New UV cure conformal coatings at Productronica

Electrolube’s UV cure coatings enable immediate board-handling with full cure guaranteed within an impressive 6-12 hours due to the chemical secondary cure mechanism. The majority of existing UV cure systems on the market require minimum moisture secondary cure times that can take between 8 to 14+ days and even longer in many cases, whereas Electrolube’s new UV range facilitates tremendous reductions in the amount of Work In Progress. Solvent-free, VOC-free and providing unrivalled performance in harsh environments, the UV products are highly resistant to cracking during thermal shock cycling.

UVCL-P is the Plus version of UVCL. It is a transparent, flexible coating which is extremely resistant to thermal shock.  The main benefits of UVCL-P are the improved coverage and protection achieved, along with a guaranteed chemical cure in 6 hours thanks to its unique secondary cure mechanism. Selectively applied at 50-150 microns thickness, the plus version ensures a higher level of condensation protection than alternative coatings when sprayed at the same thickness. UVCL-P has a 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.

UVCL-X shares the benefits of UVCL-P with excellent resistance to thermal shock, immediate board handling, guaranteed chemical cure in 6 hours and exceptional 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 highly flexible coating that demonstrates excellent thermal conductivity 0.7 Wm^-1K^-1 for significantly 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 will be launched at the show and include a brand new film coating product, UVCL-FC, which enables the application of even thinner coatings and faster curing line speeds.  UVCL-FC is a low viscosity, fast-curing UV formulation for rapid processing.

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. 

Electrolube’s final product within the UV range is UVCL, a single component, medium-low viscosity dual cure coating with secondary moisture cure – ensuring complete cure, even 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.

The new UV Cure coatings range will be showcased in Hall 4, stand 466, where visitors will get the opportunity to watch live demonstrations of the UV cure coatings on Electrolube’s stand. The live demos will be conducted using the latest selective coating systems from PVA and Asymtek, as well as a UV Cure oven.

Ron Jakeman, Managing Director of Electrolube, commented: “We’re really looking forward to launching the new UV range at Productronica; it is a game changing range of conformal coating materials that significantly reduces WIP for manufacturers. We have a solid reputation for providing specialist electro-chemical solutions to industry that solve manufacturing problems and help customers bring higher quality, more reliable products to market faster, and our new range of innovative UV cure conformal coatings presents manufacturers with a high performance coating that really makes a difference to the bottom line.”

Electrolube’s senior technical team will also be available to discuss the advantages and specifications of the new UV cure coatings range. Electrolube will also be launching a versatile new range of gap-filling products with excellent thermal performance. GF400 is a two part, liquid silicone-based gap filler, which can either be cured at room temperature or accelerated with heat. Following cure, the GF400 gap filler forms a low modulus elastomer that prevents the ‘pump-out phenomenon’, ensuring minimal degradation of effective heat dissipation.