Why less mistakes are made with conformal coating masking boots

January 23, 2019 masking boots

Conformal coating masking boots reduce mistakes in handling and coating printed circuit boards (PCBs).

The simple reason is that when using tape there is a higher level of skill involved in applying it to the printed circuit board. When placing a boot over a component it is a lot simpler. Therefore, the conformal coating is less likely to leak.

Three reasons conformal coating masking boots save you money

Here are three simple reasons that can save you up to 80% of your costs when using reusable masking boots compared to other conformal coating masking methods:

Masking time is reduced because using boots can be 4-5 times quicker than masking tape.
De-masking time is reduced since it is much quicker to remove boots
Masking boots don’t leak. Therefore, there is less repair due to masking mistakes.

This means you can save a lot of money very quickly when switching to masking boots and reduce the mistakes made during the conformal coating process.

Call us on +44 1226 249019, email us at sales@schservices.com or click contact us to send us your requests.

What are conformal coating masking boots and why do they save you money?

July 7, 2017 Blog, masking boots

Conformal coating application and masking process at SCH Services facility

Reusable conformal coating masking boots are a highly cost-effective alternative to traditional masking tape.

Many components on printed circuit boards must remain uncoated during the conformal coating process. The purpose of masking is to prevent migration of coating materials into connectors, contacts, and defined keep-out areas where coating would cause functional or reliability issues.

Custom-made masking boots provide a major labour-saving advantage during both the masking and de-masking stages of conformal coating. Unlike tape-based masking, these boots are fully reusable and are simply fitted over components such as connectors, plugs, and sockets prior to coating.

Reusable conformal coating masking boots can be designed as simple push-fit caps for standard connectors or as more sophisticated custom geometries for complex or high-density assemblies, as shown in the examples below.

They provide reliable, repeatable protection across all major conformal coating application methods, including:

Batch and selective robotic spraying (reducing the need for complex programming)
Vertical and horizontal dip coating
Vapour deposition processes such as Parylene coating

Reusable masking boots used in conformal coating operations at SCH Services

Three reasons to switch from masking tape to reusable masking boots

Switching from tape-based masking to reusable masking boots can reduce total masking costs by up to 80%:

Faster application – masking boots can be applied 4–5× quicker than masking tape.
Faster removal – de-masking boots is significantly quicker and cleaner than removing tape.
Lower defect risk – masking boots are far less prone to leakage, reducing rework compared to tape.

The result is a rapid reduction in labour cost, improved process consistency, and fewer coating-related defects when compared to traditional masking tape methods.

Need expert advice on masking PCBs before conformal coating?

Effective PCB masking is critical to prevent coating ingress into connectors, test points, keep-out zones and mechanical interfaces. Poor masking choices can lead to coating defects, rework, reliability issues and unnecessary cost.

SCH supports customers with practical masking strategies tailored to your assembly, coating chemistry and production volume — from reusable masking boots and tapes to liquid masking systems and process optimisation.

If your assemblies also require preparation before coating, you can learn more about our subcontract PCB cleaning and coating services, or speak directly with our engineers to review your masking and coating requirements.

Contact SCH to discuss your PCB masking and conformal coating needs ›

Improve your conformal coating masking process reliability with custom boots

May 2, 2017 masking boots

Customer case study showing over 60 percent reduction in conformal coating masking costs after switching to reusable masking boots

One of the most overlooked advantages of reusable conformal coating masking boots is the improvement they bring to process reliability and consistency. Unlike masking tape, well-designed boots provide a repeatable mechanical seal that is far less prone to leakage during coating.

When correctly specified and fitted, a masking boot physically prevents conformal coating from entering connectors and interfaces. This is inherently more reliable than tape-based masking, where small gaps, wrinkles, or edge lift can easily allow coating ingress.

Tape masking is also highly operator-dependent. Achieving a reliable seal requires sustained attention, experience, and manual precision. Even skilled operators must work slowly to avoid leaks, increasing cycle time and fatigue-related errors.

In contrast, masking boots significantly reduce skill dependency. They are quicker to apply, easier to inspect, and deliver consistent results across operators and shifts. The outcome is fewer masking failures, less rework, and improved first-pass yield.

By reducing variability at the masking stage, reusable boots help stabilise the entire conformal coating process — lowering repair rates, protecting critical components, and improving overall production robustness.

Therefore, not only do you save up to 60% of your conformal coating masking costs due to reduced process times with boots but you can also improve the reliability of the masking process.

Need to know more about conformal coating masking boots in your application process?

Contact us now and we can discuss how we can help you. Call us on +44 (0) 1226 249019, email your requirements on sales@schservices.com, contact our distributors direct or complete the details in the contact form.

Find out how one company saved 60% of their process costs by changing to custom conformal coating masking boots

April 25, 2017 Blog, masking boots

Diamond MT, a conformal coating and Parylene coating service provider in the USA, found they saved more than 60% of their current costs by switching to the SCH range of conformal coating masking boots.

Sean Horn, Diamond MT, explains how they did it.

“We had initially wanted to try SCH’s conformal coating masking boots for price savings. However, once we began to work with Lee on our specific masking application, we realised that we could extend the life of our boots over 200%. We switched immediately!

We then realised the importance of working with someone who understands coatings. We will not being going back to our previous supplier.”

Sean Horn, Director, Diamond MT, Parylene and conformal coating subcontract service provider.

So why did Diamond MT switch to our range of masking boots?

When the analysis was completed, it was found pricing for our conformal coating masking boots was lower by 30% compared to their current supplier. This made a significant saving to Diamond MT and immediately a trial production run was started.

What was really interesting was after using them in the first month, Diamond MT found the masking boots lasted twice as long as their original boot from the alternate supplier. This meant that now Diamond MT has halved the volume of boots they order and this has reduced their costs by 60% for the year.

What started as a simple trial led to a huge saving to Diamond MT as a partner with SCH.

Diamond MT saved more than 60% of their masking costs by switching to reusable conformal coating masking boots from SCH Services

Diamond MT reduced their masking costs by more than 60% after switching to SCH’s reusable conformal coating masking boots.

Read our article in the Conformal Coating Masking Knowledge Hub on Reusable masking boots and find out how they give fast, repeatable seals around connectors and keep-outs, so you can lift first-pass yield and cut masking labour.

Need to know more about using conformal coating masking boots in your application process?

Contact us now and we can discuss how we can help you. Give us a call at (+44) 1226 249019 or email your inquiries at sales@schservices.com

What are conformal coating masking boots and how can they save you money?

March 10, 2017 Blog, masking boots

The use of masking materials such as tapes, dots and liquid latex can be a highly effective process in protecting components from ingress of conformal coating. However, the masking process can be labour intensive, difficult and time consuming.

Using reusable, custom masking boots offers a labour saving alternative in both the masking and de-masking stages of the coating process. This can save you lots of time and money.

Conformal coating masking boots used on Printed circuit board as an alternative to masking tapes

Three simple reasons why conformal coating masking boots can save you money

Masking time is reduced. Using masking boots as an alternative can be 4-5 times quicker than masking tape.
De-masking time is reduced. Again it is much quicker to remove masking boots than tape
Masking boots don’t leak as easily as tape. So there is less chance of a need to repair or remove leaked coating.

This means you can save a lot of money very quickly when switching to custom masking boots.

How Diamond MT saved nearly 60% of their process time switching to masking boots

Diamond MT, a conformal coating and Parylene coating service provider, found they saved 60% of their current costs by switching to the SCH range of conformal coating masking boots.

Sean Horn, Diamond MT, explains how they did it.

We then realised the importance of working with someone who understands conformal coatings. We will not being going back to our previous supplier.”

Sean Horn, Director, Diamond MT, Parylene and conformal coating subcontract service provider.

Request Your Free Masking Sample Pack

You can experience the quality of our masking solutions first-hand by requesting a free sample pack. The pack includes a selection of our masking tapes, dots, boots and pre-cut shapes, allowing you to test their performance directly in your coating process. It’s a quick and risk-free way to see how our materials ensure clean removal, precise coverage, and time-saving application.

Find out how much you can save by switching to custom boots

We are happy to provide a quotation for our masking boots so you can see for yourself how much you can save.

Just provide us with three pieces of information:

Provide a picture of the board you wish to test
Identify the components you need to mask
Provide the component identification codes (manufacture details etc)

Contact us today to request your quotation for conformal coating masking boots. Call us on +44 (0) 1226 249019, email your requirements on sales@schservices.com

Why less mistakes are made with conformal coating masking boots

Three reasons conformal coating masking boots save you money

What are conformal coating masking boots and why do they save you money?

Three reasons to switch from masking tape to reusable masking boots

Need expert advice on masking PCBs before conformal coating?

Improve your conformal coating masking process reliability with custom boots

Need to know more about conformal coating masking boots in your application process?

Find out how one company saved 60% of their process costs by changing to custom conformal coating masking boots

So why did Diamond MT switch to our range of masking boots?

Need to know more about using conformal coating masking boots in your application process?

What are conformal coating masking boots and how can they save you money?

Three simple reasons why conformal coating masking boots can save you money

How Diamond MT saved nearly 60% of their process time switching to masking boots

Request Your Free Masking Sample Pack

Find out how much you can save by switching to custom boots

Conformal Coating UK