they are able to share this data with other equipment in the line so that the system can take action. Choosing the optimal conformal
coating line configuration is deter- mined by the type of board and appli- cation, the desired cycle rate and the coating material. The quality of the process is influenced by the edge def- inition, coating thickness and adhe- sion of the material to the substrate. Eliminating coating problems
begins with a high-quality conformal coating system. Some requirements
Continued on page 89
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