Introductory Guide To Protective Coatings: Methodologies
Designing an electronic product that is appropriately protected against environmental hazards and meets thermal, electrical, and mechanical requirements can be a daunting challenge. Several methods may be employed to meet the desired outcome, including mechanical seals, thick-film conformal coating, thin-film conformal coating, and nanocoatings. Choosing the appropriate protection will have a pronounced effect on the end product and total cost of ownership and entails careful consideration of the pros and cons of each method.
By 2030, 125 billion globally connected devices will be used to increase productivity, improve safety, and enhance security in a world that depends on them. These products exponentially expand opportunities for improved reliability, durability, higher utilization, and new functionality and capabilities that cut across traditional product boundaries. Electronics are fulfilling new, critical roles across industries and market segments, including automotive, industrial, consumer electronics, IoT, and medical devices, guiding autonomous vehicles, managing critical energy infrastructures, powering personal electronics, and monitoring healthcare treatments.
As these functions are deployed, connected devices are exposed to a wide range of environments, including water, sweat, humidity, corrosive chemicals, and wide temperature fluctuations. They must reliably operate to avoid catastrophic failures. The challenges involved in safeguarding electronics from the most demanding environments must not only consider what protection is required, but how to incorporate that protection into the design, functionality, and manufacturing process of the device.