Dymax, a prominent producer of UV/LED light-curable materials, has published a case study showcasing the implementation of the SpeedMask® light-curable masking solution. This innovative approach, featuring automated dispensing and curing options, significantly enhances manufacturing processes for military-grade printed circuit boards (PCBs).
The Challenge faced
A PCB manufacturer focused on aerospace and defense sought to enhance operational efficiency by automating its masking process to boost throughput.
The existing method involved masking military-grade PCBs in preparation for a solvent-based conformal coating. Each board featured 28 plated mounting holes, 33 flush test points, and 8 through-hole connectors before coating. The original submission time was 19 minutes per board, followed by air drying the maskant. With a team of five, they managed to process only 22 PCBs per person daily, totaling 110 PCBs.
Proposed Solution
The Dymax team suggested the SpeedMask® light-curable masking solution, incorporating automated dispensing and curing capabilities.
A Dymax Territory Manager and Sales Partner collaborated with the customer to analyze their workflow and identify specific needs. They proposed a UV solution featuring automated dispensing and curing options, recommending the Dymax speedmask 9-20479-B-REV-A along with the PVA Delta 8 Dispense Robot equipped with the FC100 dispense valve, complemented by the Dymax UVCS 2.0 Conveyor and Fusion F300 UV curing lamps.
Results achieved
The implementation of this solution resulted in a remarkable daily time savings of 32 hours, allowing four operators to be reassigned to other tasks.
By transitioning to SpeedMask 9-20479-B-REV-A and automating the process, the customer reduced the time required for maskant application from 19 minutes to just five minutes for dispensing and curing.
This transformation enabled the customer to increase production from 22 boards per operator to an extraordinary 96 boards, achieving a 14-minute reduction in processing time. the customer realized significant operational efficiencies, freeing up valuable resources for additional processes.
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