Five in every six (83%) R&D professionals would expect their electronic products to fail within a year without liquid protection, with accidental submersion and spills seen as the two biggest risks to causing liquid damage to products, according to our latest research study.
Simon Vogt, Chief Commercial Officer at P2i said: “We are increasingly seeing manufacturers require a number of different levels of liquid protection, from splash resistance to fully submersible devices, with no one size fits all. Liquid protection is essential for products being fit for purpose”.
Ensuring brand protection is also a key consideration for businesses, with around a third of survey respondents (32%) saying it improves the user experience and 33% saying it is an important feature for marketing the final product. As users of electronic devices and products make the association between a longer lifespan and high quality, this can be compromised if the device fails within the first year of use, reflecting badly on the reputation of the manufacturer.
Finding the best solution
The study found that over a quarter (27%) of companies now solely rely on nanocoating solutions to protect products, with 61% of respondents using some form of nanocoating protection.
According to R&D professionals, the top two advantages of nano-coatings for liquid protection compared to mechanical solutions or conformal coatings were achieving longer lasting protection (53%) and easier implementation in the design process (41%), with helping to achieve environmental objectives cited by just over a quarter (26%). Furthermore, over a quarter (27%) believed there is no disadvantage in comparison to more traditional methods.
However, almost half of respondents (40%) noted cost as the largest perceived disadvantage of using nano-coating techniques, but as Vogt stated: “Nanocoating solutions provide tremendous value for manufacturers in several areas compared to other solutions. The initial investment significantly extends the product’s life to keep it in use by the customer for longer, providing cost savings from fewer returns as well as acting to strengthen the brand image.”
With a high incidence of failure for devices that don’t have liquid protection, our research findings have shown that failing to take action can lead to a range of negative consequences for businesses. There’s a range of solutions out there, but our liquid repellent nano coatings provide numerous benefits.
Looking to find out more about the crucial role that nano coating applications play in protecting products? To find out more, download our research-led whitepaper covering the views of 100 R&D professionals who are involved in the design of electronic products.