New Plasma Process Simplifies Manufacturing of High-Volume Electronics
Nano-materials company Semblant Ltd. has launched the PlasmaShield™ plasma conformal coat process to deliver environmental protection without the expense associated with material costs or manufacturing complexity. The PlasmaShield conformal coat process prevents solids and liquids from contacting electronics, protects against vapor damage (moisture, pollutant gasses and salts) and can mitigate tin whiskers. Semblant’s focus on the electronics industry allows it to deliver a conformal coating solution that addresses the performance needs of military, aerospace and industrial equipment; automotive electronics; medical devices; and other traditional high-reliability segments. PlasmaShield also addresses the unmet total manufacturing cost constraints of high-volume electronics manufacturers.
While traditional conformal coats often present problems such as costs and complexities of manual masking and application processes, Semblant’s plasma deposition process can reduce or eliminate the need to mask sensitive electronics, which simplifies the manufacturing process and produces a continuously uniform and pinhole-free coating. Coating continuity is crucial in delivering the best protection against moisture, salts, harmful liquids, destructive gasses, tin whiskers, creep corrosion and other contaminants.
The PlasmaShield plasma deposition of thin coating simplifies rework. Coating removal is no longer required before repairing or replacing components, reducing the risk of damaging the printed circuit board (PCB) during removal process. In addition, concerns related to shelf life, potting life, curing time and operator safety are eliminated.
Lower manufacturing costs enable high-volume electronics manufacturers to incorporate moisture protection. Previously, this segment was unable to broadly adopt traditional conformal coats due to the manufacturing complexity, re-work difficulty and associated manufacturing costs.
Steve McClure, Semblant Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing, noted, “Semblant’s PlasmaShield provides a continuous, uniform coating, critical in delivering the best protection against moisture, salts, tin whiskers and creep corrosion. By decreasing the need to mask sensitive components, Semblant has greatly reduced manufacturing complexity, redefining how the electronics industry builds high-reliability electronics with improved performance and reduced manufacturing costs.”
Semblant is a leader in nanomaterials for electronics manufacturing, with the goal of delivering advanced plasma process solutions that improve electronics manufacturing. Semblant’s plasma processes reduce energy use, require no water or hazardous material recycling, and replace the need for expensive metals while providing improved product quality and lower manufacturing costs. Its technology can be used in applications that include mobile devices, consumer electronics, enterprise computing, networking infrastructure, automotive and military-aerospace.
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