News: Focus on Sensitive Surface Treatment

SMTConnect 2022: Reliable, clean and effective use of Openair-Plasma in the electronics industry

From May 10th to 12th, the Plasmatreat GmbH will show at the SMTconnect trade fair in Nuremberg the reliable, clean and effective uses of Openair-Plasma in the electronics industry. The company, a leader in the development and production of atmospheric plasma systems, will show different plasma systems at booth 312 in hall 4, including a system for surface pretreatment before conformal coating. Plasma treatment changes the surface properties of electronic substrates and optimizes them for the subsequent manufacturing process. 

"We will show various plasma systems and present different application examples at SMTconnect. The focus will be on two closed manufacturing cells, in which we will show Openair-Plasma pretreatment before conformal coating on the one hand, and activation, cleaning and coating of various components on different movers on the other. Here, the components are moved under the appropriate jet for plasma treatment using the innovative XPlanar kinematic parts-handling system from Beckhoff," explains Nico Coenen, Market Segment Manager Electronics at Plasmatreat.  

The Plasmatreat technology serves a broad range of applications in electronics manufacturing, from component production to module assembly and the subsequent construction of electronic devices. It puts a special focus on complying with safety standards and reducing VOC emissions in component treatment, as well as on reducing rejects to almost zero and minimizing environmental impacts. “A number of specific factors are making the use of Openair-Plasma more and more relevant: new safety standards, such as in automotive manufacturing; environmental regulations and guidelines, such as those encouraging the avoidance of solvents; and very recent issues like parts shortages,” says Coenen.

Since reproducibility and quality assurance also play an increasingly important role, the company continues to refine its quality standards and is using its PCU (Plasma Control Unit) and associated quality assurance modules to keep an eye on critical and important parameters in all aspects of plasma treatment. “In the age of Industry 4.0, process safety and reproducibility requirements are constantly increasing. With Plasmatreat, our customers benefit from a flexible adaptable, potential-free, cycle-time-optimized and reproducible high-speed treatment that can be seamlessly integrated into an existing manufacturing line,” says Nico Coenen, Market Segment Manager Electronics at Plasmatreat.

Discover more application examples of plasma technology in industrial processes: