In this digital age, electronics are only going to proliferate. Manufacturers and distributors need viable ways to protect more and more sensors, PCBs, modules, subassemblies, and countless other electronic components from damage when going from plant to plant and distributor to customer. To meet these increasing demands, Cortec® has introduced a variety of electronic packaging solutions that meet key protection needs and streamline the packaging process for a more successful experience overall.
Protecting Against Transit and Storage Uncertainties
Transit and storage are sensitive times for electronics. The threat of damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD) only increases when modules or subassemblies are moved from one place to another and jostled around. Corrosion is another concern, intensified by fluctuating temperatures, high humidity, and even salt-laden air in export shipping conditions. These factors are out of the manufacturer’s control once the electronics leave the building. The repercussions can be significant if modules or components arrive at their destination discolored by corrosion or damaged by static, calling their integrity into question. Another variable is the length of time electronics will spend on the shelf before they are distributed, requiring warehousers to implement a form of protection that will remain reliable during an indefinite storage period.
ESD + Corrosion Protection
The huge concern for static damage has led to the regular use of ESD packaging for electronics. To address the corrosion concern, manufacturers and distributors typically try to minimize the presence of corrosive components by vacuum-sealing products in barrier bags to keep corrosives out and adding desiccant to absorb moisture that may find its way in. What is less common but highly innovative and gaining visibility is combining ESD protection with VCI (Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor) or VpCI® (Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitor) packaging. Cortec® is leading the industry in this respect with products like EcoSonic® VpCI®-125 HP Permanent ESD Film & Bags. This packaging material offers long-term static dissipation. It also contains Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors, which sublimate out of the walls of the bag, conditioning the interior of the package with protective vapors that form a corrosion inhibiting molecular layer on metal surfaces. This hydrophobic barrier makes it difficult for oxygen and moisture to interact with the metal, thus inhibiting the formation of a corrosion cell.
Save Time and Materials
The result of combining VCI with ESD is a streamlined packaging process. The desiccant can be eliminated, ESD barrier bags replaced, and vacuum sealing abandoned for one material that provides both ESD and corrosion protection. This not only reduces the number of materials needed but saves time and labor. Furthermore, it provides a more reliable source of protection by offering corrosion inhibition in the event of condensation buildup inside the package.
Although this convenient solution is still underused in the electronics industry, the concept dates back as far as 1999 when a telecommunications company was experiencing corrosion on electronic equipment exported globally. The company was having trouble with corrosion despite going to great lengths to use barrier bags, desiccant, and vacuum sealing. They solved the problem by switching to VpCI®-125 and VpCI®-132 foam (another form of Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitor technology), simultaneously eliminating a time-consuming process and saving money.
Choose Your Level of ESD Protection
As digital technology has progressed, electronics have become more sensitive, requiring a stronger level of ESD protection than the familiar “pink poly” that once sufficed. Cortec® has responded to the need for more permanent protection by creating VpCI®-125 HP Permanent ESD Film & Bags. Cortec® has been further refining this technology since 2018, when a leading electronics distributor first encountered Cortec® and the possibility of ESD + corrosion protection in one bag. The “pink poly” level of ESD protection would not have been enough for them since their products could sit on the shelf indefinitely, so Cortec® created a permanent ESD version of its VCI/ESD film. Quality testing confirmed that the bags met the client’s electronics property standards and the client adopted the packaging in 2020 in place of moisture barrier bags with desiccant and has been using them since then. The possibility of pairing Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitor technology with ESD shielding packaging is also an exciting opportunity for the electronics industry as demand for this highest level of ESD protection increases.
Exploring Sustainability
Another concern today is sustainability. Is there a way to provide the necessary corrosion and ESD protection while responsibly handling the sourcing and disposal of materials? Increasing scrutiny of petroleum-based materials and the impact of plastics pollution has caused many to look for renewably sourced materials. While a couple of decades ago, excessive paper use was looked down on as a waste of trees, it is now considered a viable biobased alternative to plastic when sourced from responsibly managed forests and recycled after use.
This trend is notable in Europe and Asia as EU companies looking to reduce their plastic consumption are calling on manufacturers in Asia to use paper instead. The move can be tricky when it comes to electronics packaging, since most ESD packaging is plastic or metallic. Cortec®, again, is leading the industry with the option of EcoSonic® ESD Paper, a paper packaging material that is coated with Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors and has static-dissipative properties. By wrapping modules in EcoSonic® ESD Paper and taping the folds in place, users can create a static-dissipative package that allows Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors to adsorb onto metal contact points inside the paper. Packaging like this is expected to see increasing demand and development as the market shifts away from plastic toward biobased materials.
One-Step Packaging Process
It is always exciting to find more efficient and effective ways to do something. Cortec’s VpCI® + ESD packaging helps electronics manufacturers do so by streamlining packaging materials and methods into a one-step packaging process that can help the industry save time and money while delivering goods in like-new condition.
