An Ultra‐violet (U‐V) Conformal Coating System: Materials and Processes

The use of U‐V technology in conformal coating applications has come of age. This paper discusses the material, process, and equipment which recently have been utilised for the conformal coating of printed wiring boards. First is presented a description of the coating material properties, both uncured and in the cured state. Next follows a discussion of the processing scheme, parameters such as time, speed, and U‐V light source requirement. Hardware to enable the coating operation to fit into an automated assembly line is also described. Of special interest will be the employment of masking techniques to prevent coating of certain critical areas. Lastly, typical performance data on the actual product having the U‐V coating are presented. An overall appraisal of the entire U‐V system is included.