FEATURE MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY


ThE iMpOrTancE Of liquid prOTEcTiOn


When building consumer devices, OEMs need to think about applying liquid protection at the design stage, as Dr Stephen I


ncidences of liquid damage on consumer devices are a common occurrence. In fact a reported 28% of consumers will drop their


phones into liquid at some point. However, while liquid protection features have become a staple of newer mobiles, manufacturers have not reached the stage of 100% liquid-proofing devices. There are many reasons for this – such as the challenges brought about by inaccurate soft-tooling methods which create liquid ingress opportunities, and the increased weight of the device with physical applications. So, with liquid protection not being


Coulson, chief science officer and founder at P2i, explains cost of ownership in comparison to other methods. These cost-savings happen in two ways. The first is due to the reduced cost of applying the technology at the assembly line by eliminating scrap due to the ability to re- work sub-assemblies, increasing the yield; and the second is ensuring return rates from the field remain low. PECVD is also much more reliable than


There are also a number of environmental


preventatively applied to devices at the design stage, consumers are searching for their own solutions, such as utilising apps such as Sonic or Water Eject Shortcut to eject water from devices. These, however, are only effective to a certain extent. For instance, the tones generated from the Sonic app only removes water from the microphone of a device and doesn’t address the issue of water migrating to the internal components. Over time, this will cause device failure via corrosion and lead to the owner having to dispose of the device. Ensuring liquid protection from the outset is


becoming even more important, with today’s devices now exposed to a greater range of environmental risk factors due to changes in lifestyle – they are now taken to places such as restaurants and gyms, for example.


liquid-prOOfing aT ThE dEsign sTagE


To ensure the life of devices can be extended, it’s crucial for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to take preventative measures to liquid-proof devices at the design stage. For consumers, this removes the responsibility of tackling the challenge themselves. While liquid-proofing adds an extra stage


to the design process, it is actually a cheaper method in the long-term to protect devices. With sufficient liquid protection in place throughout its lifecycle, the total cost of ownership for OEMs is reduced as the ability to sell-on second-hand devices is easier as the device is less likely to have taken on damage.


1 DESIGN SOLUTIONS OCTOBER 2021 8


benefits to be realised by liquid-proofing devices. With less than 40% of e-waste recycled, it is now the fastest growing waste stream in the EU. Therefore, giving devices greater protection and thereby extending their lives will help to further the circular economy, in which resources are kept in use for as long as possible, and reduce e-waste. This also plays into the sharing economy, where there is a greater focus on extending the life of a singular device – which is becoming particularly pressing as regulations, such as the right to repair rules, come in. Further environmental benefits will be unlocked by a reduced need for precious metals to be mined for use in new devices.


EffEcTivE liquid prOTEcTiOn


To enable these benefits, the right type of liquid protection needs to be applied by OEMs to ensure integrity of the device. There are a range of options here, such as physical protection, which includes gaskets and O-rings; and liquid protection, such as sprays, dips and brushed-on conformal coats. An alternative option used historically is parylene conformal coatings, which are applied by chemical vapour deposition under a vacuum. The final option is Plasma Enhanced


Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD), often referred to as nano-coating technology as it occurs at the molecular level, which provides numerous benefits such as a lowered total


other methods due to the way it works at the molecular level to treat every part of both sides of a board, including complete underfill, and thanks to the ionised gas-based process it that securely attaches to it. This ensures that there is no dynamic shift or cracks to the coating once it is applied.


OEMs: TakE ThE lEad!


It’s clear that, for OEMs, applying preventative PECVD liquid protection at the design stage takes the responsibility away from the consumer for water ejection, helps them reduce costs and enables sustainable practices. While OEMs now need to take the lead in


ensuring that this happens, government regulations and laws need to play a key role in driving this forward. Demonstrating the sustainability and financial incentives to be unlocked by taking this approach to liquid- proofing will help to get more OEMs onboard.


P2i www.p2i.com


For OEMs, applying preventative PECVD


liquid protection at the design stage takes the responsibility away from the consumer


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62