For many years, conformal coating was seen as a labour-intensive, operator-driven process. Whether spraying PCBs by hand or manually dipping assemblies, consistency depended heavily on individual technique. But the industry has shifted. Manufacturers now expect repeatability, digital traceability and real-time process control—and automation is becoming central to achieving these goals.
At SCH, we are seeing rapid adoption of inline dip systems, robotic spray coating, vision inspection, and SPC-driven quality control across aerospace, EV, defence, industrial and IoT electronics. Together, these tools define what a modern, Industry-4.0-ready coating line looks like.
In this article, we explore how these technologies are changing the landscape and how manufacturers can begin implementing them.
Why Automation Is Now Essential
Automation delivers immediate, measurable improvements:
- Consistent film build through controlled spray passes and dip parameters
- Lower rework thanks to early wet-film inspection
- Traceable processing with logged recipes and parameters
- Predictable throughput with reduced labour dependency
- Proactive quality powered by SPC trend analysis
When combined with smart handling, curing and inspection methods, coating lines become stable, predictable and audit-ready.
Inline Dip Coating – Stability Through Digital Control
Dip coating has always provided excellent coverage, but manual dipping introduces huge variability—insertion speed, dip depth, dwell time, withdrawal angle, drain orientation, and more.
A conveyorised inline dip system solves the problem by controlling:
- Dwell time in the coating tank
- Withdrawal and drain profile
- Immersion speed and depth
- Drain time and fixed board orientation
These parameters are digitally locked, repeatable, and traceable—allowing dip coating to sit neatly within a fully automated line.
To learn more about coating methods, see:
Conformal Coating Processes Hub
Robotic Spray Coating – Precision Without Operator Drift
Where dipping isn’t suitable, robotic spray control offers accuracy and repeatability far beyond any manual process.
Modern systems include:
- Vision alignment
- Dynamic speed adjustment
- Path optimisation for complex geometries
- Masking-clearance detection
- Locked recipes for process security
This ensures every PCB receives identical coverage regardless of operator, shift, or batch.
Vision Inspection & SPC Data – The Core of Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 relies on data, and conformal coating is no exception.
Vision Systems
Wet-film vision inspection can verify:
- Coverage
- Pooling
- Thick edges
- Masking position
- Part cleanliness
These checks happen before curing, when rework is fast and low risk.
SPC & Trend Monitoring
Inline or near-line thickness data feeds into SPC dashboards, allowing you to:
- Detect drift before defects occur
- Set control limits
- Analyse coating uniformity
- Maintain long-term process stability
This level of visibility is quickly becoming an industry expectation.
Traceability & MES Connectivity
Fully automated coating lines increasingly feed into MES/ERP systems, providing:
- Logged process parameters
- Batch, panel or serial traceability
- Linked operator or cell ID
- Locked revision-controlled recipes
- Digital audit trails
This capability is vital for aerospace, defence and EV sectors where documentation is legally mandated.
Where Automation Delivers the Best ROI
We see the largest return in:
- High-mix PCB assembly where manual variation is hard to manage
- Automotive & EV electronics with tight process control requirements
- Aerospace & defence, where traceability is critical
- IoT & miniature devices, where coverage must be perfect
- Products where dip coating is preferred but historically inconsistent
Automation eliminates the root causes of variation and transforms coating lines into predictable manufacturing assets.
Building a Roadmap Toward Industry 4.0 Coating
Companies don’t need to automate everything at once. Most follow this progression:
- Robotic spray or simple automated dip
- Digital recipe locking & controlled parameters
- Vision inspection before cure
- SPC dashboards & data-driven quality
- Full MES/ERP connectivity
Each step increases stability, repeatability, and visibility.
How SCH Supports Coating Automation
SCH provides:
- Turnkey conformal coating services
- Parylene coating services
- Process consultancy for automation, SPC and line optimisation
- Inline conformal coating dip systems
- Training programs covering every area including inline dip, robotics, inspection, and Industry 4.0
Our team helps manufacturers implement stable, repeatable coating workflows—from dip process control to robotic spray paths and digital traceability.
If you’d like help designing or optimising your coating process:
