When ABchimie introduced the AVR80 BA solvent-based acrylic conformal coating in 2004, UV-cure chemistries were already attracting attention as a faster alternative. Seventeen years later, the product is averaging 150,000 litres in annual sales, serving more than 100 active manufacturers across railway, automotive, industrial automation, and defence sectors in 37 countries. For a product segment routinely described as mature, those figures are worth examining.
The AVR80 BA’s longevity reflects a tension the conformal coating industry has not fully resolved: newer technologies offer speed and throughput, but acrylic coatings offer something process engineers value more in regulated sectors — repairability. A UV-cured coating, once applied, is difficult to strip locally. The AVR80 BA can be removed from a defined area, the component reworked, and the coating reapplied, without scrapping the entire assembly. In rail and defence applications, where a single board can represent thousands of euros and downtime carries direct safety implications, that difference matters.
The coating meets UL94 V0, IPC-CC-830, MIL-I-46058C, NF EN 61086-2, NF EN 45545, NF EN 16101, and NF EN 16102, and operates across a temperature range of −65°C to +150°C. A built-in UV fluorescent tracer allows automated or manual inspection of coating coverage — a feature of increasing relevance as regulatory demands for process traceability tighten across rail and automotive supply chains. ABchimie, acquired by Chase Corporation in 2020, reports that the product has been applied to several million electronic boards globally.
A TWO-DECADE FIELD RECORD
Since its introduction, the AVR80 BA has accumulated substantial commercial evidence across demanding industrial environments:
- Average of 150,000 litres sold per year
- More than 100 active customers currently deploying the coating
- Deployed in 37 countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas
- Applied to several million electronic boards in service
- References include Schneider Electric, Groupe SEB, Alstom, and Renault
Note: ABchimie has received written authorisation from the above customers to use their names in connection with this product. Volume and deployment figures are based on internal sales records.
WHY SOLVENT-BASED ACRYLIC STILL COMPETES
The conformal coating market has diversified significantly over the past decade, with UV-cure and 100% solids formulations gaining share in high-throughput consumer electronics production. However, acrylic coatings have retained a strong position in industrial, railway, defence, and automotive segments, driven by three factors:
- Repairability: Acrylic coatings can be locally stripped and reapplied after rework, enabling component replacement or fault repair without board replacement — a critical requirement in low-volume, high-value assemblies.
- Process flexibility: The AVR80 BA is compatible with selective automated deposition, spraying, dipping, and manual application, allowing deployment across multiple production lines without equipment changes.
- Regulatory compliance: Established standards certifications (including MIL-I-46058C and NF EN 45545 for rail applications) reduce qualification burden for manufacturers in regulated sectors.
The AVR80 BA protects against the full range of environmental stresses encountered in service: humidity, condensation, salt fog, corrosive gases, atmospheric pollutants, thermal cycling, and chemical agents. Its operating envelope of −65°C to +150°C encompasses both Arctic rail deployments and under-bonnet automotive environments.
PROCESS TRACEABILITY AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
A fluorescent tracer visible under ultraviolet light allows operators to verify coverage, identify under-protected areas, and maintain process traceability records without additional chemical treatment. As traceability requirements tighten under IPC standards and sector-specific regulations, this feature increasingly represents a process cost saving rather than an optional feature.
ABOUT ABCHIMIE
Founded in 2004 by Jean-Pierre Douchy, ABchimie designs and manufactures cleaning and protection solutions for electronic assemblies, with specialisation in conformal coatings, encapsulation, adhesives, potting compounds, and precision cleaning agents. The company serves manufacturers across automotive, aerospace, medical, defence, industrial, and consumer electronics sectors from its facility in Corbelin, France, supported by dedicated research, application, and sales engineers and in-house testing laboratories.
ABchimie has been part of Chase Corporation (NYSE: CCF) since 2020, extending its distribution and technical support reach internationally.
CERTIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS
The AVR80 BA is certified or compliant with the following standards (certification status current as of June 2026):
- UL94 V0 — Flammability
- IPC-CC-830 — Conformal coating qualification
- MIL-I-46058C — Military specification, insulating compound
- NF EN 61086-2 — Coating materials for printed boards
- NF EN 45545 — Railway fire protection
- NF EN 16101 / NF EN 16102 — Industrial application standards
