Case stories
Background
The end customer is one of the world’s best-known producers of pumps and valves. The USA constitutes a large part of their market, which means that the products must comply with a number of American statutory requirements, including fire safety, for which Underwriter Laboratories (UL) is the responsible institute and determines the requirement profiles.
Assignment
Components in a control unit must be protected with a viscous silicone that, due to American requirements, must have approved fire-inhibiting properties complying with the UL94 test. The silicone must not subject the electronics to any risks and it must harden at room temperature. It has to be easy to produce: two component systems could not be considered.
Tribotec’s solution
Encapsulate the components in RTV160 – a viscous one-component silicone system for electronics, approved according to the UL 94 standard. RTV160 gives off small quantities of methanol when it hardened, which does not have any effect on the electronics. RTV160 is placed in the cartridge in small lumps around the components and allowed to harden with the help of the air humidity. It does not smell and from a work environment perspective it is a very gentle product.
Background
Parking fees are not the most enjoyable thing in life, so an awkward parking meter can cause great irritation. The customer, a leading manufacturer of parking meters, realized that the protection of the electronics in the meters must be given the highest priority to guarantee high operational reliability in a tough outdoor climate, year after year.
Assignment
To resist a tough outdoor climate with constant temperature variations from -40°C to +80°C with a great risk of condensation as well as vibrations from heavy traffic. Simple production and good possibility of inspections.
Tribotec’s solution
TSE3991CU, a solvent-free circuit card lacquer, is sprayed over the cards and it hardens with the help of the atmospheric humidity. It provides a flexible layer that permanently protects all the components. The Lacquer is sprayed on in relatively thick layers, which provides very good climate protection, but is faster to produce and weighs less than a complete casting. The lacquer contains a UV indicator for quick inspection of the lacquering result and it is transparent, even in thicker layers, which means the components can be inspected even after lacquering.
Background
The customer had developed a system for automatically coupling a tractor unit to a trailer, where a unit containing electronics had to be protected from a very aggressive environment over many years.
Assignment
To create permanent corrosion protection in the control unit. Must protect against road salt, rapid temperature changes between -45°C and 80°C, for at least 20 years. Vibrations should be damped and there should be some possibility to make repairs.
Tribotec’s solution
RTV12 – a low viscosity, transparent, self-adhesive and flexible silicone, two-component system that hardens at room temperature. Provides a dry, slightly harder surface. Can be cut up afterwards, if it is necessary to replace a component. The hole can then be refilled with more RTV12, since it can adhere to a silicone surface that has already hardened, which is unusual for casting substances. Long-term tests on salted and dirty Swedish roads lasting 1.5 years gave a green light to Tribotec’s recommendation.