Henkel’s Loctite Multicore HF 212, a halogen-free, lead-free solder paste, is among several innovations the company announced inrecent weeks.

Other new products include the epoxy film adhesive Loctite EA 9845 SF Aero, which protects against lightning strikes. The company also showcased its range of products for lighting applications under the Technomelt and Loctite brands at the Strategies in Light Europe fair and conference from November 19 to 21 in Munich.

Loctite Multicore HF 212 is declared ideal for today’s high-value PCB assemblies. Like Henkel’s other halogen-free formulations, Loctite Multicore HF 212 contains zero deliberately added halogen and is under the limit of detection for chlorine and bromine when subjected to rigorous testing. With consistent print performance and minimal hot slump – even in regions with temperatures that exceed 86° F (30°C) and relative humidity (RH) as high as 80 per cent – Loctite Multicore HF 212 offers exceptional stability and environmental adaptability. The material exhibits extremely low voiding in CSP via-in-pad joints, good coalescence and excellent solderability over a wide range of surface finishes including Ni/Au, Immersion Sn, CuNiZn, Immersion Ag and OSP copper.

“While Loctite Multicore HF 212 was obviously designed for sustainability,” explains Henkel solder materials global product manager, Mark Currie, “our approach was much more holistic. Customers want a single solder paste that delivers excellent performance – period. With Loctite Multicore HF 212 – and all of our solder pastes for that matter – we ensure the formulation meets demanding soldering requirements in tandem with environmental benefits.”

Since its introduction in late 2012, Loctite Multicore HF 212 has been steadily enabling more robust printing processes at manufacturers around the globe. For US vehicle safety lighting manufacturer, Missouri-based Peterson Manufacturing, Loctite Multicore HF 212 delivers on numerous fronts, not the least of which is cost savings.

“The printing results with Henkel’s new paste are excellent, and one of the biggest benefits for our operation is the material’s very long stencil life. In an environment where cost control is essential, the ability to leave the paste on the stencil for very long periods of time – even until the next shift – with no degradation in quality is a huge advantage. We don’t discard nearly as much paste as before, which is a tremendous cost savings,” said Ken Horky, electronics manufacturing process engineer at Peterson Manufacturing, where the new solder paste is being used for all of the company’s LED lighting products.

In addition to the printability and long stencil life, Horky also notes Loctite Multicore HF 212’s very low residues. “This material also has great aesthetics,” he says. “There is very little paste residue, which is really important to customers.”

Loctite Multicore HF 212 is optimised for use on components with pitches of 0.3 mm and greater and is an ideal material for larger, high-value boards often used in industrial, networking and lighting applications. The novel solder paste has been proven to deliver excellent wetting results on parts such as CuNiZn shields that can be particularly problematic for alternative paste materials. This alloy is commonly used in RF shielding
applications.

OTHER PRODUCTS

Loctite EA 9845 LC Aero is based on the modified epoxy film adhesive Loctite EA 9845 SF Aero. It produces a high quality finished part while also enabling a weight saving of 30 per cent.

The increased use of composites in aerospace engineering is coupled with a demand for high-quality surface finishes on the associated parts. Loctite EA 9845 LC Aero is an epoxy-based surfacing film for composites that contains a lightweight conductive foil. It was developed to improve the surface quality of honeycomb-cored composite parts while protecting it from lightning strike damage.

The product reduces surface imperfections, offers a 30 per cent weight saving compared to current surfacing films, and minimises the pre-paint preparation requirement. In addition, the expanded conductive foil maximises protection against a lightning strike. The new product also simplifies repairs to damage caused by lightning.

In line with the continuing trend toward lightweight construction, the use of Loctite EA 9845 LC Aero allows aircraft manufacturers to achieve weight savings of up to 30 per cent. With its low areal weight, this surfacing film from Henkel minimises core crush and reduces core mark-through. Increased resistance to UV radiation eliminates the need for sanding and reworking prior to painting. Even without sanding, Loctite EA 9845 LC Aero offers good paint adhesion, thereby increasing the durability of the composite parts’ finished surface.

Chemical resistance to paint stripper reduces the time required for masking, which in turn lowers composite part finishing costs. The surfacing film offers additional flexibility in that it can be cured within a temperature range of 120° to 176° Celsius. Innovative Loctite EA 9845 LC Aero can be applied to areas including the fuselage, wings, engine nacelles and control surfaces.

DISPLAY

Henkel showcased its range of products for lighting applications under the Technomelt and Loctite brands at the Strategies in Light Europe fair and conference in Munich. Offering benefits like high transparency and temperature resistance, the products are particularly suitable for manufacturers of lighting devices.

One innovative development for the protection of LEDs against adverse conditions is the highly transparent two-component silicone Loctite SI 5700, enabling transmission rates of up to 95 per cent. The tendency encountered with other technologies to yellow under the effects of temperature and/or UV radiation and to become brittle is noticeably absent from this product.