Electronic Potting and Encapsulation

Electronic potting and encapsulation protect electronic assemblies by surrounding components with a protective compound.  Depending on the material or process, this protection can help reduce exposure to shock, vibration, moisture, dust, chemicals, and corrosion.  Potting can also support physical security by making access to encapsulated circuitry more difficult. Plasma Ruggedized Solutions (PRS) provides potting and encapsulation services for projects ranging from first articles to large production runs, helping customers select materials and processes suited to their application requirements.  

Contact PRS for more information about our potting and encapsulation options, or Call Us, and we will gladly answer any questions you may have.

Electronic Potting Services

With potting and encapsulation for a variety of components, our processes offer additional advantages across services:

• Custom Process Development: Ensures the compound cure profile and fixture are matched to your unique needs, reducing voids, cracking, incomplete coverage, and damage from cure shrinkage or thermal cycling.
• Shell and Non-Enclosure Applications: Allows us to evaluate the level of protection needed and provide a solution without adding unnecessary weight, material, or rework barriers.
• FIPS Capabilities: Prevents tampering, unauthorized modification, and reverse-engineering, where removal may destroy the circuitry, for FIPS physical protection expectations.
• AQMD Compliance: Helps to avoid permitting, emissions, and production-start delays by utilizing AQMD-compliant equipment and processes.
• RoHS Compliance: Uses RoHS-compliant compounds so the finished assembly meets environmental and market-access requirements, adhering to restrictions on mercury, lead, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and flame retardants or plasticizers.

We can also help design special housings, shells, or other casings for assemblies for added security. Every assembly we work with is inspected and cleaned before coating, if necessary, to ensure uniform adhesion, and tested at various process stages to verify proper functionality.

Electronic Potting and Encapsulation Materials

PRS offers several potting and encapsulation materials.  The right choice depends on the required mechanical properties, operating environment, and protection needs of the electronic assembly.  

• Silicone: Offers flexibility, movement, and reduced chemical stress, protecting against moisture and highly resistant in harsh environments. Silicone potting is a specialized capability.
• Epoxy: Ideal for demanding environments; provides hardness, physical protection, and security with a tailored solution for specific applications.
• Urethane: Useful in extreme environmental conditions, but less rigid and less physically stressful than epoxy.
• Acrylic: Fast-drying option that adds protection from moisture and environmental factors for printed circuit assemblies.

Selecting the Right Potting Material

When choosing the right potting material, it is essential to consider and evaluate the following factors to ensure the potting solution meets your requirements:

• Mechanical requirements
• Shock and vibration
• Thermal cycling
• Moisture and chemicals
• Flexibility vs. rigidity
• Physical security
• Component sensitivity
• Production requirements

Electronic Potting vs. Conformal Coating

Electronic potting services and conformal coating services offer different solutions for protecting critical electronics. Conformal coating is a thin protective layer, while electronic potting and encapsulation use substantially more material to surround and protect the assembly. Additionally, fence and fill offers a selective encapsulation solution when full encapsulation is not required.

Applications for Electronic Potting and Encapsulation

With comprehensive electronic potting and encapsulation services, we can customize potting processes to meet your needs. Our capabilities are compatible with PCBs, electromechanical devices, electronic subsystems and systems, printed circuit assemblies, and primed steel, aluminum, or plastic surfaces across industries, such as:

• Aerospace and Defense
• Medical Electronics
• Transportation
• Industrial Electronics
• Electrical Infrastructure/Smart Grids
• Ruggedized Electronics

FIPS and Physical Security for Critical Electronics

Because potting and encapsulation can enclose an entire electronic assembly, the procedure can be used to make the circuit FIPS-compliant. Electronic potting and encapsulation protects the assembly from:

• Tamper resistance
• Protection against unauthorized access
• Resistance to unauthorized modification
• Increased difficulty of reverse-engineering

We offer FIPS services for a variety of applications, with the knowledge and capabilities to provide optimal FIPS-compliant electronics encapsulation based on your exact specifications.

Our Specialized Potting and Encapsulation Processes

Encapsulating and potting electronics requires a high level of expertise to ensure consistent and repeatable results. Special attention is needed for temperature control, proper resin-to-hardener ratios, and precise mixing and dispensing to achieve smooth, even coatings. We utilize several advanced encapsulation and potting techniques for various applications.

Medical Electronics

PRS provides potting and encapsulation solutions for medical electronics that require protection from moisture, fluids, electrical hazards, and mechanical stress.  Material and process selection depends on the device's design, operating environment, and applicable safety and patient-contact requirements.   

Ruggedized Electronics

For military vehicles, displays, camera electronics, and field and test equipment, potting and encapsulation can help protect sensitive circuitry in demanding environments. Depending on the selected materials and process, encapsulation can help to mitigate exposure to shock, vibration, heat, humidity, chemicals, and corrosion while supporting electrical insulation and physical security threats.

Fence and Fill Potting

Our fence and fill application creates a containment system directly on the circuit board assembly, coating only specific areas of the PCB when full encapsulation is not required. This selective potting method reduces material usage and costs while still protecting critical components, providing an ideal solution where thermal management, weight reduction, or selective coverage is essential and delivering high-quality, cost-effective results tailored to project needs.

Custom Molding Systems and Fixtures

To stay at the forefront of encapsulation technology, we continually engineer and implement innovative techniques. We design and create custom molding systems and fixtures in-house, giving us the flexibility to adapt to your exact requirements. Whether your application requires unique geometries, protective shells, or specialized support structures, our in-house molding capabilities ensure consistent, repeatable performance at every production volume.

Why Work with Plasma Ruggedized Solutions for Electronic Potting Services

PRS combines engineering expertise, controlled manufacturing processes, and a commitment to quality to support demanding encapsulation projects.  Our approach emphasizes: 

1. Engineering capabilities supported by relevant NADCAP, AS9100, and NASA credentials, as applicable to the service.
2. Process and safety controls designed to support consistent manufacturing
3. Quality-focused practices and clear customer communication.
4. Continuous improvement performance (CIP) culture for the empowerment of both customers and employees.

Electronic Potting and Encapsulation Case Studies

Want to see how Plasma Ruggedized Solutions applies potting and encapsulation in real-world applications? Explore related case studies, including:

• Electronics encapsulation for a hockey puck
• PCB potting and encapsulation for transportation applications
• FIPS 140-2 fence and fill security
• Race car antenna stabilization

These examples highlight how PRS uses custom materials and processes to improve protection, durability, electrical insulation, vibration resistance, and long-term product performance.

Frequently Asked Questions About Electronic Potting and Encapsulation

To help determine if electronic potting and encapsulation is right for your critical electronics, we have answered some frequently asked questions about our capabilities:

What is electronic potting and encapsulation?

Electronic potting and encapsulation is a process that protects electronic assemblies with compounds, preventing shock and vibration, corrosion, and corrosive damage, as well as tampering or reverse-engineering.

What is the difference between potting and encapsulation?

The main difference between potting and encapsulation is the outer container or mold after the protective resin cures. In potting, the housing stays attached, while encapsulation removes the mold to create a free-standing shell of hardened compound.

What material is used for electronic potting?

Electronic potting services can use a variety of materials, including epoxies, silicone, urethane, and acrylic.

When should silicone potting be used?

Silicone potting should be used when additional protection is needed against environmental contaminants and direct pressure washing. It is also an ideal solution for cushioning and supporting LED components.

What is fence and fill potting?

Fence and fill potting is a selective potting method that coats only specific areas, reducing material use and costs when protecting critical components.

What is the difference between potting and conformal coating?

Potting provides full encapsulation and uses more material, while conformal coating delivers only a thin protective layer.

Contact PRS for Electronic Potting and Encapsulation Services Today

Plasma Ruggedized Solutions is an industry leader in potting and encapsulation, working across various industries to provide solutions to a variety of applications.

Request a quote today or contact us to learn more about our FIPS-compliant potting and encapsulation capabilities.