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WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENT FOR A MANUFACTURER PRODUCING PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS
Citation:
Edwards, H., M. Kostrzewa, AND P. Miller. WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENT FOR A MANUFACTURER PRODUCING PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/S-92/033.
Description:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has funded a pilot project to assist small- and medium-size manufacturers who want to minimize their generation of waste but who lack the expertise to do so. aste Minimization Assessment Centers (WMACs) were established at selected universities and procedures were adapted from the EPA Waste Minimization Opportunity Assessment Manual (EPA/625/7-88/003, July 1988). he WMAC team at Colorado State University performed an assessment at a plant which manufactures single sided, double-sided, and multilayer printed circuit boards -- approximately 259,000 sq ft/yr. n general, circuit art work is received and digitized. he circuit design films template is laser generated from the digitized artwork. n addition copper/epoxy laminates and copper foil (the inner layer's material for multilayer boards) are cut into blank boards `and layers with hydraulic shears. omponent holes are cut by drilling machines. Drilled boards are mechanically scrubbed to prepare for plating. ircuit patterns are created on the boards and foil layers with a dry-film photoresist process and the multilayer boards are built up. he actual copper circuit pattern is generated by a series of photolithographic and plating processes. inal processing includes legend application routing, rinsing, electrical testing, inspections, packing, and shipping. he team's report, detailing findings and recommendations, indicated that the majority of waste was generated in the plating lines and that the greatest savings could be obtained by installing a spray rinse and electrowinning system on the first rinse tank of the electrolytic copper plating line to reduce both copper plating rinse water (88%) and plating sludge (80%) due to drag-out in the first rinse tank.