Overmoulding For The Electronics Industry

Overmould have been specialists in electronics overmoulding for over 20 years and boast an established, extensive electronics client base. We work with our customers to provide complete turnkey support including: design, engineering, prototyping, assembly, overmoulding, and testing.

Overmoulding delivers effective IP rated packaging / enclosure, strain relief and cable sealing in one easy step. There are multiple factors to consider throughout the production process such as consistency, safety and the highest quality. Overmould’s ISO 9001 processes, as well as our 5S and 12D principles, help us to maintain the highest of quality standards and constantly improve our processes.

The four outcomes below detail some of the procedures to achieve secure and rugged electronic overmoulds suitable for the most hazardous conditions.

Sealing

For extreme demands, a two-stage process is likely to be needed to completely secure and seal electronics and components to high levels of IP rating. Sometimes, two different Technomelt materials are used for each stage of the PCB Overmould.  This enables the highest levels of adhesion on the pre-mould with a softer material, followed by a hard, tough, highly resistant material for the outer layer.

Waterproofing

The completed outer mould layer, over the product/part ensures that the electronic device is fully protected when exposed to any environmental situation such as water or chemical resistance. The smallest amount of water contacting exposed electronics could irreparably damage the component. This is where Overmould’s technology and experience provides the winning strategy for product success and on-going reliability for many global companies.

Protection

Protection is achieved to high IP rated levels safeguarding against a wide variety of contaminants such as moisture, dust/dirt, fuels, oils as well as against vibration & thermal shock. Overmould’s unique processes even protect golf balls containing delicate electronics to within G forces of over 6000 G!

There are multiple factors to consider throughout the production process such as consistency, safety, and achieving the highest quality. Overmould’s ISO 9001 processes, as well as our 5S and 12D principles, help us to maintain the highest of quality standards and constantly improve our processes.

Ruggedised – Electronics

At Overmould, we have extensive knowledge and familiarity of moulding electronics that include lithium battery technology. This enables rugged, dependable electronics to survive and thrive in the harsh and extreme conditions.

For instance, the electronic golf balls that we produce, in Bedfordshire, for an American company in fairly high volumes. In this example a soft inner protection is made using unique Low Pressure silicon injection machines that we have developed to enable electronics to be re-used / repaired in the future.

Secondly, layers of overmoulded polyamides are applied before finally encasing tin the industry standard Surlyn plastic.  All in all. the forces these balls have to survive exceeds 600G, yet the electronics keep on working. At the same time, delicate 3D accelerometers and troublesome Lithium batteries are undamaged in our Low Pressure Overmoulding processes.