Rugged Devices and Parylene

Designed for use under the most extreme and severe conditions, rugged products must function reliably in harsh environments of extreme temperatures, intensive vibrations and disproportionate levels of dryness or moisture.

Because use of rugged products are unusual, internal components of these specialized products are also subject to frequently unremitting challenges to function and performance. These circumstances compel levels of ruggedization similar to the products’ exteriors.

Rugged devices have demonstrated extreme utility for such purposes as:

• Military embedded systems – Reliable functionality through extreme conditions is imperative, often for extended duration of in-field, on-site service
• Aerospace computing – Components and devices are frequently subjected to exceptional compression and stress, radical changes in temperature and variable atmospheric conditions, or lack of them, when spacecraft and aircraft are in flight
• Specialized scientific research or undersea or arctic exploration and surveying
• Varieties of public safety, field service, emergency healthcare, transportation or distribution and commercial functions

The objective of ruggedization is providing a controlled environment for the device’s installed electronics. Protecting delicate, finely-tuned components requires conformal coatings of exceptional performance durability and versatility.

Parylene Conformal Coatings for Rugged Devices         

Rugged products use electrical components selected for their robustness, resilience and functional capacities during normal use. They will operate as expected through extreme changes in temperature, wind velocity and similar abnormal environmental conditions.

The protective conformal coating utilized for rugged devices needs to consistently shield components and exteriors without impeding their functionality. Parylene not only generates the required safeguards for environmental circumstances but also helps assure the go-anywhere productivity that is the object of the device’s use. This ability is imperative for many military and aerospace applications, where equipment failure is not an option, wireless connectivity must be dependable and fast and monitor displays must remain readable under all outdoor, in-flight and undersea conditions.

Parylene Ruggedization 

During the Parylene coating process, the technician places the component in a special deposition chamber. Vaporized Parylene dimer deposits itself onto the item, creating an ultra-thin coat that covers it entirely, even under parts and inside gaps. The coating provides a high degree of ruggedized protection from harsh environments that would destroy unprotected devices.