IPC

Co-Authors and contributors

  • Dr Lee Hitchens, Nexus

The IPC (the Association Connecting Electronics Industries) is a US trade association whose aim is to standardise the assembly and production requirements of electronic equipment and assemblies.

It was founded in 1957 as the Institute for Printed Circuits. It has been adopted by many companies globally as the standard for electronic processing and conformal coating.

All of the Standards are Self Certification. It is possible to have 3rd parties complete test work to the standards.

When considering conformal coating you have to distinguish between application and selection of coating, and qualification and manufacture of coating.

As a rule the first is for the user of the end coating product and the second is for the manufacturer of the coating.

The Interconnections & Packaging Conference (IPC) standards are very good for both these areas.

IPC Conformal Coating Standards

The most important conformal coating standards from the IPC are:

  • IPC A 610 Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies Standard
  • IPC-CC-830B Qualification and Performance of Electrical Insulating Compound for Printed Wiring Assemblies
  • IPC-HDBK-830 Guidelines for Design, Selection and Application of Conformal Coatings

These standards are summarised below:

IPC A 610 Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies Standard

  • The IPC-A-610 standard is the most widely used standard published by the IPC.
  • It is a source for end product acceptance criteria for consumer and high reliability printed wiring assemblies.
  • However, for conformal coating, the standard only gives some minor references that are of limited help except for specifying acceptance criteria of the conformal coating process.

IPC-CC-830B Qualification and Performance of Electrical Insulating Compound for Printed Wiring Assemblies

  • The CC-830 standard is written for manufacturers of electrical insulating compounds (conformal coatings).
  • It covers the qualification of the conformal coating and the conformance of the material.
  • Although the standard is Self Certification it is possible to have 3rd parties complete test work to the standards.

IPC-HDBK-830 Guidelines for Design, Selection and Application of Conformal Coatings

  • The IPC Conformal Coating Handbook is a compilation of the conformal coating industry’s practical knowledge.
  • It helps designers & users of conformal coatings to understand the practical implications of selection, application and inspection, explaining in detail how to achieve the best results.
  • The IPC-CC830 was originally written as an alternative to MIL-I-46058C and is used in conformal coating all over the world.
  • The major difference between the IPC standard and the Mil and UL standards is that the IPC standard is self-certification and not completed by independent means.

Links