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NCAB Group USA’s Quality Manager Discusses PCB Cost Drivers at SMTA Luncheon
October 8, 2015 | NCAB Group USAEstimated reading time: Less than a minute
NCAB Group USA Quality Manager Holly Freve recently presented at the SMTA Space Coast Chapter September Technical Luncheon.
Freve presented “Cost drivers in PCB production.” She offered an in-depth discussion about board size, layer count, copper weight, manufacturing yield, and more factors that drive costs in PCB production.
Freve has 26 years of quality and customer service experience in the circuit board industry. She began her circuit board industry career back in 1989 as a quality engineer for Micofab in Amesbury, MA, working in the inspection and testing area. Her next position was at EMC, also in Amesbury, where she worked in a variety of positions in both quality and production engineering.
Freve joined PD Circuits in 2005 as part of the quality assurance management team, focusing on customer quality issues and resolution. PD Circuits was acquired by NCAB in 2012. Freve is now the Quality Manager for NCAB Group USA, responsible for the continuous improvement of quality and service to all NCAB customers. She is a certified IPC-A-600H inspector and recently received her Six Sigma Green belt.
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Trouble in Your Tank: Implementing Direct Metallization in Advanced Substrate Packaging
09/15/2025 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankDirect metallization systems based on conductive graphite are gaining popularity throughout the world. The environmental and productivity gains achievable with this process are outstanding. Direct metallization reduces the costs of compliance, waste treatment, and legal issues related to chemical exposure. A graphite-based direct plate system has been devised to address these needs.
Closing the Loop on PCB Etching Waste
09/09/2025 | Shawn Stone, IECAs the PCB industry continues its push toward greener, more cost-efficient operations, Sigma Engineering’s Mecer System offers a comprehensive solution to two of the industry’s most persistent pain points: etchant consumption and rinse water waste. Designed as a modular, fully automated platform, the Mecer System regenerates spent copper etchants—both alkaline and acidic—and simultaneously recycles rinse water, transforming a traditionally linear chemical process into a closed-loop system.
Driving Innovation: Depth Routing Processes—Achieving Unparalleled Precision in Complex PCBs
09/08/2025 | Kurt Palmer -- Column: Driving InnovationIn PCB manufacturing, the demand for increasingly complex and miniaturized designs continually pushes the boundaries of traditional fabrication methods, including depth routing. Success in these applications demands not only on robust machinery but also sophisticated control functions. PCB manufacturers rely on advanced machine features and process methodologies to meet their precise depth routing goals. Here, I’ll explore some crucial functions that empower manufacturers to master complex depth routing challenges.
Trouble in Your Tank: Minimizing Small-via Defects for High-reliability PCBs
08/27/2025 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankTo quote the comedian Stephen Wright, “If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving is not for you.” That can be the battle cry when you find that only small-diameter vias are exhibiting voids. Why are small holes more prone to voids than larger vias when processed through electroless copper? There are several reasons.
The Government Circuit: Navigating New Trade Headwinds and New Partnerships
08/25/2025 | Chris Mitchell -- Column: The Government CircuitAs global trade winds continue to howl, the electronics manufacturing industry finds itself at a critical juncture. After months of warnings, the U.S. Government has implemented a broad array of tariff increases, with fresh duties hitting copper-based products, semiconductors, and imports from many nations. On the positive side, tentative trade agreements with Europe, China, Japan, and other nations are providing at least some clarity and counterbalance.