Advances in lightweight electronics protection

Conformal coatings increase reliability of aerospace and military assemblies

Lightweighting continues to be a key topic for the aerospace, avionics and defense industries as new metals and composites are being integrated into end products and assemblies with the goal of decreasing overall system weight. As technologies continue to evolve, with components often decreasing in size and increasing in complexity, the materials used to manufacture and protect the latest components and systems are also improving. Whether used in commercial or military aircraft, rockets, satellites, terrestrial or water vessels, or the latest in unmanned air, land and sea vehicles; systems within these industries must meet similar requirements - assemblies, components and electronics must be both lightweight and designed to withstand harsh operating conditions.

Aerospace, avionics and defense systems depend on the latest in electronics and communication technology, and reliability is crucial. In these industries, where lives hang in the balance, failure modes must be eliminated. Signal interference or failures due to corrosion, for example, are intolerable due to the nature of these systems and all that relies upon them. Components must be thoroughly shielded from their harsh operating environments and remain protected for the life of the system. Engineers must include this level of protection in their designs - without adding significant bulk, weight or anything that may interfere with system communication.