system that delivers 5–7 gallons per minute (gpm). The system generates DI water
and recycles it through the cleaning process in a closed-loop system.
Tri-Star initially experienced problem that solder paste was degrading the DI
water generation system’s resin columns. The problem was overcome when the
facility installed a sink on the side cleaning unit where the operator could manually
clean the reject boards with the hot DI water instead of placing them on the system
conveyor. The effluent from the sink was made to pass through a filter and directly to
waste treatment. This simple installation did not allow the passage of the solder mask
from the rejected boards to the closed-loop system, thus, extending the life of the
system’s resin columns.
The advantages of this closed-loop system cannot be compared to other technologies such as flux residue cleaning systems; some of these advantages are that it
conserves water, it does not use solvents, and it does not involve the use of
chemicals.
In its attempt to further conserve water, Tri-Star put some “smart rinsing”
techniques on their electroless copper line, installed flow controls on rinses and
increased counterflow rinsing. With all these changes on the deposition line, the
facility was able to cut the incoming water sources from seven to four and reduced its
water usage on the line from 19 to 4 gpm. To make these changes in any process,
Tri-Star put up the following cross contamination criteria, such as do not
contaminate:
• Electroless copper bath with palladium from the catalyst
• Catalyst with cleaner/conditioner
• Accelerator with electroless copper
• Electroless copper with microetch or acids
• Microetch with cleaner/conditioner
Overall, the water usage at Tri-Star was reduced by 2.5 million gallons per year,
resulting in cost savings of approximately $15,000. This was due to the operating
rate of the electroless copper line for 12–16 hours per day and 5 days per week. The
total fees for water and sewer are $6.26/1,000 gal. These water conservation
techniques may be applied to other facilities that use multiple rinses.
Another merit of these changes was that the amount of chemicals needed to
maintain the process baths was reduced by 25% for the affected baths (glass etch,
microetch, sulfuric acid dip, and accelerator), thus making savings on chemical
purchases.
6 Summary
Waste generation or pollution prevention in manufacturing industry simply entails
the use of raw materials and production processes that minimize or eradicate the
creation of waste or pollutions at the source. This can be achieved through materials
input reduction, reengineering processes to reuse by-products, improving
194
O. S. Amuda et al.
and recycles it through the cleaning process in a closed-loop system.
Tri-Star initially experienced problem that solder paste was degrading the DI
water generation system’s resin columns. The problem was overcome when the
facility installed a sink on the side cleaning unit where the operator could manually
clean the reject boards with the hot DI water instead of placing them on the system
conveyor. The effluent from the sink was made to pass through a filter and directly to
waste treatment. This simple installation did not allow the passage of the solder mask
from the rejected boards to the closed-loop system, thus, extending the life of the
system’s resin columns.
The advantages of this closed-loop system cannot be compared to other technologies such as flux residue cleaning systems; some of these advantages are that it
conserves water, it does not use solvents, and it does not involve the use of
chemicals.
In its attempt to further conserve water, Tri-Star put some “smart rinsing”
techniques on their electroless copper line, installed flow controls on rinses and
increased counterflow rinsing. With all these changes on the deposition line, the
facility was able to cut the incoming water sources from seven to four and reduced its
water usage on the line from 19 to 4 gpm. To make these changes in any process,
Tri-Star put up the following cross contamination criteria, such as do not
contaminate:
• Electroless copper bath with palladium from the catalyst
• Catalyst with cleaner/conditioner
• Accelerator with electroless copper
• Electroless copper with microetch or acids
• Microetch with cleaner/conditioner
Overall, the water usage at Tri-Star was reduced by 2.5 million gallons per year,
resulting in cost savings of approximately $15,000. This was due to the operating
rate of the electroless copper line for 12–16 hours per day and 5 days per week. The
total fees for water and sewer are $6.26/1,000 gal. These water conservation
techniques may be applied to other facilities that use multiple rinses.
Another merit of these changes was that the amount of chemicals needed to
maintain the process baths was reduced by 25% for the affected baths (glass etch,
microetch, sulfuric acid dip, and accelerator), thus making savings on chemical
purchases.
6 Summary
Waste generation or pollution prevention in manufacturing industry simply entails
the use of raw materials and production processes that minimize or eradicate the
creation of waste or pollutions at the source. This can be achieved through materials
input reduction, reengineering processes to reuse by-products, improving
194
O. S. Amuda et al.