Time To Rethink Enclosures

While off-the-shelf enclosures have historically been used to provide basic product protection, trends including ruggedization, miniaturization, and cost-cutting measures are prompting engineers to explore new options. Enclosures add bulk, weight, and expenses that can introduce considerable design constraints. Additionally, most enclosures are built to prevent the ingress of water, solvents, and dust, presenting reliability threats when the case itself is compromised.

Thin-film coatings and nanocoatings protect at a sub-assembly and PCB level with beneficial features such as dielectric properties and thermal management at minimal thinness. Using thin-film coatings, designers can eliminate sub-enclosures, cut excess costs, weight and bulk, or augment enclosures for failsafe reliability. Is it time to rethink your electronic component protection strategy?