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flflAOSOT THAT EDUCATES FABRICATORS ON ALTERATIVE PROCESSES FOR MAKING HOLES CONDUCTIVE
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\Vrar> Up in Pfooenix
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fter seven cities and 350 participants, the IPC-EPA
lesign for the Environment (DfE) Making Holes
.Jonductive (MHC) seminar roadshow is over. If
you missed it, however, don't despair If you could-
n't make it to the roadshow, the roadshow will
come to you.
This roadshow seminar presented the results of
the Design for the Environment (DfE) Making
Holes Conductive (MHC) Project to the PWB
industry in a series of seven free seminars held
around the country in 1997. The last one was held
in conjunction with the Arizona Printed Circuits
Association (APCA) meeting on 13 November in
Phoenix, where approximately 60 PWB manufac-
turers learned about the effectiveness of seven
MHC technologies (electroless copper, carbon,
graphite, palladium, non-formaldehyde electroless
copper, conductive polymer, and conductive ink).
The IPC-EPA DFE MHC project evaluated these
seven MHC technologies in "real-world" settings.
The results demonstrated that when implemented
correctly, direct metalization technologies perform
as well or better than standard electroless copper
technology. Results also indicated that the alterna-
tive technologies may reduce costs and pose less
risk to human health and the environment
Detailed results of the DFE MHC Project will be
published in a Cleaner Technologies Substitutes
Assessment (CTSA) document in early 1998. The
CTSA is a comprehensive analytical tool used to
evaluate the health and envi-
ronmental risks, perfor-
mance and cost of alternative
materials, processes and
technologies. Prior to publi-
cation of the CTSA, however,
these DFE seminars were
used to present the bulk of
the results to industry in a
timely manner.
At the Phoenix seminar,
MHC Project co-leader Kathy
Hart, U.S. EPA. opened with
an overview of the EPA DfE
program in general and this
MHC project in particular.
Ted Smith of the Silicon
BY CHRISTOPHER RHODES
Valley Toxics Coalition and Christopher Rhodes of
IPC then provided community and industry per-
spectives on the advantages and objectives of the
" DfE approach.
After that, Jack Geibig, Rupy Sawhney, and Lori
Kincaid, all from the University of Tennessee, got
into the meat of the seminar with presentations on
methodology, modeling, data sources, risk charac-
terization, cost analysis and resource consumption
(water and energy).
Because there was too much data to cover in one
day, Greg Pitts of MCC demonstrated how to find
more DfE and related information on the Web. Bill
Birch of PWB Interconnect Solutions then dis-
cussed the performance demonstration methodol-
ogy and results.
The day wrapped up with discussions on MHC
technology implementation from PWB manufac-
turers who have tried or investigated various MHC
technologies. Gary Roper of HR Industries,
Michael Kerr of Circuit Center and Rod Winn of
Continental Circuits talked about their experiences
with conductive polymers, carbon, graphite and
palladium systems.
50- CIICIITIEE FflllAIT 1111
The overall results indicate that MHC alterna-
tives appear to pose less overall risk than non-con-
veyorized electroless copper. When implemented
correctly, all of the MHC technologies achieve the
same good performance
results with high integrity
plated through-holes. In most
instances where the PTH was
rejected, the problem was
usually innerlayer-to-PTH
barrel separation. Results also
demonstrated an excellent
correlation between electrical
stress testing and mechanical
microsection testing.
With respect to costs, data
analysis show that all MHC
alternatives should cut costs
significantly over the non-
conveyorized electroless
process (25-80 percent cost
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i
rediRtwni. in pan due to large savings in
wiUcr and energy consumption. Cost reduc-
tions, however, were onlv one reason compa-
nies tปau' for switching. Other reasons Includ-
ed the lollowing:
Improved worker safety
ttlder process window
Abilitv to nin various substrates
Quicker throughput
Improved hole wall integrity
* Compatible with small holes
Manv companies also found that once the
alternative technology was installed and de-
bugged, other operational improvements
resulted:
Decreased maintenance
Reduced waste management
Reduced cycle times
Reduced water and energy consumption
Reduced labor and material costs
Reduced handling
Like manv other things in life, if it's worth
implementing an MHC alternative process,
it's worth doing right The question is, how do
you do it right?
The answer, based on interviews and site
visits with dozens of companies, is essentially
this: don't skimp!
Don't skimp on equipment, training, sup-
port and commitment. Most companies
emphasized the need to select high-quality
equipment and maintain it carefully. If the
equipment is poor, the process will
fail.
Don't skimp on training. Switching
to a new MHC technology involves far
more than just hooking up some
tanks and conveyors: it's affected by
processes upstream and it affects the
processes downstream. Thus, every-
one involved from line operators to
plant managers must take a "whole
process" view of MHC technology
installation and invest in the neces-
sary training.
Don't skimp on support and com-
mitment. Because the new MHC tech-
nology is so critical to process opera-
tions and product quality, company-
management and floor personnel
alike must commit to understanding
the process, working out die bugs,
and ramping up to full production.
Following this approach, many
companies have successfully imple-
mented a new MHC technology and
begun reaping the benefits. However,
not all MHC technologies suit all
tvpes of PWBs. Therefore, it's crucial
to do the homework, talk to other
PWB manufacturers and proceed
carefully when selecting a new MHC
52- tliCIITUE HIII1IT Illl
technology. The vast data gathered during
the DfE MHC Project can help the selec-
tion process.
The following DfE PWB Project docu-
ments were provided to all seminar atten-
dees and are available free to anyone who
is interested:
1. Implementing Cleaner Technologies in the
Printed \\lring Board Industry: Making
Holes Conductive
2. Printed Hiring Board Industry and Use
Cltister Profile
3. Printed Wiring Board Pollution Prevention
and Control: Analysis of Survey Results
4. Federal Environmental Regulations
Affecting the Electronics Industry
5. Five Pollution Prevention Case Studies
Now, if you missed the DfE seminars but are
interested in the results, all of the documents
are also available from the Pollution Preven-
tion Information Clearinghouse at 202-260-
1023. Most are also hot-linked to the Project
Web page which is on IPC's Web site at
http://www.ipc.org/htnil/ehstypesJitmSdesign.
TlanfeiteU
IPC and the U.S. EPA would like to thank
John Lott of DuPont for his leadership on this
project and all of the various regional circuit
associations who helped sponsor seminars in
their areas: California Circuits Association,
Printed Circuit Alliance, Midwest Circuits
Association, Chicagoland Circuitboard
Association, NorthEast Circuits Association
and the Arizona Circuits Association.
We would also like to thank the various
companies who contributed to diis project,
including the following:
ADI/Isola, who donated the materials
H-R Industries, who built die boards
Hadco, who electroplated the boards
DEC Canada, who provided electrical stress
testing
Robisan Labs, who performed the micro-
sectioning
The 26 PWB facilities who ran the various
MHC lines
NextOtEPPciectWternallveSalacsFWstiej
The IPC Environmental, Health & Safety
(EHS) Committee and die EPA are now plan-
ning and developing the next DfE Project on
Alternative Surface Finishes (ASF). Gary
Roper of H-R Industries is the IPC leader on
this new DfE project.
This project will examine lead-free alterna-
tives to the hot air solder leveling (HASL)
process in order to identify those surface fin-
ish technology alternatives that perform com-
petitively, are cost-effective and pose fewer
potential environmental and health risks. The
most commonly used PWB finishing technolo-
gies are HASL and electroplated tin-lead.
These technologies may pose potential health
and environmental risks due to the use ut
lead. The HASL process also generates sig-
nificant quantities of excess solder that
must be recycled.
In addition to the HASL process, which
will be tested as the baseline technolo^
the proposed alternatives for evaluation in
this project include: both thick and thir
organic solder protectorates, immersion
tin, immersion silver, electroless palladi-
um directly over copper and electroles^
nickel/immersion gold.
Limited data have been developed on
the performance of these technologies b\
some earlier studies done by the Circuit
Card Assembly and Materials Task Force
(CCAMTF) and the National Center for
Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS). No data
have been generated on the health and envi-
ronmental risks or costs of these technologies;
however, the alternative technologies are
expected to generate substantially less haz-
ardous waste and may be more cost effective
than the baseline technology. This project will
supplement the work done by the CCAMTF. A
study of these technologies will provide valu-
able information to both the PWB manufac-
turing and assembly industries. The project
partners plan to complete the Surface
Finishes CTSA in 1999.
Participating in die PWB Project provides
many benefits to the PWB industry. For exam-
ple, the information that results from the pro-
ject helps individual companies proactively
manage tijieir environmental affairs, and it
reduces die potential health and environmen-
tal impact| of their businesses, material and
regulatory|compliance costs and liabilities-
all of which serve to increase competitiveness.
In particular, the industry benefits
from the results of research on alterna-
tive technology risk, performance and
cost conducted by neutral parties (EPA
and the University of Tennessee). The
PWB industry also benefits from EPA's
risk assessment expertise and from access
to the agency's unpublished data. In
addition, EPA provides full-time project
leadership, which facilitates the genera-
tion of critical data in a relatively short
timeframe. The PWB industry's participa-
tion in the PWB Project ultimately bene-
fits not only the industry, through risk
reduction and cost savings, but also pub-
lic health and the environment.
If you are interested in this new DfE ASF
Project or would like more information about
any of the DfE work being done, please con-
tact Kathy Hart of the U.S. EPA by phone at
202-260-1707 or e-mail her at hart.kathv
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