Typical Conformal Coatings Use

Different conformal coatings have a wide range of uses throughout many different industries. While originally applied within the electronics industry, conformal coatings many benefits have led to its use in many other fields, most notably medical, aerospace and defense and automotive.

Medical

While all conformal coating types can be used for different applications, Parylene is the coating of choice for many medical devices. Because Parylene is biologically inert, FDA approval of Parylene coated devices is well-documented. The coatings comply with USP Class VI plastics requirements and are MIL-I-46058C / IPC-CC-830B listed. Another benefit for medical devices, such as electrosurgical tools, stents and infusion technology, is that Parylene is entirely conformal, meaning that component configurations with sharp edges, points, flat surfaces, crevices or exposed internal surfaces are coated uniformly without voids or pinholes.

Aerospace and Defense

Conformal coatings offer unmatched protection for many aerospace and defense applications, including aircraft, space programs and defense systems, providing reliable barrier protection against elements such as moisture, chemicals, dust, sand and biological agents. SCS conformal coatings have protected components that traveled to an asteroid, explored Mars and orbited Jupiter. When searching for coating options engineers often look for options that offer a host of beneficial attributes, including:

• Superior fluid, chemical and moisture barrier properties
• Excellent dielectric properties
• Excellent multi-layer penetration
• Thermal stability

Automotive

A robust conformal coating is necessary to successfully provide moisture, chemical or dielectric barrier protection to automotive components. The coatings themselves must survive the harsh environments these applications encounter, and automotive operating environments often range from -40°C to more than 300°C.  Applications include general electronics, engine control modules, battery management systems, sensors, hybrid and fuel cell technologies and more.