Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/564614
88 SMT Magazine • September 2015 satisfy the particular requirements of the au- tomotive manufacturers. It is more an attitude towards quality then blindly following the pro- cedures. Automotive electronics manufacturers are looking for a partnership rather than the tradi- tional buyer/seller relationship, and the more flexible and open to implement different ideas we can be as a supplier, the more we can earn the trust of our partners. With this confidence, we come to understand our customer's problems better, and under- stand what we can do to solve these problems. Delivering el- egant solutions to known (and sometimes unknown or unac- knowledged) issues adds fur- ther value to the partnership, completing a virtuous cycle. The automotive industry, to my knowledge, only has one OEM published specifica- tion relating to material per- formance requirements, with many others requiring compli- ance with IPC-CC-830. Testing our products to above and beyond these minimum requirements ensures that our customers can be confident in both the qual- ity and performance of these materials, and have confidence that the materials selected can withstand their expensive qualification testing. Las Marias: which of the following do you see as the biggest driver of automotive electronics inno- vation: safety, reliability or efficiency? Kinner: I think all those factors will continue to drive the development of electronics inno- vation in the automotive industry. Historically, efficiency was the initial driver, with the devel- opment of fuel injection systems. As our fossil fuel reserves continue to dwindle, and gas pric- es continue to rise, there seems little reason to think that consumers won't demand more fuel efficient vehicles, or that these developments would not be considered a key part of corporate social responsibility amongst the automotive manufacturers. Safety was the next driver, with the devel- opment of systems such as air bags and anti- lock brakes, but the development work on self- driving cars is likely to only raise the bar on safety requirements, and this will go hand in hand with ever-increasing reliability require- ments since this will be a key component of the self-driving car philosophy. With today's always-connected lifestyles, and the advent of the smart home, the smart car is the logical next step, and this will require new electronics and new ruggediza- tion techniques to ensure the electronics continue to work flawlessly. Las Marias: what is your out- look for the automotive elec- tronics industry, from the per- spective of a conformal coat- ings provider? Kinner: The unique reliability challenges provided by auto- motive electronics will contin- ue to drive the development of new chemistries and new processes to provide ruggedization to the electronics sys- tems. Conformal coating will continue to be a key part of that ruggedization tool kit, although perhaps not in exactly the same form as we are used to. There is no doubt that solvent-emissions will become more closely regulated at some point in the future, so I expect low and zero- VOC coating materials to become the new nor- mal. I expect the performance requirements of ruggedized electronics to become ever more demanding, requiring the very highest perfor- mance protection possible. With a 'do more with less' philosophy inherent in society, I also expect the need for higher yield conformal coating processes, with faster cycle times, great- er manufacturing velocities and greater levels of automation to become commonplace. Las Marias: thank you very much, Phil. Kinner: Thank you. smt CHOOsING tHe rIGHt CONFOrmAL COAtING continues the automotive industry, to my knowledge, only has one oem published specification relating to material performance requirements, with many others requiring compliance with ipC-CC-830. " " FeAture interview