Lifetime Performance of Conformal Coatings in Harsh Plasma Cutting Applications

Three groups of different silicon based conformal coating materials were evaluated to improve product robustness and exceed growing reliability expectations. Conformal coatings protect electronic control boards against moisture, iron dusts, and corrosive chemicals. We introduced a comprehensive verification procedure for qualifying alternative coating materials which are applicable to other industrial systems operating in harsh environments. It aims to cover material suitability and product assurance for performance and reliability at multiple phases. This paper focuses on long-term reliability modeling under accelerated stress conditions which conservatively emulate harsh use conditions in plasma cutting applications. Specifically, a set of environmental experiments was conducted to investigate electrochemical migration effect on insulation robustness of printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies over time.