Henkel has announced the commercialisation of Loctite Stycast CC 8555, a conformal coating designed to protect electronics in extreme environments. This addition to the company’s conformal coating portfolio delivers printed circuit board (PCB) and sensitive component protection in challenging, high-power applications such as motor drives, PLCs, EV charging infrastructure, AC/DC power supplies, and other high-voltage electronics.
“High-power electronics are integral to industrial manufacturing, human mobility and comfort, and global energy production,” says Henkel Director of Market Strategy for Power and Industrial Automation, Justin Kolbe. “These systems must adhere to the highest reliability and safety standards; protecting electronics is vital to their dependable function and longevity. Conformal coatings are the go-to protective material for nearly all PCBs used in power electronics, and Henkel’s latest formulation rises above. It delivers on the reliability requirements foremost, but is also easy to use, cost-effective, and lower-impact material. Loctite Stycast CC 8555 covers all the bases and then some.”
The new addition to Loctite meets the most stringent requirements for rugged safeguarding against corrosive conditions such as moisture, mixed gases, and various chemicals. It has a relative temperature index (RTI) rating of 130°C per the UL 746E standard, a UL 94 V0 flammability rating, and meets IPC-CC-830 requirements. Defending electronics from potentially damaging environmental impacts is essential for 24/7/365 industrial equipment, power conversion systems, and alternative energy infrastructure where reliability and longevity are expected.
In addition to its safety and reliability credentials, Loctite Stycast CC 8555 enables robust electrical performance, offers process simplicity, and, Henkel states, is cost-competitive compared to solvent-based formulations. The new conformal coating has excellent dielectric strength of 27.5kV/mm and good surface insulation resistance to protect electrical functionality.
The material has a wide process window and good wetting, flow, and levelling performance, ensuring fast, thorough coverage of PCBs and sensitive components with no voiding or visible defects. Curing is achieved quickly, with primary UV cure occurring in seconds, followed by moisture cure for shadowed areas. High processing speed and the elimination of heat-induced curing also contribute to Loctite Stycast CC 8555’s low total cost of ownership.
“Loctite Stycast CC 8555’s VOC and solvent-free formulation answers the call for environmental concerns and provides significantly lower cost from a surface area perspective,” Justin explains. “With solvent-borne conformal coatings, three to four times the weight must be deposited to achieve the same thickness as non-solvent-based materials. This means Loctite Stycast CC 8555 can provide exceptional protection with one-third to one-half of the sprayed volume of a solvent-based system. Users get lower total cost, environmental volatiles reduction, energy-saving curing, and superior performance. That’s a hard combination to beat!”
Becca is the latest member to join our team and is eager to get stuck into the world of fasteners. She brings an enthusiastic and fresh outlook on what we do editorially and will be leading our social media activity – including sourcing material, editing articles and posting online.
