You just spilled a mug of coffee on your laptop. You fear the worst possible. That laptop holds everything significant to your personal and work life. What could you have done to be more prepared just in case this situation arose?
Waterproofing electronics is a method of protection done by using several different materials, all to prevent harm from being done to the internal circuitry of the device. Waterproofing ensures longevity and reliability in your device.
It is a necessity for some electronics that are going to be out in inclement weather. For others, they need waterproofing due to being exposed to the elements and unexpected disasters of life. So why is it you need to waterproof your electronics anyway? What's the worst that could happen, right?
Why You Need to Waterproof Your Electronics
Something as simple as moisture in a humid climate can be enough to cause an electronic to malfunction. For this reason, waterproofing your electronics is a necessity. It not only protects the electronics from common water hazards but also from climate issues.
The environment you expose your electronics to is essential when deciding if you need to waterproof your device or not. If you live where it rains a lot, that alone could be a good enough reason to take caution and instill the correct safety measures to protect your electronics.
It doesn't always have to be a phone going in the toilet or spilling a drink on your laptop to make a device malfunction.
Best Products For Waterproofing Electronics
MAX MCR Electronic Grade Epoxy Potting Compound
- Electronic Potting and Encapsulating Compound For Printed Circuit Board -Insulate AC/DC High And Low Voltage.
- Bonds to ABS PVC Plastic Housing, Wire Jackets, Mold Injected Components, Powder Coated And Metal Substrates.
- None Electrically Conductive Epoxy Resin For Waterproofing And Embedding Electronic Components.
Silicone Conformal Coating
- Protects electronics against moisture, corrosion, dirt, dust, thermal shock, short circuits,high-voltage arcing, and static discharge.
- Maximum service temperature of 200 °C.
- Fluoresces under UV-A light.
Urethane Conformal Coating
- Protects electronics against moisture, corrosion, dirt, dust, thermal shock, short circuits,high-voltage arcing, and static discharge.
- Maximum service temperature of 200 °C.
- Fluoresces under UV-A light.
Acrylic Conformal Coating
- Protects electronics against moisture, corrosion, dirt, dust, thermal shock, short circuits,high-voltage arcing, and static discharge.
- Maximum service temperature of 200 °C.
- Fluoresces under UV-A light.
These coatings are put on with a brush to paint the material on the circuit board or are used as a spray to coat the circuit board with the solution. You should take great care not to damage any of the circuitry of your electronics when touching them.
Epoxy and silicone are put on with a brush, painting the circuit board around the connectors. The other coatings you only must spray on the circuit board, also watching out for connector terminals when you are doing the application. An LED UV flashlight is used to see what spots you have painted on the circuit board.
You also should be grounded with an anti-static bracelet if you are going to be touching any type of circuitry to avoid electrostatic discharge damaging the electronics.
Traditional Waterproofing Vs. Conformal Coating Waterproofing
We have all seen the new waterproof phones. They simply do not let any water get into the circuitry. They rely on a set of rubber and molded seals to make sure nothing reaches the most intricate parts of the device.
This is more of a traditional waterproofing solution. Making something air-tight so that nothing can come in or out, and as a result, preventing liquid from entering along with any moisture that may be in the environment.
Conformal coating waterproofing is for the time when the traditional method of sealing the circuitry from moisture fails. Traditional waterproofing handles the moisture so nothing can get in, but if it happens to fail, like seals sometimes do, conformal coating takes care of the moisture once it is inside the electronic.
Conformal coating is a fail-safe against traditional waterproofing malfunctioning. It never hurts to have two separate forms of protection for your device that may hold irreplaceable data on it.
Waterproofing a Phone and Laptop
You can use traditional waterproofing or conformal coating procedures in order to protect your mobile device. To protect the device you can:
Many of the ways of protecting your common devices are simply common sense. Of course, you can't always prevent accidents from happening, but you can try to minimize their damage.
Keep Your Electronics Waterproof
Waterproofing is essential to every single electronic we own. Every device gets exposed to some form of moisture throughout its lifetime that can be damaging. When making these products, the factory does a great job of ensuring the traditional waterproofing is up to par.
If traditional waterproofing isn't good enough for you, there is always the option of using a coating to add an extra layer of protection to your device. It is a more intensive process to maneuver, but with delicate care, you can give the circuitry the protection it needs. Just be careful, those circuit boards are fragile!
Hopefully, you walk away with some new methods to try so you can waterproof your own electronics in the future.