UV cure conformal coatings at IPC APEX EXPO

Senior management from the company’s US operation in Texas, HK Wentworth America, and Electrolube’s senior technical team, will be available to discuss the advanced new UV cure coating range, as well as encapsulation resin and thermal management solutions, with visitors on booth 2201.

Electrolube’s brand new UV cure coatings are designed to offer high level of protection for electronic circuitry with an fast processing time. The range features UVCL, a single component, medium-low viscosity dual cure coating with secondary moisture cure, for complete cure in shadow areas. Available in 5L packaging, UVCL is VOC-free, non-flammable and demonstrates excellent electrical properties. The coating provides a wide operating temperature range and is ready to use for selective spray application.

UVCL-P is the Plus version of UVCL. It is a transparent, flexible coating which is resistant to thermal shock. The main benefits of UVCL-P are the improved coverage and protection achieved, along with a guaranteed chemical cure in six hours thanks to its secondary cure mechanism. Selectively applied at 50 to 150 microns thickness, the plus version affords a higher level of condensation protection than UVCL when sprayed at the same thickness. UVCL-P has a higher maximum operating temperature of 150°C and meets the requirements of UL94V-0 at thicknesses below 150 microns and can be cured with either 365nm LED lamps or ‘D’ bulb microwave technology.

Electrolube have also developed an ‘xtra’ version of UVCL, called UVCL-X, which shares the benefits of UVCL-P with resistance to thermal shock, immediate board handling with a chemical cure in six hours thanks to the secondary chemical cure mechanism, coverage and protection. Reflecting its environmental credentials as well as increasing the ease of inspection, UVCL-X is a green-opaque coating that can be applied at up to 300 microns and has a higher maximum operating temperature of 150°C. It is a flexible coating that demonstrates thermal conductivity 0.7 Wm-1K-1 for improved heat dissipation. The coating is also UL746 qualified and meets the requirements of UL94V-0 at thicknesses below 300 microns.

Further UV Cure coating products, also featuring secondary moisture cure, will be launched at the show and include a brand new film coating product, UVCL-FC, which aims to enable the application of thinner coatings and faster curing line speeds. UVCL-FC is a low viscosity, fast-curing UV formulation for rapid processing. The company will also showcase a new UV cure coating specifically for LED applications. The UVCL-LED coating is also a low viscosity coating that enables rapid cure with low energy 365nm LED lamps.

UVCL-HV is a high viscosity UV curable material, designed to provide better coverage of component leads and exposed metal surfaces during dispensing applications and Electrolube’s UVCL-Gel is a no-flow gel version of UVCL, designed for sealing connectors and other areas that must not be coated.

Ron Jakeman, Managing Director of Electrolube, commented: “In order to meet the different requirements of electronics, LED and automotive manufacturers, we have invested in finding solutions to speed up production with ever higher levels of performance. The new UV cure coating range is an unbeatable range of conformal coating materials and we are very excited about launching the new range to the US market. 

“The UVCL range is solvent-free, VOC-free and provides unsurpassed performance in harsh environments, including resistance to cracking during thermal shock cycling. The main benefit of Electrolube’s UV Cure coatings is that boards can be handled immediately, with full cure guaranteed within six to twelve hours due to the chemical secondary cure mechanism. If we examine existing UV cure systems on the market, the majority require minimum moisture secondary cure times of eight to over fourteen days, whereas the new UVCL range facilitates tremendous reductions in the amount of Work In Progress.”