Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1541670
DECEMBER 2025 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 27 Our automotive customers, either OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers, are being asked to reduce waste and cut energy consump- tion. With our conformal coating solutions, those customers want to adopt some cleaner materi- als. For example, custom- ers are moving away from very solvent-heavy coatings toward water-based or UV- curable materials. On the con- formal coating product side of our portfolio, we're working closely with fluid formulators to design our equipment to sup- port environmentally friendly materials. We see that same interest in the soldering pro- cess, too. Traditional wave soldering uses a sig- nificant amount of solder and requires extensive cleaning. When a customer like Kamstrup transi- tioned to selective soldering, it not only solved their floor space issue but also provided better UPH and significantly reduced waste. That's a win for both their financial and environmental impact. It's all interrelated, isn't it? You're utilizing resources as efficiently as possible while simultaneously delivering products with a 100% yield and recyclability. To that end, compare and contrast selective with wave soldering. What are the costs of operation? Foster-Smith: We've been talking about selective sol- dering, however, regarding conformal coating, especially its use in the automotive industry, not so long ago, most of the customers we dealt with were dipping boards in vats of coating. Today, they're asking us to place very fine dots of coating in very specific places. That's an environ- mental issue. They were using baths, vats, and buckets of materials, and it's how Nordson Elec- tronics first started in Ohio. They bought Asym- tek machines and integrated valves to spray the whole board, spraying everything. Now people want lines sprayed, not dispensed through a needle, because they want it thin. They R o b e r t a Fo ste r- S m i t h Close up view of selective soldering pot nozzle in action. ▼