Conformal Coating

Conformal coating is a coating used to protect printed circuit boards (PCBs) and electronic components. Conformal coating is usually a transparent or translucent coating that can be applied to the surface of a PCB to form a protective film. Conformal coating can effectively protect PCBs and electronic components from moisture, corrosion, and static electricity, thereby improving the reliability and stability of electronic products.

Conformal coatings have the following three protective functions:

1. Moisture-proof: Conformal coatings prevent PCBs and electronic components from moisture, thereby avoiding short circuits, corrosion and other problems caused by moisture.

2. Anti-corrosion: Conformal coatings prevent PCBs and electronic components from corrosion, thereby extending the service life of electronic products.

3. Anti-static: Conformal coatings prevent PCBs and electronic components from static interference, thereby ensuring the normal operation of electronic products.

Inspecting Conformal Coating

It is very important that conformal coating completely covers the sensitive components of a PCB in order to provide a protective barrier. After applying conformal coatings on the PCB, how do you check whether they are evenly and completely applied? As conformal coating is transparent, it is difficult to inspect under normal light.

A quick and effective method is to use the UV Flashlight XEPU-1530B. The inspection principle is that conformal coatings will emit bright fluorescence under the irradiation of longwave ultraviolet light (365 nm). Based on the emitted fluorescence, the detector can then easily visualize if conformal coatings are evenly applied. For example, dark areas where a blue glow isn’t present indicate a lack of conformal coating coverage.

Using UV Flashlight to inspect conformal coatings has been proved to be an efficient method and is now widely used in many industries. We recommend inspecting conformal coatings in a dark environment. The darker the ambient light and the closer the detection distance, the brighter the fluorescence.

Photo below: When illuminated by the UV Flashlight XEPU-1530B, conformal coatings emit bright blue fluorescence. The detector can then easily visualize if conformal coatings are evenly applied.

UV Flashlight XEPU-1530B for Inspecting Conformal Coating

The UV Flashlight XEPU-1530B features ultra-high UV intensity, great portability, and long lifetime. The intensity of UV-A is 30,000 uw/cm2 at a distance of 15 in (38 cm). Such a high intensity effectively excites the fluorescence of conformal coatings, allowing detectors to inspect conformal coatings with minimum effort. The LED lifetime is over 50,000 hours, ensuring years of use with minimum maintenance cost.

Photo below: UV Flashlight XEPU-1530B for Inspecting Conformal Coating