Category: electronics

Potting is a common method to protect PCB assemblies, which involves filling an enclosure with a liquid material to protect the board and its electrical components. Depending on your application’s needs, there are a wide range of potting compounds available in a variety of formulations, including low density/lightweight, flame retardant, flexible, optically clear, and thermally […]

Bulk Tainer Logistics provides bespoke transport services for the shipment of bulk liquid products globally, operating a fleet of 12,000 chemical, feed, and food grade tank containers. To optimise the performance of its fleet, the company wanted to fit its tanks with smart monitoring devices that tracked the movement of the tanks and the condition […]

In applications where the adhesive is at least partly exposed (not completely interfacial), Born2Bond LightLock is worth evaluating. It is a hybrid cyanoacrylate adhesive that reacts to UV light to cure, making it a solid choice for bondline squeeze-out, electronics encapsulation or shallow potting, and bridge bonding applications like wire tacking. LightLock doesn’t require activators […]

“I am the Managing Director of an electronics CEM. We are making 1,000 potted electronics assemblies per week, regularly 200 per day. This is done manually by experienced operators. Pat is my best operator, she’s been with me the longest time. Some weeks, about 2.5% of these are rejected after potting. Each one costs £50, […]

The Dymax 2000-MW series is a range of medical wearable adhesives and encapsulants which help adapt your wearables devices to industry trends and customer requirements. These materials are the first biocompatible, light-curable adhesive product line to be specifically formulated without common skin irritants and materials of concern for medical wearable and electronics applications. All adhesives […]

Dymax Ultra Light-Weld® 9501-F is a UV/Visible light-curing adhesive optimized for LED curing at 385nm designed for electric vehicle battery potting and bonding. This material provides a highly reliable bond for cylindrical cells to the base of the battery pack. This colourless adhesive contains no nonreactive solvents and will fluoresce blue upon exposure to low […]

Dymax UV cure electronics encapsulants with secondary moisture cure resolve the challenge of encapsulating chip and component geometries which have shadowed areas under component bodies or leads. The bulk of the material cures in seconds with light, while the balance cures with ambient moisture. Light-curable formulations are becoming increasingly popular due to their significant benefits […]

Dymax 9771 Dual-Cure Light and Moisture-Cure Conformal Coating is now available. This low outgassing material is the first conformal coating that meets ASTM E595 and MIL-STD 883 and is therefore suitable for the aerospace and defence markets in applications including missile, satellite, and space critical printed circuit board assemblies. This coating has UL 94 V-0 […]

When gas sensor manufacturer DD-Scientific wanted to improve the accuracy, repeatability, and productivity of an epoxy sealing process, they asked us. DD-Scientific now benefits from robot-mounted preeflow® eco-DUO precision metering, mixing and dispensing systems, which save the company 23 days of staff time per year, while maintaining the high-quality the company’s products demand. DD-Scientific’s sensors […]

Application In today’s technologically-advanced world, consumers want products that are better, smarter and more intuitive to their needs. For brand owners and manufacturers, this means continuing to push the boundaries on innovative, increasingly-smaller devices that can give consumers new product options unlike anything they’ve seen before. The miniaturisation of devices can pose assembly and bonding challenges, […]

Flame-retardancy is a common requirement for materials used to make products that need to meet certain safety standards, such as home appliances, automotive systems, and electronics. A flame retardant is a chemical substance that is added to materials during their manufacturing process in order to both reduce the likelihood of the finished product catching fire and […]

Our latest White Paper tackles the issue of voids in potting compounds and encapsulation. Potting and encapsulating – avoiding voids was written by Paul Whitehead, our Strategic Accounts Manager. It discusses voids – what are they, why they are bad, and how to prevent them happening. If you are involved with electronics potting or encapsulation, […]

Encapsulants are often required to protect electronic components against moisture, chemicals, and rapid and extreme temperature changes while providing mechanical support and electrical insulation. Light-curable encapsulating compounds can provide significant benefits over conventional technologies, including very fast curing, lower operating costs and increased productivity driven by lower labour requirements, space savings, lower energy demand, and […]

This new e-book from our partners Dymax is entitled Smart Connected Device Assembly – 7 Ways Light Curable Maskants Can Provide Protection. Covering seven different electronics assembly processes, including soldering, coating, and surface treatments, the benefits of uv light curable temporary masking products are clearly described. It is worth downloading a copy!

We are delighted to have the opportunity to join this Panel Discussion tomorrow. Potting, encapsulating and underfills are all essential procedures in the assembly process. With miniaturization makes accurate, void-free processing important to maintain adequate support, protection and reliability. The panel will discuss the do’s and don’ts of these processes, followed by a Q&A session. […]

The latest September 2020 issue of Global SMT & Packaging (The Global Assembly Journal for SMT & Advanced Packaging Professionals) contains an article from us entitled Cold Plasma in Electronics Industry. Adhesion plays a decisive role for product quality and process stability in many areas of the electronics industry. These include bonding and marking of […]

Our partner, VERMES Microdispensing, a world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative microdispensing concepts and systems, has introduced DST – Dynamic Shockwave Technology. Applied to jetting valve technology for the application of fluids and pastes, DST is an enabling move forward. Dynamic Shockwave Technology stands for a revolutionary actuator principle. Through optimised channel […]

We are happy to be presenting a seminar at the next FAST Live exhibition on September 19 2019, entitled When to use silicones in electronics applications. When it comes to adhesives and sealants, there are a variety of chemistries to choose from. Epoxies, polyurethanes, UV-curing adhesives, methacrylates, and others all have their own strengths, but when […]

WACKER SilGel 612 silicone gel potting compound has a cured consistency that is really hard to describe in words, so we have demonstrated it in video format. This soft silicone gel provides excellent shock and vibration absorption in addition to the usual benefits of potting compounds such as component protection from water and other environmental […]

WACKER ELASTOSIL® N9111 is a tin-free single part RTV silicone sealant, with a neutral cure chemistry, producing a non-corrosive seal that does not inhibit other materials such as platinum cure silicones. This, along with its flame retardancy (it meets UL94 V-0), makes it a strong candidate for electronics manufacturing, especially for gap filling, component ruggedisation, […]

Simple application, fast cure, no solvents – these are the features many pcb assemblers are looking for when specifying a printed circuit board conformal coating. You want good protection of your pcb assemblies with efficient process and high throughput. If this is you, then Dymax’s Light-Curable Conformal Coatings Selector Guide should be on your reading […]

We are stocking the Techspray Vortex 360° Renew Duster, which provides an answer for companies facing the restriction on technical aerosols using HFCs with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) greater than 150. The EU F-Gas Regulation (517/2014) which comes into effect on 1 January 2018 controls the use and emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases, and will […]

Dymax 9452-FC is an advanced low viscosity conformal coating for printed circuit boards, formulated with a revolutionary new technology as an alternative to thin, solvent-based conformal coatings. Whilst it has a very low viscosity – 20 cP – it still provides good electrical insulation and protection against humidity, plus very good thermal shock and corrosion resistance. It offers […]

DYMAX Speedmask® 9-7001 is a temporary mask for electronics. It offers significant time saving in assembly of electronics connectors and other board level components to pcb’s. Once cured in seconds with UV/visible light, the (pink) maskant enables easy visual checks, while its low shrinkage rate ensures accurate reliable coverage. Speedmask® 9-7001 is designed for protecting connectors […]

The Problem A leading industrial electronics company was developing a new industrial inverter model that required a high cured thickness of conformal coating to meet electric performance. The product they were using at the time was a solvent-based coating with a low cured thickness. Air pollution and odours from solvent based coatings were  a concern for […]

Dymax Speedmask® 9-20479-B-Rev-A UV/light cure temporary masking agent is specifically designed to meet the needs of the electronics industry, where its fast cure and simple removal will improve productivity in printed circuit board assembly.  It is formulated for the protection of pcb connectors and other components, either during the soldering process, or during conformal coating. […]

Araldite 2028-1 is a transparent, two-part polyurethane adhesive developed by Huntsman Advanced Materials for the bonding of a wide range of plastic and metal materials across a multitude of applications: Automotive: Turn signals, brake lights, mirrors LED industrial lighting Sport: Surfboards, equis, recreational boats Advertising Sector: Stands, advertising panels, logos, signage Electronics: Encapsulation of electronic […]

Advances in wearable technology are coming thick and fast. Even that most conservative of investor, Warren Buffet, has seen fit to put his weight behind the wearable tech industry. With these advances comes multiple benefits, none more so than in the medical field. We all understand the idea of smart watches and other gizmos which […]

Dymax SpeedMask masking resins for electronics applications cure on demand, in seconds, with UV/visible light. Used for temporary masking in printed circuit board assembly, they are suitable for either soldering or conformal coating processes. Rapid cure speed allows for flexibility, efficiency and productivity in production as the pcb’s are immediately ready for further processing – reducing […]

The new Polytec PT brochure offers information on specialist epoxy resin adhesives and potting compounds for electronics, electrical engineering, optical and medical industries. It details high strength optically transparent epoxies, including formulations with flexibility in the Shore A range. Medical device manufacturers will find products which are biocompatible and tested to USP Class VI. These materials […]

Dymax Multi-Cure 9451 Black Conformal Coating is a true black and opaque printed circuit board coating that enhances the security of electronic products by covering the pcb and components, hiding them from visual inspection. This is an effective barrier to loss of confidentiality and possible copying or reverse engineering of proprietary designs, in addition to the normal […]

Opti-tec 5020 two-part epoxy clear potting compound combines high clarity with resistance to a wide range of temperatures (-55°C to +115°C) and environmental conditions. It also offers excellent hardness and chemical resistance compared with typical polyurethane and silicone formulations. Opti-tec 5020 is suitable for delicate components thanks to low exothermic output during cure, which also […]

Opti-tec 4200 is an optically clear potting compound suitable for encapsulating LEDs and other electronic components. Opti-tec 4200 is a clear polyurethane resin for applications including lighting, illumination or when the electronics needs to be visible. It features excellent non-yellowing colour stability owing to UV resistant base materials and stabilisers. In double syringe or twinpack sachets, the […]

Responding to a strong and increasing demand in innovative manufacturing concepts for electric and hybrid vehicle batteries, our partners Polytec PT have adhesives, potting compounds and greases with high thermal conductivities that are customised with regard to processing parameters, thermal and mechanical properties, and service durability. The need for power dissipation from the cell to […]

We have issued two new guides which offer an introduction to the Electrically Conductive Adhesives and Thermally Conductive Adhesives produced by Polytec PT. Each guide gives a descriptive overview of the technology involved and related product applications in industries such as microelectronics, electrical engineering, power engineering and general energy. New, next generation technologies are introduced. Conventional […]

We are delighted to offer a Technical Guide to Light-Cure Conformal Coatings for printed circuit boards, authored by Dymax. These coatings provide superior protective performance with the added benefit of UV/light cure for quick, convenient processing and cost saving. The guide enables customers to better understand the production savings possible from light curing. It discusses the choice […]

The accurate placement of a bead of adhesive, sealant or gasket material from a syringe demands a steady hand, close co-ordination and patience. Manufacturing environments also demand the additional element of speed needed to keep up with the rest of the process. The combination of all of these is a rare talent indeed. A better […]

Thermally conductive adhesives may become a key technology for boosting the mass production of electric and hybrid vehicles and batteries. That’s the view of our partner Polytec PT, manufacturer of specialist adhesives which we recommend for many automotive (and other) electronic applications. The ability to ensure a secure and durable battery system may demand robust fixing, […]

Sometimes you need to be really clear about things – very transparent and very protective. Perhaps you need to view potted components or need true non-yellowing optical clarity for light transmission, while providing support and protection for potting of sensitive opto-electronic components such as LEDs, displays or solar panels. Opti-tec 7020 is a two part […]

The new Dymax Encompass technology is now in a range of UV/visible light cure adhesives. Encompass combines the benefits of colour change once cured with red fluorescence for inspection. This combination offers the significant improvements in production efficiencies gained from rapid on-demand curing while ensuring greatly improved quality outcomes, since it is possible to quickly inspect […]

Dymax Dual-Cure 9482 is a UV light and moisture-cure conformal coating specially formulated to flow underneath components on printed circuit boards and cure in these shadowed areas by using ambient moisture, which can result in faster throughput for through hole assemblies. Dymax 9482 coating demonstrates excellent re-workability which is of particular importance to manufacturers of expensive pcb’s or manufacturers looking […]

We have previously discussed the need for greater precision and repeatability of adhesive dispensing within ever smaller and denser pcb real estate in the world of electronics assembly and manufacturing. Applications include optical bonding (e.g. touch screens, displays, smartphones, tablets), conformal coating, encapsulation (either dam & fill or glob top), underfills, and the like. There […]

The CircuitWorks range of pcb rework, repair and prototyping materials, which come in very convenient and easy to use formats, are now readily available from us ex stock. The easy-to-use valved pen and syringe delivery systems enable developers, technicians, installers and servicing engineers to carry out small area electronics repair. This includes cleaning, protection, bonding […]

The Dymax 9100 series of light/moisture-cure electronics encapsulants are for protection of small areas of pcb’s where sensitive components can be encapsulated or “glob topped”. What makes them different is that DYMAX Dual-Cure 9101, 9102 and 9103 now have a rapid secondary moisture cure for shadowed areas. The additional curing process gives a more secure cure […]

In the competitive world of electronics assembly, the demand for greater precision and repeatability of adhesive dispensing within ever smaller and denser pcb real estate is addressed by our partnership with preeflow – and our team application experts with leading edge products. By utilisation of preeflow endless piston technology to optimise the adhesive/dispensing process, it […]

Polytec EC 275 extends our portfolio of specialist high performance conductive epoxies and adhesives. Polytec EC 275 has innovative specialist fillers which deliver excellent electrical conductivity (1×10-3 – 7.5×10-4 ohm-cm) within a low cost, two component formulation for applications in electronics, micro-electronics, opto-electronics, hybrids and sensor technology. Electrically conductive adhesives are widely used in the electronics […]

Polytec PU 1000 is an electrically conductive, polyurethane adhesive which addresses applications in die attach, bonding of components in hybrid circuit applications and surface mount technology (SMT); areas where silver filled electrically conductive adhesives have been used for many decades. Usually such adhesives are epoxy-based, and are two-component or premixed and frozen single-component systems – […]

In setting up a new production project for in-house potting of temperature probes the engineers at Variohm considered a number of well-known industry standard thermal potting compounds – and they called us in. Ben Moffat, project engineer at Variohm, was looking for a potting compound that would give them the best thermal conductivity combined with an […]

With the combination of expertise in LED light curing equipment technology and adhesive formulation, our partners DYMAX have an ever-growing list of adhesive and coating formulations optimised to cure with our BlueWave LED curing lamps. These include applications in electronics, glass bonding, plastic bonding, temporary masking, structural bonding and medical device manufacturing.

For those of you with bonding applications at high operating temperatures, we have some news!  Polytec PT Polyimide Adhesives provide excellent thermal resistance which is superior to any other organic adhesive. These modified polyimides are single component, solvent-based adhesives and coatings which are useful in the temperature range from 240°C to 500°C. They are available […]

We now offer a range of high technology, thermally conductive adhesives. The products are two-part and single-part epoxy systems designed for all applications where heat transfer is essential, including heat-sinking and ceramic packaging. Polytec PT Thermally Conductive Adhesives are available in a wide range of process friendly packaging options, including bubble-free syringes, pre-measured twin-packs and single […]

Practical Components, our partner in the supply of dummy components, has introduced a display case containing a sampling of components. The display case includes components ranging from the latest in high technology (01005s, PoPs, CVBGAs and flip chips) to standard SMT packages (PBGAs, MLFs, QFPs and TSOPs). The display case is equivalent to a CD […]

We are now able to offer a range of high technology, electrically conductive adhesives. The products are two-part and single-part epoxy systems designed for electronic interconnects in a wide range of applications, including hybrid electronic assembly and solder replacement. These adhesives are primarily silver-loaded. Polytec PT Electrically Conductive Adhesives are available in a wide range of […]

Our recent marketing activities for Dymax 9-20479-B UV Cured Temporary Masking Agent have resulted in this picture being used as the cover shot for the online magazine Electronics Industry Update. I might add that this publication (from long-time friend Donal McDonald) is now produced in a pretty impressive iPad app version as well. Our product is on […]

Designed for rapid masking of electronic components and assemblies, Ultra-Light Weld 9-20479-B provides protection from reflow or wave soldering processes and shields no-go areas during conformal coating application. This easily dispensed mask enables accurate placement and cures in seconds to maximize production throughput with the highest levels of quality. DYMAX 9-20479-B is a blue, peelable masking […]

The winters, they tell us, are getting colder and trace heating systems for vulnerable water pipes are finding greater demand. As part of their development process STOPFREEZE were looking for a superior way of protecting their in-line thermostat from water ingress and physical damage in its outdoor situation. Their solution came in the shape of […]

Thermally conductive silicones can provide excellent thermal management. Through the addition of specialist fillers, heat can be dissipated from processors, power units, LED’s and other components to improve performance and product life. They can also be used to improve the heat conduction in sensors, radiators and thermal devices. We have a complete range of thermally […]

The new Practical Components Catalogue is now available. Practical are reknown for having the best range of dummy electronic components and mechanical samples – ideal for process testing, training and equipment trials. The catalogue is designed to help to you quickly find the products needed to improve or define your technology and your processes. The […]

We have just updated our information about our range of silicone adhesive sealants which combine the best of current silicone technologies within one system, providing the ultimate combination of process-ability and performance without any compromises. The formulations are based a new acetone cure mechanism which provides numerous advantages over older, conventional silicone RTV cures. We […]

Practical Components announces that its dummy components have been invited to be part of the Future Proof Assembly Line at the upcoming National Electronics Week exhibition, which is scheduled to take place April 12-13, 2011 at NEC Birmingham. Practical Components will supply the new Amkor TMV PoP (Package on Package) dummy component to the Future […]

Congratulations to old friends and sales partners Techspray, who have a new website. We have been successfully working with them for many years selling both Techspray and Plato products. These include the best quality desoldering braid, freezers and dusters, wipes, swabs, brushes, conformal coatings, temporary masks and cleaning chemistries. The Plato range includes solder pots […]

PoP (Package on Package) components are designed for products such as phones, digital cameras and other mobile applications benefiting from the combination of stacked packages and small footprint technology. This innovative component is the next step in 3-D package stacking density and everyone who wants to grow their assembly capability and qualify their process needs […]

The addition of wires to printed circuit boards appears to be a necessary evil in a fast changing design environment. The wires are used to increment or replace the printed wiring on the pcb. These wires are often called jumper wires, wire tacks, patch wires, etc. Flextac Tape Dots replace glues and adhesives with super-sticky […]

We are very pleased to announce our new range of ecologically-friendly RENEW products from sales partner Techspray. The innovative Techspray RENEW line takes advantage of current green technology, and still maintains the cleaning strength Techspray products are known for. Techspray’s goal was to create eco-friendly products that surpass what is currently available on the market […]

The Practical Components PC016 Mixed Technology Kit is an effective and economical way to train and evaluate students and employees. This kit contains a variety of standard surface mount and through-hole components with tracks to simulate real world situations. Each kit comes individually boxed with all components bagged and labeled for easy identification. It conforms […]

We are getting tough with electronic components that need to be made more rugged – to be more resistant to shock, vibration and rough handling. This “toughening-up” process involves edge bonding or underfill of components with the recently introduced Dymax 9422-SC or DYMAX 9-20790 room temperature, fast, light cure adhesives. In particular the Dymax 9422-SC […]

In some applications the weight of potting electronics to protect mechanically or environmentally can be a very significant part of the overall weight of installed equipment – sometimes this can be a problem. We have come up with some very advanced light-weight epoxy potting technology which brings the density right down to 0.6. IRS 2012 […]

A mention for an old friend, Jeff Ferry, and his colleagues at Circuitmart. Circuitmart features industry experts, consultants and entrepreneurs discussing the latest in technology and innovations in electronics manufacturing, and other associated areas. Many of the programs are video-based. Have a look at their website, and try a subscription to the newsletter.

If you store your solder paste in the fridge, then you need a process for getting it onto the production line and ready to use – which means it must be at room temperature and correctly mixed. The THINKY SR-500 Solder Paste Mixer and Conditioning Machine makes this process quick and foolproof. It is quick, […]

We have started to integrate into our website some new catalogue sheets from sales partner Techspray. There are seven of them, which you can download here: Conformal Coatings & Temporary Solder Masks Rework & Desoldering Braid  

The new Practical Components catalogue is available on-line. It is full of the latest technology in dummy electronic components and mechanical samples as well as the “old standbys”. Look at our Pack on Package offerings starting on page 5 or the FusionQuad® on page 4, or check out our Pac Tech Flip Chips on page […]

We will be talking about UV Technology for Encapsulation at a seminar on Tuesday next week, March 10, at the Williams F1 Centre, Grove, Oxfordshire. It is under the aegis of the UK Display and Lighting Knowledge Transfer Network. The network has been set up by the Technology Strategy Board as a means of encouraging […]

Wire tacking for pcb track replacement or circuit modification is a long standing feature of both original equipment manufacture and refurbishment. However, the production people at Allgood Technology Ltd were not happy about the smell of acetone based accelerator fluid they need with their cyanoacrylate adhesive and urgently sought an alternative, finally settling on Flextac […]

Such is the potential for damage from stray static-induced electricity that a vast industry has grown up providing electrostatic discharge (ESD) safe products to be used in sensitive environments. ESD-safe, anti-static shoes, pens, labels, bags… and just about anything else you can think of are on offer. Sometimes, however, the exact thing that you need […]

We always like to celebrate when one of our Sales Partners is a winner – and so we did at the Productronica show in Munich last month, when Practical Components won a Global Technology Award in the category of Components for the Aegis Traceability and Control Validation Kit. Aegis Industrial Software Corp, the leader in […]

Download the complete DYMAX Electronics Adhesives, Coatings & Encapsulants Selector Guide (548Kb pdf).

We are now able to supply Practical Components dummy resistors in metric 0402 size for your process development and planning.   Just when you thought chip components of 0201 (.6mm x.3mm) were small, the next wave of miniaturization is upon us.   The smaller a piece of electronic equipment becomes and the more complex its […]

Package on Package, or PoP, is the latest semiconductor packaging innovation designed to deal with cramming in all the capabilities we have come to expect from things like our mobile phones. You get your logic chip from one supplier, your memory from another, then just stack them up on top of each other. The concept […]