In today’s increasingly sophisticated electronic and electrical products, PCB circuit boards are facing increasingly severe environmental challenges. Water vapor erosion is one of the main factors leading to quality problems and decreased reliability of electronic products. Moisture may cause short circuits, corrosion, decreased insulation performance, and even product failure in PCB boards. As a professional electronic adhesive supplier, ELAPLUS provides you with a comprehensive PCB board waterproof and moisture-proof sealing strategy to safeguard the safe and reliable operation of electronic products.
Water vapor, the invisible killer of electronic products
There are a large number of solder joints, components, and copper lines distributed on the surface of PCB circuit boards, which are highly susceptible to moisture damage in humid environments. Water molecules can penetrate into the tiny gaps of PCB boards through capillary action, leading to electrochemical corrosion and electrical short circuits. Especially in the following application scenarios, waterproof and moisture-proof protection of PCB boards is indispensable.
Charging gun sealing Charging gun sealing
Controller encapsulation Controller encapsulation
Outdoor electronic devices: Smart light poles, outdoor monitoring, charging stations, and other devices are exposed to the air for a long time and need to withstand harsh weather conditions such as rain and haze.
New energy vehicle electronics: The working environment of components such as electric vehicle charging guns and battery management systems is complex, requiring extremely high waterproof levels, usually reaching IP67 or even IP68 levels.
Industrial control equipment: Industrial automation controllers, frequency converters, and other equipment operate in humid environments such as workshops and basements, requiring effective moisture-proof measures.
Consumer electronics products: Portable devices such as smartphones and smartwatches often come into contact with liquids such as sweat and rain, requiring basic waterproof capabilities.
Four major protection measures to strengthen PCB security defense line
There are four main technical solutions on the market for waterproof and moisture-proof protection of PCB boards. Each solution has its specific application scenarios and advantages and disadvantages, and the selection needs to be comprehensively considered based on the specific needs of the product.
Circuit board sealing adhesive
Three proof covering, three proof covering
Power supply encapsulation power supply encapsulation
Nano coating Nano coating
1、 Three proof paint coating protection
Three proof paint is a special formula of protective coating that is applied to the surface of PCB circuit boards to form a protective film, which can effectively block the erosion of harmful factors such as water vapor, salt spray, and mold. Easy to construct and suitable for large-scale production, it is currently one of the most widely used PCB protection solutions.
Advantages: Convenient construction, suitable for mass production, relatively low cost, good maintainability
Applicable scenarios: consumer electronics, industrial control boards, automotive electronics
2、 Sealing process protection
Sealing is the process of injecting liquid sealing adhesive around PCB components, curing it to form a complete protective layer, and completely wrapping the PCB board. This solution provides the highest level of protection, reaching IP67 or even IP68, and can withstand prolonged immersion and high-pressure water spray.
Advantages: High protection level, good sealing, strong impact resistance, and can provide thermal conductivity at the same time
Applicable scenarios: new energy vehicle charging gun, outdoor electronic equipment, underwater equipment
3、 Nano waterproof coating
Nano waterproof coating is a new protective technology developed in recent years, which uses nano level special materials to form an ultra-thin hydrophobic layer on the surface of PCB. This coating thickness is usually only a few microns and does not affect the electrical performance and size of the PCB.
Advantages: Ultra thin and transparent, does not affect appearance and heat dissipation, environmentally friendly, and can be reworked
Applicable scenarios: smartphones, wearable devices, drones
4、 Sealed shell waterproof
Sealed shell waterproofing is achieved by designing a waterproof shell structure, along with auxiliary components such as sealing rings and waterproof breathable membranes, to prevent moisture from entering the interior of PCB components. This scheme does not involve chemical protection treatment and mainly relies on structural design to achieve waterproof effect.
Advantages: No need for chemical processes, good maintainability, flexible design
Applicable scenarios: outdoor equipment, underwater cameras, smart home products
Elaplus PCB waterproof and moisture-proof potting adhesive product matrix
ELAPLUS is a high-tech enterprise specializing in the research and production of electronic adhesives. We provide a full range of potting adhesive products for waterproof and moisture-proof protection of PCB boards, which can meet the protection needs of different application scenarios. Our products can effectively benchmark against internationally renowned brands such as Henkel, Loctite, and Dow Corning, achieving domestic substitution and helping customers reduce procurement costs.
EP 1715 epoxy sealant
Features: Two component epoxy resin sealant, low viscosity, high permeability, moderate hardness after curing. It has good adhesive strength to PCB boards and most components, and forms a dense protective layer after curing to prevent water vapor from entering.
Protection level: IP67 | Application: PCB for new energy vehicle charging gun, industrial control board, outdoor power module
ELAPLUS SIPA 1850 silicone sealant
Features: Two component silicone sealant with good flexibility, wide range of high and low temperature resistance (-60 ℃ to 200 ℃), and excellent waterproof and moisture-proof performance. It has unique hydrophobic properties and can effectively block the permeation of water molecules.
Protection level: IP67-IP68 | Applications: Smartphone motherboards, precision sensors, automotive electronic modules
ELAPLUS PUR 1680 polyurethane sealant
Features: Two component polyurethane sealant with adjustable hardness, combining strength and flexibility. Excellent impact resistance can effectively protect PCB boards from vibration and mechanical impact, with outstanding resistance to moisture and heat aging.
Protection level: IP67 | Application: Industrial controllers, power tools, automotive electronics
ELAPLUS TCMP 3365 Thermal Conductive gel
Features: One component thermal conductive gel, with a thermal conductivity of 6.2W/m · K, not only has excellent waterproof and moisture-proof performance, but also can effectively dissipate heat. Easy to peel off, good maintainability, and convenient for rework.
Protection level: IP65 | Applications: Smartphone CPUs, high-capacity storage devices, automotive electronics
Typical application areas
ELAPLUS PCB board waterproof and moisture-proof sealing products are widely used in various industries, providing reliable environmental protection for customers’ electronic products.
New energy vehicles: key electronic components such as charging guns, battery management systems (BMS), motor controllers, and onboard chargers
Industrial control: PLC controller, frequency converter, servo drive, industrial robot controller
Consumer electronics: smartphones, smartwatches, Bluetooth earphones, sports cameras
Communication equipment: 5G base station, optical communication equipment, router, switch
Outdoor electronics: smart light poles, outdoor monitoring, charging stations
Guarding electronic products, starting with choosing Elaplus
If you are looking for a reliable waterproof and moisture-proof sealing solution for PCB boards, ELAPLUS from Elaplus will be your ideal choice. Our technical team will provide you with professional selection advice and technical support, helping you enhance the competitiveness of your products
