Conformal Coating

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Conformal Coating

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Techspray offers SR, AR and UR conformal coating formulas for a wide variety engineering requirements including thermal, moisture & static resistance. All coatings are IPC-CC-830B and UL94 V-0 qualified.

Techspray offers a variety of conformal coating formulas for differing field or engineering requirements and is IPC CC 830B and UL94-0 Qualified or rated. Specifications generally depend on the type of protection needed: e.g., thermal, moisture, or static resistance.

Coatings contain Opti/Scan (except LED Coating) to allow quality control inspection of coverage and evenness of the coating on a PCB. A coated board can be passed under a standard, low-cost UV (short-wave black) light to fluoresce the coated areas. The brighter the glow, the thicker the coating.

Application methods:

Dip – High volume method to fully coat boards. Thickness of the final coating is controlled by viscosity and withdrawal speed from the pot.
Conformal Coating Spray – Computer controlled selective spray systems eliminate the need for masking. Higher viscosity is generally needed (70-200 cps) to create precise edge definition and prevent splattering.
Manual Application – Aerosol and brushing are generally used for small production runs, rework and repair. The aerosol needs to be compatible with the original coating if it’s rework.

For more information, check out our Essential Guide to Conformal Coating.

Conformal Coating Selection Guide

Fine-L-Kote SRV Silicone Conformal Coating

Silicone conformal coating that is high gloss, ultra-clear, moisture and abrasion resistant

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Turbo-Coat Acrylic Conformal Coating

Acrylic Conformal Coating with the fastest cure, dry to touch in 3 minutes!

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Fine-L-Kote AR Acrylic Conformal Coating

Acrylic conformal coating for high dielectric strength & good moisture and abrasion resistance

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Fine-L-Kote SR Silicone Conformal Coating

Silicone Conformal Coating that's ideal for moisture, thermal and vibration protection

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Fine-L-Kote LED2 Silicone Coating

Silicone conformal coating designed to coat over LEDs

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Fine-L-Kote HT High-Temp Silicone Conformal Coating

Silicone coating engineered for superior thermal and moisture resistance

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Fine-L-Kote UR Urethane Conformal Coating

Tough coating with good chemical resistance

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Turbo-Coat Thinner

Conformal coating thinner for Turbo-Coat

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Conformal Coating Remover

Coating stripper for acrylic, silicone and urethane

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Fine-L-Kote Conformal Coating Remover XT

Coating stripper for acrylic, silicone, urethane, and component epoxy coatings

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FAQ's

What is the difference between full cure and tack-free cure?

Full cure is when it meets all the final specifications. There might be some out-gassing, but it will be as hard as it is going to be, and adhesion is as good as it gets. Tack-free is as the name suggests, not sticky so you can move it along the assembly process.

How can you reduce chemical exposure?

Every organization using hazardous chemicals within their facility has the responsibility to equip their facility and personnel to maintain exposure levels below the TLV. Personal monitoring badges can be used to measure exposure of a specific material. Then, depending on the threshold limit and the application, exposure can be controlled with PPE like masks, face shields, respirators, and even coveralls. If they don’t reduce exposure below the recommended limit, you will need to consider a special ventilation hood or even containment booth. As you can see, as the exposure limit gets down to a certain level, the equipment required to safely use the solvent can get impractical. At that point, your best option is to consider a safer alternative.

What is the difference between dielectric strength and dielectric withstand voltage?

The dielectric strength is material intrinsic property and withstand voltage is surface property which depend on thickness of the material. They can be slightly different for thicker materials, but for conformal coating, the two numbers should be very close or the same. That is because we test coating at 3-5 mils thickness, calculate, then report the value per mil.

What type of UV light / black light should I use for QC inspection of the final conformal coating?

Conformal coating with UV tracer can be inspected with any typical UV lamp which has wavelength of 320-380 nm.

How do you remove conformal coating when repairing or reworking a PCB?

Techspray offers the TraceTech Conformal Coating Remover Pen that allows you to remove a tight area of coating around a repair area without affecting the rest of the PCB. You first saturate the tip by tapping it lightly on a surface, which opens the valve and releases solvent. Holding the tip down may oversaturate it, which could lead to solvent flowing into unintended areas.

Is conformal coating conductive?

No, conformal coatings are non-conductive, or insulative. The job of conformal coating is to isolate the PCB or components from the environment and even components (i.e. high voltage or high heat) from the rest of the board. To do that properly, a coating must have electrically insulating properties with as high of a dielectric withstand voltage (or strength) as possible.

Is conformal coating waterproof?

While conformal coatings can offer a moisture resistant layer of protection, most cannot be considered waterproof. Even if applied heavily, most coatings are semi-permeable, so allow some amount of moisture through. Conformal coating can, however, prevent current leakage or corrosion due to ambient moisture. To truly waterproof electronics, you either need gasketing to seal the electronics within the packaging or cover the electronics with a waterproof encapsulant or potting compound.

Is conformal coating necessary?

Whether or not conformal coating is required depends on the environment the electronic device will operate in, the reliability requirement of the device, and the cost of failure, whether in dollars or human lives. Typical consumer devices are generally not coated because cost is one of the top driving factors, and a coating step certainly adds to that. Devices operating in harsh environments may require coating, and the type of stresses and contamination will point to the best option, whether that is acrylic resin (AR), silicone resin (SR), urethane resin (UR), or some other type of protection. Aviation, aerospace, and medical devices often require coating because of the mission critical nature of these applications.

What does conformal coating do?

Conformal coating is a specially engineered polymeric film-forming product that protects circuit boards, components, and other electronic devices from harmful environmental conditions like moisture, thermal shock, static, vibration, and contamination. These coatings ‘conform’ to the irregular landscape of the PCB providing increased dielectric resistance, operational integrity, and reliability. There are a number of options for coating technologies, and the best option should depend mainly on the protection required. Application method and ease of rework are also important factors, but should generally be considered secondary to the protective performance needed.

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