Conformal Coating

What is Conformal Coating Spraying?

Spraying conformal coating provides good coverage with a high-quality finish. The conformal coating is pre-blended using thinners to suit specific requirements and is applied using a manually operated spray gun. Any components which must not be coated are masked prior to spraying to protect them during this process from coating ingress and contamination.

What are the Main Advantages of Spray Coating?

• Method allows for low, medium and medium to high volume work
• Provides good coverage of the PCB and is compatible with masking areas for ‘no coat’ zones
• Coating thicknesses can be maintained within industry standard specifications

Why Choose Chiltern Connections for Spraying Conformal Coating?

• Skilled operators – fully trained with years of experience
• Premium spray equipment with newly installed dedicated spray booth
• Full air/fume extraction facility ensuring operator health and safety
•  Blending/mixing area with secure material handling
• Competent material batch record for material traceability

What is Selective Coating?

As the name possibly suggests, conformal coating is applied to selected areas on the assembly.

A selective coating machine is programmed to 'spray' coat the exact areas required on a repeatable basis, removing the need for masking. However, the same machine can be programmed to completely 'spray coat' the whole assembly if required.

What are the Main Advantages of Selective Coating?

• Improved lead times due to it being an automated process that allows for medium to high volume work to be undertaken efficiently
• Cost effective due to reduced labour costs since staff no longer need to mask off areas for protection
• Repeatable process which enables control over coverage, thickness and appearance
• High volume processing, oven curing and fast turnaround

Why Choose Chiltern Connections for your Selective Coating?

• Highly skilled operators with comprehensive training in equipment operation, materials handling, and assembly setup for selective coating applications
• Competent material batch recording for material traceability
• Up-to-date equipment and regular servicing keep machines accurate and reliable

What is Dipping?

Dip coating is a process whereby a PCB assembly is submerged, either fully or partially, into a tank of conformal coating.

This semi or fully automated process ensures complete and full coverage of the PCB and its components. By using a controlled dip coating machine, functions such as emersion, dwell and withdrawal speeds and times can be fully controlled. Once set, this arrangement provides a fully repeatable process usually guaranteeing a known coating thickness with excellent performance and appearance.

What are the Main Advantages of Dip Coating?

• Provides full coverage of the assembly, over and under components
• Repeatable process with control over coverage, thickness and appearance
• Good for medium to high volume work as both sides of the board are coated at the same time

Why Choose Chiltern Connections for your Dip Coating?

• All our operators have had comprehensive training and are experienced in materials handling and assembly set up for suitable dip procedure
• We have full traceability and batch recording of materials
• Dedicated production space including mixing area, fume extraction and racking systems
• Dipping machines that were designed and built in-house which are now also used in customer production lines

What is Brush Coating?

This is the application of conformal coating using a brush, "painting" coating onto the printed circuit boards. The conformal coating technician applies the coating selectively, working around masked off areas as per requirements.

What are the Main Advantages of Brush Coating?

• Ideal method for coating rework
• Precise application so can also be good for one-offs, specialist coatings or very small or complex PCBs
• Coverage on select areas as per requirements

Why Choose Chiltern Connections for your Brush Coating Conformal Coating?

• We have skilled and experienced technicians that ensure a high-quality finish
• Thorough quality processes ensure uniformity over all boards
• Experience and knowledge over type of coatings and their suitability for hand brushing