-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueAdditive Manufacturing
In this month’s issue, we explore additive manufacturing technology for the PCB fabricator: where it stands today, the true benefits, and where it seems to be headed.
The Growing Industry
In this issue of PCB007 Magazine, we talk with leading economic experts, advocacy specialists in Washington, D.C., and PCB company leadership to get a well-rounded picture of what’s happening in the industry today. Don’t miss it.
The Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
Water Management in a Large Printed Circuit Board Manufacturer
April 15, 2024 | Charles Nehrig, TTM TechnologiesEstimated reading time: 1 minute
TTM’s environmental management is grounded in its Environmental Statement and Environmental Policy, which promote measures that make for a more responsible environmental management process. Our management system helps TTM work toward minimizing its environmental footprint and increasing the sustainability of its operations. TTM monitors its environmental performance just as it monitors its operational performance, and provides the resources required to adhere to the Company’s environmental responsibilities. This enables TTM to reduce the use of natural resources required to manufacture printed circuit boards, electrical assemblies, and electrical parts and components produced at the TTM facilities.
Key to those natural resources is water. Water is a critical operational component for TTM and a critical natural resource for those who live in the communities where we operate. As a result, TTM has taken a very measured approach in the management and treatment of water and wastewater associated with our manufacturing operations. Toward this effort, TTM’s operational goals, key performance indicators (KPIs), capital plans, and sustainability goals have a component that is explicitly directed at water use reduction and water footprint reduction. TTM has undertaken improvement efforts and initiatives to reduce (or eliminate) the impact of each TTM location.
The company’s most critical environmental initiatives with respect to water management fall into the following categories:
Wastewater Treatment and System Upgrades
TTM has gradually replaced existing wastewater treatment (WWT) systems with a treatment technology that relies less on chemical precipitation and more on ion exchange. Although chemical precipitation WWT systems are robust and produce effective and compliant wastewater, and they rely heavily on chemical treatment agents to promote contaminant removal (metals), the precipitate that is produced is typically a sludge with a high moisture content and a low metal content. In the end, the standard precipitant-based WWT systems are an inefficient use of chemical treatment aids and produce a reclaimable material that requires excess energy and/or handling to reclaim the metal, oftentimes resulting in a poor return on the metal recovered, as well as the capital invested.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the March 2024 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
Kimball Electronics Mexico Partners with Municipality for Green Community Project
05/03/2024 | Kimball ElectronicsKimball Electronics Mexico recently participated in a valuable Green Community Project, demonstrating their commitment to environmental responsibility and community well-being.
MS2 a Beneficial System for Reducing Solder Dross
04/04/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamWe recently spoke with Octavio Raygoza, sales manager for P.Kay Metal in Mexico, to discuss how P.Kay’s MS2® system for reducing solder dross is both financially and environmentally responsible. By reducing solder dross up to 85%, you nearly double the output while consuming the same amount of solder.
The New Chapter: Attracting ‘Generation Green’
03/28/2024 | Hannah Grace & Paige Fiet -- Column: The New ChapterIn the electronics industry, we talk a lot about sustainability in terms of recruitment and retention of the next generation of engineers. But what if the key to sustaining the industry long into the future is through the more common definition of the word? What if, for just a moment, we think about sustainability in terms of the environment and what we as an industry are doing to care for it? Because, if you weren’t aware, Gen Z cares tremendously about the environment and the actions companies are taking to preserve it. Without Gen Z joining the electronics industry’s workforce, we won’t be able to sustain the industry for much longer.
CentraTEQ to Showcase Wide Range of Vibration & Environmental Test Systems at Battery Tech Expo 24
03/26/2024 | CentraTEQEnvironmental and vibration test specialists CentraTEQ are excited to be exhibiting at the upcoming Battery Tech Expo, scheduled to take place at Silverstone on April 25, 2024.
SEMI 3D & Systems Summit To Spotlight Trends In Hybrid Bonding, Chiplet Design And Environmental Sustainability
03/26/2024 | SEMILeading experts in 3D integration and systems for semiconductor manufacturing applications will gather at the annual SEMI 3D & Systems Summit, 12-14 June, 2024,