Vietnam has become one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing hubs for electronics manufacturing, with a rapidly expanding base of PCBA assemblers serving automotive, industrial, and consumer electronics OEMs. As board complexity increases — with components populated on both the top and bottom sides — manufacturers need coating equipment that can reach every angle without manual rework. This case documents the installation of Sanco’s Four-Axial Conformal Coating Machine at an electronics manufacturer in Vietnam, forming a complete inline coating and curing solution.
Customer Background
| Objet | Détails |
|---|---|
| Location | Vietnam |
| Industry | Electronics manufacturing — automotive control modules and consumer electronics PCB assembly |
| Equipment Selected | Four-Axial Conformal Coating Machine + UV Curing Oven |
| Goal | Automate double-sided selective coating across mixed board types; eliminate manual flipping and rework, improve first-pass coverage quality |
Equipment Selected: Four-Axial Conformal Coating Machine
The customer’s boards carried components on both sides, and their existing single-pass equipment could not reach undercuts and angled edges without manual touch-up. After reviewing several options, they selected Sanco’s Four-Axial Conformal Coating Machine for its added rotational axis, which lets the spray head tilt around tall components and connectors that a standard three-axis system would have to mask or bypass. The equipment was supplied as part of a complete line alongside a Four de séchage UV for inline curing.
Key Features of the Four-Axial Coating Machine
Motion & Coating Control System
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Four-Axial (X/Y/Z + rotational) servo-driven motion system | Spray head tilts to follow board contours and reach under tall components — consistent coverage without manual masking |
| Programmable selective coating paths | Define keep-out zones for connectors and sensitive components — eliminates masking tape labor entirely |
| Multiple valve head options (spray, needle, film) | One machine handles acrylic, silicone, polyurethane, and UV-cure coatings — flexible across product lines |
| Adjustable flow rate and coating width | Fine-tune coverage thickness per board specification — reduces material consumption vs. manual spray |
Software & Programming
| Function | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Offline programming via CAD/Gerber import | New board programs created without stopping the machine — zero production interruption during changeover setup |
| Program storage and one-touch recall | Save programs for all board variants — operators switch products in seconds, no re-programming needed |
| Real-time path simulation on screen | Verify coating route, including head tilt angles, before first board runs — prevents coating defects and material waste during setup |
Mechanical & Maintenance Design
| Module | Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Conveyor & Board Transport | Adjustable-width conveyor compatible with standard PCB carriers | Handles multiple board sizes without tooling changes — reduces changeover time between product runs |
| Enclosed Coating Chamber | Sealed working area with exhaust extraction port | Solvent vapor contained and vented — meets workshop safety requirements for coating operations |
| Nozzle & Valve Access | Tool-free nozzle removal for cleaning and replacement | Routine maintenance completed quickly without extended downtime |
Curing Oven: Completing the Inline Coating Process
The customer integrated Sanco’s Four de séchage UV directly after the coating machine, enabling inline curing of their UV-formulated conformal coating. This replaced a separate batch oven step, reducing floor space usage and eliminating the work-in-progress queue between coating and curing. Sanco’s full curing oven range covers the complete spectrum of coating cure requirements:
| Curing Equipment | Main Application | Caractéristiques |
|---|---|---|
| Four de séchage UV | UV conformal coating and UV adhesive curing | Fast cure speed; inline conveyor integration; suitable for high-efficiency production |
| Four de séchage à LED UV | Energy-saving UV curing for heat-sensitive assemblies | Low energy consumption, minimal heat output, long LED service life |
| Four de séchage IR | Heating and drying of non-UV coating materials | Uniform temperature distribution across board surface |
| Four de séchage à vent chaud | Drying of acrylic and polyurethane conformal coatings | Suitable for continuous inline production with stable temperature control |
Line Layout: Handling Double-Sided Boards
Because the customer’s boards required coating on both sides, the four-axial machine was paired with a Retourneur de circuits imprimés and return-path conveyors so boards could pass through the coating and curing stages twice without operator intervention. For manufacturers facing the same double-sided coating challenge, Sanco offers pre-configured line layouts such as the Double-Side Online PCBA Conformal Coating Line Solution, the Double-Side Online PCBA Conformal Coating Line Solution (Alternate Configuration), and the Compact and Economic Double-Sides Coating Line for customers with tighter floor space or budget constraints. Boards enter and exit the line via elevators and loader/unloader modules, keeping the process fully inline from first board to last.
On-Site Installation & After-Sales Support
Sanco’s engineering team provided full remote commissioning support for this Vietnam installation, including machine configuration, valve calibration, four-axial coating path programming for the customer’s initial board range, and operator training conducted via video session. The handover included a full production trial run with double-sided coating coverage verification before sign-off.
24/7 Online Engineer Support: After every delivery, Sanco provides round-the-clock online engineering support. Our technical team is available 24 hours a day to assist with process questions, parameter adjustments, and troubleshooting — keeping your production line running with minimal downtime.
For manufacturers looking to build or upgrade a complete conformal coating line, Sanco provides equipment across the full process — from conformal coating machines and dispensing machines to curing ovens and peripheral automation. Contact our engineering team to discuss your production requirements.
