Using custom masking boots for the conformal coating masking process saves time, money and improves quality.


The use of various masking materials such as tapes, dots, and liquid latex can be an effective process in protecting components from ingress of conformal coating on a printed circuit board assembly.

However, the masking process can be difficult and time-consuming. This can increase the process costs significantly.

In fact, in many cases, the masking and de-masking processes can be >75% of the actual conformal coating process time and costs.


Using recyclable masking boots as an alternative to masking tapes, dots, and latex

Three reasons to switch to reusable conformal coating masking boots

Here are three good reasons to change to masking boots and save up to 80% of your costs compared to traditional methods like masking tape and dots:

  1. The masking time is reduced significantly. Masking boots can be 4-5 times quicker to use than masking tape.
  2. De-masking time is reduced significantly. Again it is much quicker to remove masking boots than tape.
  3. Masking boots don’t leak as easily as masking tape. So, there is less likely to be repaired.

These reasons mean you can save a lot of money very quickly when switching to masking boots.


Want to find out more about conformal coating masking boots?

Contact us to discuss your needs and let us explain how we can help you.

Contact us now.


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WHY DOES THE SOLIDS CONTENT OF MY CONFORMAL COATING MATTER FOR COSTING A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR APPLICATION?


The amount of solids content in a conformal coating is the amount of actual material available to be applied to the circuit board and that will protect the circuit board assembly.

The more solids you have the more circuit boards you can coat.

So, you want to have as many solids as possible per liter when you buy the material.


Caution –Check the conformal coating solids is at the right viscosity for application!

You also need to take care when comparing individual materials from different companies.

The differences in both solids content and viscosity can be striking and you can be wasting a lot of money on solvents that literally evaporate away.

The first stage in checking this is to determine the final solids content of the material that you will use in production. That is the correctly blended coating ready for application at the right viscosity.

Take the following example that is typical of conformal coatings sold commercially around the world.

Material X is 35% solids as sold.

Its viscosity is 190 cps approx. at this solids content.

However, to spray the coating it must be at 24 cps approx. So, the coating must be diluted by 50% with thinners to reach this viscosity.

This means material X is now 17.5% solids and a viscosity of 24 cps approx. This also means there is >80% of the material that evaporates away!


Check the market!

You cannot assume that all conformal coating materials are similar.

For example, SCH have a UL approved acrylic conformal coating that is 44% solids at 24 cps and ready to spray.

Comparing Material X (17.5%) and this particular material means that the higher solids coating has more than twice as much coverage power for the same liter of material.

If the coatings are similar in price at this viscosity then you need to buy at least 2x more of material X than the higher solids product to get the same coverage.

Quite a saving can be made if care is taken!


Want to find out more about coating coverage?

If you would like a spreadsheet that you can just punch the values in to calculate coating coverage and costs per PCB then contact us directly and we can send it through to you to help you.

Contact us to discuss your needs and let us explain how we can help you.

Contact us now.

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