What is the proper curing temperature profile?
QUESTION:
What is the proper curing temperature profile?
ANSWER:
In most cases, cable assembly manufacturers are curing by placing their room-temperature product into pre-heated curing ovens—quite a thermal shock. Based on our observations, it seems that curing in this manner, with an oven temperature below 90 degrees C will usually not produce Core Cracking. In many cases, epoxy manufacturers will provide a range of acceptable curing time and temperature combinations for a given epoxy—-for example, the same epoxy maybe able to fully cure in 30 min @ 80 degrees C, or 5 min @ 120 degrees C. To avoid Core Cracking, choose the lower temperature.
Some cable assembly houses have had good success by curing with a “ramped” temperature profile: where the room-temperature connectors are placed in a room-temperature oven, which is then gradually heated until the curing temperature is reached. This lessens the thermal shock to the product, and may allow for curing at higher temperatures without Core Cracking. Curing with this method opens up the available range of epoxies available to use in your product, but does increase the curing time needed (ramp time + cure time), and can be more difficult to control.
READ THE FULL BLOG ARTICLE HERE: Does epoxy cause core cracking? Tips to identify and prevent this phenomenon
