Sandvik has launched Sandvik Santronic, a technology for coating stainless steel strip which provides productivity solutions and benefits for electronic component manufacturers (tactile domes, contact springs, EMI shielding and contact applications).

The technology combines high purity thin coated layers of Nickel (Ni), Tin (Sn), Silver (Ag) and Copper (Cu). These coatings offer improved electrical, corrosion and soldering properties along with the excellent processing properties and technical benefits of stainless steel strip.

Sandvik Santronic is available in thicknesses from 0.04 to 0.8 mm and in widths up to 370 mm, from base materials included in Sandvik Material Technology’s range of stainless steel grades. Coiled strip is delivered with thin coating and excellent adhesion between the base material and the surface layer which increases product performance through high surface conductivity, corrosion protection and wear resistance.

This new technology uses a roll-to-roll process wher single or multiple layer coatings can be applied to one or both sides of the strip. Compared with coating techniques relying on dirty processes using acid solutions (like electroplating), Sandvik Santronic removes waste issues and handling to represent an effective and sustainable material.

Moreover, the coating stability of this innovative solution improves production yields and green practices, as it doesn’t require any wet operations during the cleaning treatment of the surface layer. As a 100 per cent recyclable material, Sandvik Santronic represents what the company describes as “a true way to strengthen eco-friendly product lifecycle management, while providing a concrete response to current green trends.” It has complete coating consistency along the whole strip length and from batch to batch. It means that electronic components can be optimally designed what enable producers to take advantage of an economical, reliable and repeatable processing.

In addition, close controls of Sandvik production processes lead to uniform and fully covering layers, free from ‘dogbone’ effects, and tailor-made properties for specific applications can be achieved. As a result, productivity will be optimized during stamping operations thanks to very low thickness variation of max ±10 per cent, compared with up to ±50 per cent for electroplated materials.

www.smt.sandvik.com/santronic