Industries play a strong role in affecting the environment. This includes the electronic industry as well. This is evident from the traditional printed circuit board manufacturing methods, as they have a number of processes that release high-emission chemicals. Besides adding to the global electronic waste, these chemicals impact the environment as well as human health.
According to PCB Trace, the only way to address the above is by following environment-friendly practices. As such, we at PCB Trace follow several sustainable manufacturing and design for manufacturing methods. Some of these methods are:
Additive Manufacturing
This method of manufacturing essentially involves creating 3-D objects rather than the traditional method of subtractive manufacturing, where material removal is the key. Additive manufacturing is highly cost-effective, while allowing efficient manufacturing of complex products. For instance, our additive PCB manufacturing processes involve:
- 3-D Printing
- Conformal Electronics
- Inkjet, Laserjet, and Aerosol Printing
Subtractive processes lead to material wastage, as the method involves removing of material. On the other hand, additive manufacturing methods build only on material necessary. In the additive process, the designer uses a PCB CAD software to easily export the entire design to the 3-D printer—no photomasks or etchants are necessary.
We use conductive toners and inks that do not contain volatile organic compounds or etch resists. Precise printing has the advantage of producing little or zero material wastage. With 3-D printing, it is possible to print not only the electronic circuit, but also the board, including traces, pads, and vias. For PCBs with odd shapes and designs, the 3-D printing method is particularly helpful. It is easy to implement the bespoke needs of the project with custom printing. In fact, we use additive manufacturing in two ways:
- Single-Build Process
- Post-Production Process
in a single-build process, we print the internal circuitry and the external casing as a single assembly. In the post-production process, we print them separately, and integrate them in the second stage.
Green Manufacturing
We follow specific green manufacturing methods to reduce environmental impacts. These include:
- Waste reduction.
- Recycling.
- Minimizing the usage of natural resources.
Lean Manufacturing
We use various concepts and process for removing wasteful processes from production lines.
Biodegradability
A lot of research is underway in the field of biodegradable PCB materials, and with promising results. Research shows it is possible to replace traditional metal conductors on a PCB with metallic paste soluble in water. Implementing this on a large scale will be a great benefit for the world as the impact on the planet will reduce significantly.
Printed Circuit Boards from Natural Materials
Research is also underway in producing printed circuit boards from materials such as natural cellulose, paper, and unzippable polymeric layers like polycaprolactone, polylactide, and polyglycolide.
Boards made from natural cellulose fibers are highly effective for printed circuits. These bio-composite boards offer advantages like:
- Not containing harmful chemicals.
- Good performance even when exposed to high humidity and high temperatures.
Prototype boards made from paper are also showing great promise. Along with the use of additive technology, paper boards offer sizeable environmental benefits. Testing the mechanical properties of paper has revealed its capability to successfully form inner layers of multi-layer boards. Tests have also indicated that flexibility of paper does not impact its insulation properties. Moreover, it is possible to make paper PCBs at significantly lower costs.
Unzippable polymeric layers are also showing tremendous promise for making all kinds of PCBs including rigid, flex, and rigid-flex boards. Apart from successfully withstanding thermal cycling, the basic material from these boards can be recovered and reused. In fact, simply immersing them in hot water is enough to separate the polymers, ink, and adhesives from these printed circuit boards, once their useful life is over.
Designing for Sustainable Manufacturing
Designing for sustainable manufacturing requires paying attention to several elements, such as:
- Selection of eco-friendly components.
- Using eco-friendly board materials.
- Designing small board sizes, as these use less material and consume lower amounts of energy.
- Efficient manufacturing by using Design for Manufacturing effectively.
- Minimizing delays and optimizing costs.
- Prioritizing safety.
- Involving robust testing methods for manufacturing.
Just as RoHS directives restrict the use of hazardous materials in a final product, the REACH initiative aims to control chemicals that the PCB manufacturing process use, and in electrical and electronic components. The list of SHVC or substances of very high concern mention these chemicals.
In contrast to the RoHS directives, REACH applies to the supply chains and to manufacturers. A supplier must notify a PCB manufacturer that their bare copper clad boards, electrical and electronic components, and subassemblies comply with the REACH initiatives.
Conclusion
There is a huge scope in PCB manufacturing for minimizing the damage to the environment. This can range from using new non-toxic materials to using hazard-free process in PCB assembly.
PCB Trace is a premier provider for printed circuit board manufacturing and assembly. Our customers rely on us for end-to-end PCB assembly processes and assured high-quality and high-performance products. We are an ISO certified company and ITAR registered manufacturer. We use the best REACH and RoHS compliant PCB assembly services, and we have over two decades of experience in manufacturing. We can be your reliable partner for manufacturing and assembling PCBs, beginning from material selection to the complete PCB assembly prototype.
For any requirement regarding PCB manufacturing and assembly, or any urgent assistance, please contact us. We will be happy to provide you a quote.
