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Conformal coating with parylene is a very different process compared to coating with traditional solvent-borne or UV curable materials. Parylene coating has some advantages including

• a very thin application profile,
• uniform and complete surface coverage, and
• generally excellent protection and minimal outgassing potential.

On the other hand, parylene coating also presents unique challenges such as

• a significant investment in complex equipment,
• batch processes that limit productivity and increases costs, and
• the user’s inability to selectively control where the coating is applied.

It is this final challenge that we will concern ourselves with within the following discussion.

Nobody likes masking, nevertheless it can be a necessary part of your PCB production process.

“But I thought selective conformal coating equipment had eliminated the need for masking in most cases.”

The cost of selective conformal coating equipment can easily run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even those who invest in the latest selective coating technology find, at times, that masking in certain areas is the only solution.