Dispensing technology – invisible, but indispensable

Dispensing technology is very much part of our everyday lives. It’s all around us, but very often hidden from view. Unlike screws and rivets, there’s generally nothing to see.

This technology involves bonding, potting, sealing, and dissipating heat from electronic equipment that need to stay cool. Innovative dispensing systems and materials such as epoxy resins, polyurethanes and silicones not only ensure that components are held firmly in place, but also provide protection and extend the service life – whether in everyday electronics, vehicles or agricultural machinery. So let’s take you through a day in the life of dispensing technology.

Dispensing
Johannes Blaser
Business Line Manager

With over 20 years of experience at Scheugenpflug/Atlas Copco in Europe and the USA, Johannes Blaser has a forensic knowledge of dispensing technology. Thanks to his close interaction with customers, material manufacturers and industry specialists, he has a detailed understanding of the needs of industry and is helping to develop tailor-made solutions.

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Where is dispensing technology used?

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1

Electric toothbrushes

The electronics of the drive unit are protected by atmospheric potting. The low-viscosity material envelops the sensitive components, shielding them from vibrations and moisture.

2

E-scooters

The battery unit in an e-scooter is protected by potting material, safeguarding it from water and shocks. This ensures safe operation even under harsh conditions.

3

Trains

The windings in the stator of a train drive are fully potted to ensure efficient heat dissipation and electrical insulation.

4

Space shuttle

Seals for electronic components onboard are applied using dispensing technology to protect them from extreme vibrations and external influences during rocket launches.

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Air taxis

Sensors, electronic control units, and battery management systems must be reliably protected against moisture, dust, and vibrations. Bubble-free potting with low-viscosity materials, along with the precise application of potting resins, enhances the durability and functional reliability of these components.

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Laptop

The fieldbus connectors linking the laptop to the docking station are potted to protect them from moisture and mechanical stress.

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Camera systems

The lens of an industrial camera system is secured and sealed with specialized materials to protect it from dust, vibrations, and moisture.

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Agriculture

The control unit of a tractor is protected with potting materials to shield it from wind, weather, and extreme temperatures. The applied sealing materials act as a barrier against external influences and, when using specialized adhesives, also serve as bonding elements.

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Wind turbines

The IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) in wind turbines are potted bubble-free under vacuum to ensure their functionality under high loads.

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Electric cars

The battery management system (BMS) in an electric vehicle is potted to protect the sensitive electronics from shocks, heat, and moisture.

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Blood glucose monitors

The semiconductor chips on the circuit board of a blood glucose meter are protected by glob tops to shield them from environmental factors and mechanical stress.

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Heat pumps

The drive module of a heat pump is potted with polyurethane (PU) under vacuum. The bubble-free potting protects the stator board with its ignition coils while ensuring optimal thermal conductivity.

Good morning! Rise and shine, and off to the bathroom. You pick up your electric toothbrush, the first device of the day packed with dispensing technology. That’s because the sensitive electronics in the toothbrush have to be protected against vibrations and moisture. The technique used here is called atmospheric potting, in which the electronic components are encapsulated with low-viscosity material.

Soon you are ready to go to the office. You take an e-scooter or e-bike for a relaxing ride to the station. Whether your route takes you over cobblestones or rain-soaked streets, the battery continues to deliver power because it is well protected. And once you’re on your train you can sit back and relax thanks to the right dispensing and potting technology because the stators used in the electric drives on the train, are generally fully potted. The potting material used here provides optimum electrical insulation and efficient heat dissipation. It also holds the windings in place so short circuits cannot occur as a result of vibrations.

On the train you read the latest news. Another rocket has been launched into space. Air taxis are being tested. These are more examples of where high-precision dispensing technology is involved because reliable sealing is indispensable, especially in the aerospace sector where the conditions that the materials have to withstand are extreme. The intense vibrations during take-off would destroy components without the benefits of correct dispensing technology. The tiniest cracks in a seal can cause moisture and other substances to penetrate and destroy the sensitive electronics. The challenge is not only to ensure stability, but also to provide protection against external influences.

Yours is the next stop so you put your newspaper away. Do you remember the days when you needed quite a bit of strength to open a train door? Now all you need is to gently push a button. The motors that operate the doors have a charging and discharging system which is potted. Fully protected, completely reliable and so easy for anyone to use. You arrive at the office and get straight down to work. You plug your laptop in the docking station, link the phone system, connect the speaker system and start a meeting. You guessed it – all the fieldbus connectors in these systems are also potted, of course. They give you a few seconds to deal with the coffee you’ve just spilled.

You go down to the shop floor for a status meeting. On your way through production you pass a number of lines that use state-of-the-art camera systems. Their sensitive components are bonded, sealed or potted to shield them against harmful influences.

By the way: The design of electronic components and parts has a significant impact on economical and sustainable production when considering potting. Key aspects include castability, material usage, cycle times, the required processing technology, and quality. Learn more about potting-optimized component design in our white paper, "Potting-Optimized Component Design."

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But we don’t all work in industry. If you work in agriculture much of your machinery has to work outdoors in all weathers. The fact that it can withstand hot summer sun, defy the damp and cold of the autumn and operate reliably in the depths of a cold winter is thanks to modern dispensing and potting technology.

The challenge here is to ensure that the transformers, motors and ignition coils are reliably potted as their windings may harbor tiny pockets of air. IGBTs, which play a central role in wind and solar power plants in converting electrical energy and feeding it to the grid, are another critical area.

In such cases, vacuum potting is increasingly the only way to ensure high-quality results that can be replicated time and again. This is because the components have to be completely bubble-free – throughout the entire dispensing process, from material preparation and feeding to actual component potting. Bubble-free potting is critical to the reliability and smooth operation of the electronic components.

more on vacuum potting

Your day has gone smoothly. You leave the office and make your way to the parking lot because your daughter is picking you up today in her new electric car. It’s not only the battery that would be impossible without dispensing solutions. Countless assistance systems work together to make driving easier and safer. And the radio and cassette player have now given way to a touchscreen infotainment system – in which the electronics remain cool thanks to thermal interface materials.

more on thermal interface materials

But the automotive industry is not just about safety – it’s also about weight. Dispensing technology replaces heavy mechanical connecting elements, enables structures to be reinforced with minimal material and ensures that lightweight materials are securely bonded. Thanks to dispensing technology, substances can be applied in such a way that they fulfill several functions simultaneously. Bonding, sealing and heat dissipation in a single step. That too saves weight.

The day is finally drawing to a close and you enjoy an evening meal. Thanks to a CGM device on your upper arm, you have your glucose levels under control. The reliability of this blood glucose monitor is vital. The tiny PCBs, which are tightly packed with smart sensors, have to be properly protected. The semiconductor chips on the glucose sensor’s PCBs are protected against environmental influences and mechanical stresses by what are known as glob tops. These reliably encapsulate the sensitive electronics without reducing the signal rate.

Time to chill out on the sofa. Thanks to the new heat pump, the living room is nice and warm. That wouldn’t be possible without bubble-free vacuum filling of the drive module, a stator board with ignition coils. The polyurethane (PU) used is extremely soft and has high thermal conductivity. Despite the thinness of the material due to the confined space available for installation, it offers excellent protection and conductivity.

Dispensing technology is holding our world together. It protects and optimizes. It makes our lives safer and more comfortable – the invisible backbone of so many innovations.

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