Electrolube will have a strong presence at this year’s electronica event (November 13-16, Munich, Germany), with two separate stands across the exhibition complex. In Hall B4 on Stand 315, the company will highlight its strengths as a leading supplier of electro-chemicals to the automotive electronics manufacturing industry.
A combination of tighter regulation and the digital transformation of automotive control, passenger cabin comfort, entertainment and multimedia systems continue to deliver sustained growth for the automotive electronics industry. As automotive electronics assemblies become smaller, more complex and are required to perform in harsher, more crowded conditions, manufacturers in this buoyant sector are increasingly turning to specialist suppliers for reliable circuit protection solutions and applications support.
In the Automotive Hall (B4) at electronica ’18, Stand 315, Electrolube will be launching a range of technically advanced materials for automotive electronics circuit protection, sealing and bonding that have been formulated to cope with the rigours of under-hood and weather-exposed chassis environments.
Electrolube’s ER2225 high temperature and chemical resistant epoxy resin, for example, has been formulated specifically for the protection of harsh-duty automotive electronics applications in the temperature range -40 to +180°C; the cured resin will even provide protection at temperatures as high as 210°C for short periods. ER2225 is highly thermally conductive and is particularly resistant to attack from a wide range of chemicals, including lubricants, hydraulic fluids and fuels, ensuring longer life and greater reliability for potted, under-hood electronics or sensors exposed to salt spray, road-borne debris and other corrosive substances.
High quality, high performing conformal coatings are also essential to the preservation of electronics subjected to harsh operating conditions. On the stand, Electrolube will be giving live demonstrations of its new 2K850 conformal coating being dispensed via a PVA Delta 8 system. One of the newest additions to the innovative 2K range of conformal coatings from Electrolube, 2K850 offers a number of advantages compared with more traditional UV cured conformal coatings. Electrolube’s 2K850 two-part, UV cure conformal coating combines the speed and convenience of UV cure, enabling an immediate tack-free coating, with the benefits of Electrolube’s 2K conformal coating system, which combines the properties of a resin with the easy application of a coating. The system enables complete cure at room temperature within 24 h, compared to the industry average of about 8–14 days. The UL94V-0, IPC-CC-830C, MIL-I-46058C and IEC 61086 compliant coating features a wide operating temperature range of -40 to +130°C, with excellent thermal shock performance. It is a tough, flexible, high-performance coating, characterised by good coating thickness (200–400 μm), enhanced edge coverage and good adhesion, hardness and scratch resistance.
These new 2K hydrophobic coatings provide excellent water and moisture/condensation protection, including resistance to salt mist. This, together with the improved coverage and flexibility of 2K850 and its vastly improved resistance to cracking during thermal shock and thermal cycling, makes it an excellent choice for the coating of automotive PCBs.
If reliable sealing and/or bonding is required, then Electrolube’s RCS rapidly curing sealant is well worth considering. This single component, solvent-free, non-electrically conducting RTV cures upon exposure to atmospheric moisture to provide high bond strength between substrates of various kinds. The sealant/adhesive is particularly good for securing or supporting components that are likely to fail or become loose due to high levels of vibration – conditions commonly experienced in automotive applications.
Electrolube’s automotive offering would not be complete without mention of the company’s high-performance form-in-place, metal-filled compounds, FIP200 and FIP210, which are easily dispensed to provide an effective electromagnetic shielding seal around the joints in electronic housings or sensitive components such as automotive radar sensors and in-vehicle entertainment systems/screens. Both FIP200 and FIP210 compounds contain nickel/copper as opposed to silver fillers, improving their corrosion resistance.
Electrolube will also have an exhibit in Hall A2 on Stand 437, where it will be showing a range of thermal management products, including the company’s innovative new phase change materials. Playing host on both stands, Electrolube’s materials and technology experts will make themselves available throughout the show to answer visitors’ queries and suggest possible solutions to materials and application problems.
