Conformal coating is not simply a consumable material. Unfortunately, for too many designers, conformal coating is simply a part number, to be applied to circuit boards. However, this can be a major problem especially in the conformal coating production stage of the process.
There are guidelines in the IPC standards that may help with Design for Manufacture (DFM) principles. These are worth considering. Unfortunately, there are no official design guidelines that will help directly with the application process and conformal coating.
Conformal Coating Design Hub
SCH Services Ltd has developed design rules for conformal coating in their Design Hub to help users get the fundamentals right.
The hub focuses on designing PCBs and assemblies for coating, including keep-out zones, component spacing, creepage and clearance, and applying DfM/DfCC principles before manufacture. The philosophy is that for companies embracing lean philosophies and applying conformal coatings, a failure to appreciate the subtleties of the application process can result in an un-coatable (at least as specified) assembly process.
The problem is if the rules are not followed, the resultant circuit board design can challenge even the most sophisticated conformal coating system and its operator to achieve the finish desired.
For further information visit conformal coating design rules to learn more.
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