Facing the Future: Time for Real Talk, Early and Often, Between Design and Fabrication
Trouble in Your Tank: Can You Drill the Perfect Hole?
It’s Only Common Sense: Your Guide to Better Time Management
Not All Plating Lines Are Created Equal
February 12, 2020 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 12 minutes
Großmann: Correct. If you look at the process times, there’s much more inside from the vibrators to get the gases out of the holes. We don’t vibrate the flight bar. The side waves correctly go through the hole. It goes through the flight bar and has a very special way to reach all of the areas. It’s not vibrating on the top. It’s controlled, and all those little things put together in one tank make up this special ability to get much smaller holes plated and more even plating.
Holden: That differentiates you from everybody else, which is good because you can’t hold back advancing design rules because the semiconductors demand that. We didn’t invent it; the semiconductor companies are driving us. Now, they’re down to seven-nanometer transistors that turn on and off very fast, which means everything is a transmission line, and with the critical distance, you had to treat it as a transmission line shortens, etc. People want everything to be smaller, including their holes and their lands. But you have to get metal into them. The old way to do it was to put it in the tank for three or four hours, which works but is not necessarily very productive compared to a different way of doing it. Then, you have what we call the boundary conditions. You have this waste treatment and air minimization, which is kind of the boundary part of the cost. It’s not part of getting metal into the hole, but it’s still about the total cost.
Großmann: The total cost includes that.
Figure 2: Ludy modular-integrated plating cell.
Figure 3: Ludy uses sealed tank covers to minimize ventilation and solution loss as well as optimize rinsing, blow-off devices, and drip shields.
Holden: We have to worry about the environment.Großmann: Yes. The wastewater gets vaporized, the water gets extracted, and since this is fully deionized water, it gets back to the process. Water is also very expensive, especially processed water. What remains is much less to take care of compared to the wastewater itself. This can all be additive, so you get the overall mostly green area. You still have something to throw away, but it’s much less.
Holden: How does the Ludy equipment minimize the need for ventilation and fume scrubbing?
Großmann: The closed-system solution sucks in the exhaust air, feeds it into an energy storage unit, and reinserts it into the system as a bath heating.Page 2 of 4
Share on:
Suggested Items
Trouble in Your Tank: Can You Drill the Perfect Hole?
07/07/2025 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankIn the movie “Friday Night Lights,” the head football coach (played by Billy Bob Thornton) addresses his high school football team on a hot day in August in West Texas. He asks his players one question: “Can you be perfect?” That is an interesting question, in football and the printed circuit board fabrication world, where being perfect is somewhat elusive. When it comes to mechanical drilling and via formation, can you drill the perfect hole time after time?
The Evolution of Picosecond Laser Drilling
06/19/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIs it hard to imagine a single laser pulse reduced not only from nanoseconds to picoseconds in its pulse duration, but even to femtoseconds? Well, buckle up because it seems we are there. In this interview, Dr. Stefan Rung, technical director of laser machines at Schmoll Maschinen GmbH, traces the technology trajectory of the laser drill from the CO2 laser to cutting-edge picosecond and hybrid laser drilling systems, highlighting the benefits and limitations of each method, and demonstrating how laser innovations are shaping the future of PCB fabrication.
Day 2: More Cutting-edge Insights at the EIPC Summer Conference
06/18/2025 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007The European Institute for the PCB Community (EIPC) summer conference took place this year in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 3-4. This is the third of three articles on the conference. The other two cover Day 1’s sessions and the opening keynote speech. Below is a recap of the second day’s sessions.
Day 1: Cutting Edge Insights at the EIPC Summer Conference
06/17/2025 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007The European Institute for the PCB Community (EIPC) Summer Conference took place this year in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 3-4. This is the second of three articles on the conference. The other two cover the keynote speeches and Day 2 of the technical conference. Below is a recap of the first day’s sessions.
Preventing Surface Prep Defects and Ensuring Reliability
06/10/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIn printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication, surface preparation is a critical process that ensures strong adhesion, reliable plating, and long-term product performance. Without proper surface treatment, manufacturers may encounter defects such as delamination, poor solder mask adhesion, and plating failures. This article examines key surface preparation techniques, common defects resulting from improper processes, and real-world case studies that illustrate best practices.