San Diego, Calif. (January 14, 2019) – Aculon, Inc., a leading provider of surface modification coatings for electronics, will hit the circuit during IPC APEX EXPO 2019 January 26 – 31 in San Diego. IPC is a global trade association dedicated to furthering the competitive excellence and financial success of the electronics industry, and APEX is its flagship event focused on the printed circuit board (PCB) and electronics manufacturing industry.

PCBs are the basic building block of any electronic design and has developed over the years into a very sophisticated component with delicate integrated circuits such as processors and microcontrollers. Aculon develops unique surface and interfacial coatings leveraging nanotechnology for the electronics industry.

The competitive nature of consumer electronics has driven the industry toward continuous improvement particularly in the assembly of electronics components onto the PCB.  It requires a highly accurate and repeatable process. Stencil printing of solder paste onto the board is one of the most critical process steps in Surface Mount Technology (SMT). Aculon NanoClear® SMT Stencil Treatment, the world’s premier stencil coating, improves print quality, increases throughput, reduces defects and enhances printing with small apertures.

From the consumer perspective, waterproofing electronic devices is moving from a desired feature to an industry standard, and Aculon NanoProof® is a new class of coating chemistry that achieves IPX7 and IPX8 protection, while providing a water repellent surface to circuitry, even within the tight constraints imposed by high-volume manufacturing lines. It is designed to treat all the typical materials found on a PCB including metals, semiconductors, and polymers, and can be readily applied by high speed jetting or dispense equipment to sensitive component areas, eliminating the need to mask or dam to fill with the treatment. The NanoProof series has options that contain no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), so it is highly desirable in regions where tight atmospheric controls are in place.

Aculon recently announced a strategic partnership with Henkel Corporation to support specific mobile device manufacturers with Aculon waterproofing technology.  The agreement extends to Henkel the rights to manufacture and market NanoProof and affords both Aculon and Henkel the opportunity to work with top electronic partners to bring innovative and essential waterproofing technologies to the global mobile device market.

From APEX Booth #2118, Aculon CEO Edward Hughes, VP of Sales Don Cunningham, and Senior Business Development Manager Mario Gattuso will be on hand to speak with printed circuit board and electronics manufacturing industry professionals from around the world about NanoClear and NanoProof.

About Aculon

Aculon, Inc. is an award winning and leading surface modification company that specializes in creating ultra-thin film treatments to modify surfaces to make them repellant or to promote adhesion. The company was founded in 2004 on technology licensed from Princeton University using self-assembled monolayers of phosphonates (SAMPs). Since its founding Aculon has developed a broad suite of surface modification technologies including hydrophobic, superhydrophobic, oleophobic, hydrophilic, anti-fouling and adhesion promotion technologies for global electronics, oil and gas and a specialty treatment business for consumer products, automotive, optical, and industrial applications. Aculon’s technologies can be applied via spray, wipe or dipping processes that mitigate the need for capital-intensive vacuum chamber deposition processes. Please contact Aculon at 1-858-350-9499 or info@aculon.com for more information.