About the difference between conformal paint and UV glue

In many industrial fields such as electronics manufacturing, automobile maintenance, aerospace, etc., Three-proof paint and UV adhesive are two extremely important surface protective coatings, each playing an irreplaceable role. Although both have functions such as protection and bonding, there are great differences in practical applications. This article will delve into the differences between conformal paint and UV adhesive.

As a veteran enterprise in the field of adhesives in the electronic industry, Schneider enjoys a good reputation in the industry with its self-developed conformal coating products and adhesive technology solutions. Now, we will use our technical experience to elaborate on the difference between conformal paint and UV adhesive for friends in the electronics industry, so as to help everyone better understand and use conformal paint and UV adhesive.

What is conformal paint and UV adhesive Tri-conformal paint, also known as electro-conformal adhesive or tri-conformal adhesive, is a protective coating specifically designed to protect electronic circuit boards and components from environmental influences. It not only effectively resists the attack of natural factors such as moisture, dust, and mold, but also extends the service life of the product and improves its reliability. According to the chemical composition, conformal paints can be divided into acrylate, silicone, polyurethane and other types; According to the curing method, it can be divided into various types such as solvent escape type, moisture curing type, heating curing type and UV moisture double curing type. Different types of conformal paints have their own characteristics in terms of performance and curing methods.

UV adhesive, also known as shadowless adhesive, photosensitive adhesive or UV curing adhesive, is an adhesive that cures quickly under ultraviolet light. The curing time of UV adhesive is usually between a few seconds and tens of seconds, which greatly improves production efficiency. UV adhesive has high strength and toughness after curing, and can withstand large tensile and shear forces on a variety of materials, resulting in reliable bonding. In addition, UV adhesive is colorless and transparent, and the transparency after curing is extremely high, which will not affect the appearance of the bonded object.

The specific difference between conformal paint and UV glue

<！--[if！支持列表]-->1.<！--[endif]-->Different curing methods In terms of curing methods, conformal paints are diverse, while UV adhesives rely solely on ultraviolet irradiation. In terms of functional characteristics, conformal coatings focus on protecting the impact of various environmental factors on circuit boards, while UV adhesives provide high transparency and other characteristics for packaging bonding. The curing methods of conformal paint include solvent evasion, moisture curing, heating curing, and UV moisture dual curing. Different types of conformal paints differ in curing speed and curing conditions. For example, solvent-escaping conformal paints take longer to cure and may release harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the curing process. Among them, UV moisture double curing conformal paint can form a strong and uniform protective film in a short period of time through UV irradiation curing and moisture curing.

UV glue, as the name suggests, relies on ultraviolet light to cure. Under UV exposure, the photosensitizer in the UV glue is combined with the monomer, resulting in rapid curing. The curing time of UV adhesive is usually very short, ranging from a few seconds to tens of seconds, which gives UV adhesive a clear advantage in automated production lines.

2. Different functional characteristics After curing, conformal paint will form a tight protective film, which has excellent insulation, moisture-proof, leakage-proof, shockproof, dustproof, anti-corrosion, anti-aging, corona resistance and other properties. It provides stable protection for circuit boards and electronic components, ensuring that electronic devices can still operate properly and maintain performance in harsh environments.

The cured UV adhesive mainly provides high transparency, high strength, high weather resistance, and excellent electrical properties, providing stable and safe packaging bonding for electronic devices and other devices. At the same time, there will be no obvious glue marks or residue after curing, which can maintain the aesthetics of the bonded object. In addition, the rapid curing characteristics of UV adhesive can also optimize automated production lines and improve labor production efficiency.

3. Different application scenarios Conformal paint is widely used in electronic appliances, radio communications, aerospace and other fields. It is mainly used to protect electronic components and circuits on PCBA from damage caused by moisture, corrosion, dust, mold, etc. In harsh environments such as chemical, vibration, high dust, salt spray, humidity and high temperature, conformal coatings can protect printed circuit boards from corrosion, deformation, mildew and other problems, and improve the reliability of circuits. In terms of application scenarios, conformal paint is mainly used to protect circuits, and UV adhesive is more used for fixing, bonding and packaging objects. In terms of construction and maintenance, the conformal paint construction method is flexible and the protective film can be repaired, and the UV adhesive application needs to be precisely controlled but difficult to remove after curing.

UV adhesive is mainly used for fixing, bonding and encapsulating objects. In the field of electronics, it is often used to fix electronic components, such as the packaging of LED lamp beads, the bonding of mobile phone screens, etc.; In the field of optics, it is used for bonding and sealing optical components such as lenses and optical fibers. For example, it can be used to fix IC chips, package LEDs, etc.; In the field of automobile manufacturing, it is used for sealing lamps and fixing interior trim parts.

4. Construction and maintenance The construction methods of conformal paint are flexible and changeable, mainly including spraying, painting, dipping, etc. You can choose various methods such as spraying, brushing, dipping, and brushing according to specific needs. Spraying is suitable for rapid coverage of large areas, brushing and brushing are suitable for detailed areas or where precise thickness control is required, and dip coating is suitable for small or complex electronic components.

In terms of maintenance, the protective film formed after curing of conformal paint usually has a certain degree of repairability. If changes or repairs are required, they can be removed using specific solvents or mechanical methods (e.g., scraping, sanding) and then reapplied. In addition, regular inspection and repainting are also important measures to maintain the protective effect of conformal paint.

The construction method of UV glue is relatively fixed, mainly relying on methods such as dispensing, dispensing, spraying or injection to accurately control the amount of glue. Due to the fast curing speed of UV glue, it is necessary to precisely control the amount and position of the glue during construction to avoid waste and unnecessary bonding. Dispensing and dropping are suitable for small or precise location bonding, and dispensing is suitable for large areas or where fast curing is required.

Once cured, UV adhesive has a very high bond strength and is often difficult to remove by conventional methods such as solvents, sanding. Therefore, UV glue is relatively difficult to maintain, and once the bonding is wrong or needs to be changed, it often needs to be removed by physical methods (such as cutting, prying), which may cause damage to the bonded object. Therefore, when using UV glue, special attention needs to be paid to the construction accuracy and the selection of bonding position to avoid unnecessary maintenance difficulties.

Conclusion To sum up, conformal paint and UV adhesive show obvious differences and advantages in terms of definition, characteristics, curing mechanism, application scenarios, construction and maintenance. In the future development of the manufacturing industry, with the continuous improvement of product quality, production efficiency and environmental protection requirements, these two materials will continue to play an important role, and continue to innovate and optimize to meet more diverse market demands. Whether it's conformal paints that pursue long-term protection and flexible construction, or UV adhesives that focus on fast curing and high strength, they are indispensable and important elements in modern manufacturing.

By elaborating on the differences between conformal paint and UV adhesive, including curing methods, functional characteristics, application scenarios, and construction and maintenance, we can clearly see the characteristics and advantages of each of them. These differences show that both have irreplaceable value in different industrial needs, and that they will continue to play a key role and improve to meet diverse needs as the manufacturing industry continues to evolve.