-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssuePartial HDI
Our expert contributors provide a complete, detailed view of partial HDI this month. Most experienced PCB designers can start using this approach right away, but you need to know these tips, tricks and techniques first.
Silicon to Systems: From Soup to Nuts
This month, we asked our expert contributors to weigh in on silicon to systems—what it means to PCB designers and design engineers, EDA companies, and the rest of the PCB supply chain... from soup to nuts.
Cost Drivers
In this month’s issue of Design007 Magazine, our expert contributors explain the impact of cost drivers on PCB designs and the need to consider a design budget. They discuss the myriad design cycle cost adders—hidden and not so hidden—and ways to add value.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
An Ultimate Goal in Sustainability: Recyclable PCBs
April 11, 2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Who doesn’t believe in recycling? “Re-use, repurpose, recycle” has been a drumbeat for more than two decades. Our children learn about it in primary school. Full university departments devoted to environmental science and sustainability in universities forward their discipline for the world's benefit. In theory, we all get behind the concept of recycling, even if the nuances of execution may fall short.
When I first heard of recyclable PCBs, I was skeptical. There are so many distinct elements of a printed circuit board: fiberglass, solder, metal finishes, and all manner of components. I have been far more apt to picture them being repurposed (unfortunate art deco PCB earrings come to mind) than recycled. But Jan Pedersen begs to differ with my lack of vision. As director of technology at NCAB, Jan is a true champion and visionary of the concept and is working to prove out the practice.
Marcy LaRont: Jan, can you explain the concept of circularity as it relates to recyclability? Honestly, I had not heard the term before your IPC Community article.
Jan Pedersen: Circularity, in the purest sense, is to reuse the scrapped PCB to produce a new PCB or another product. We use circularity to explain the lifecycle of materials, from nature and back to nature, or cradle to cradle, if you like. That can mean reusing the material in a new product or simply returning it back to nature.
Now, we all know that a PCB and its constituents are not good for nature, so we have to look at how we can circle the material back into a new product.
LaRont: That’s fascinating to me. I know that PCB particulates, like the fiberglass laminate, can sometimes be ground up and used in things like concrete. But it feels like true circularity with a printed circuit board would be impossible.
Pedersen: It is not easy to find a true solution. Having that said, promising projects are going on in China and the Western world.
To continue reading the entire conversation, which appeared in the March 2024 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
EMA Presents Webinar on Designing the Perfect Stackup for Flex
10/25/2024 | EMA Design AutomationJoin the experts at Newgrange Design and EMA to make sure you set your next flex project up for success from the beginning in latest webinar.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
10/25/2024 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Just this month, the Fall issue of IPC Community was released, spotlighting the global activities of IPC and its members. SMT007 Magazine covers the scary situation around counterfeit components. Design007 Magazine is not playing tricks with its hard-hitting discussions about “partial HDI.” (If you are asking yourself what that is, you really need to take a look.) Finally, PCB007 Magazine’s alternate metallization issue offers some real treats, including an interview featured this past week with Carmichael Gugliotti of MacDermid Alpha. In you’re in the U.S., here’s to an early Happy Halloween.
iNEMI Connector Footprint Tolerance End-of-Project Webinar
10/24/2024 | iNEMIiNEMI’s PCB Connector Footprint Tolerance Project investigated industry capability, risks and mitigation strategies associated with high-bandwidth I/O connector footprints.
TFE, Aismalibar North America Join the Printed Circuit Board Association of America, Strengthening U.S. Microelectronics Supply Chain
10/23/2024 | AismalibarTFE and its partner, Aismalibar North America, are proud to announce their membership in the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA), an organization advocating for the critical role of the domestic printed circuit board (PCB) and substrate industries within the U.S. microelectronics supply chain.
Global PCB Connections: Mission Critical—Communication Between PCB Designers and Fabricators
10/24/2024 | Jerome Larez -- Column: Global PCB ConnectionsIn my first column, I want to discuss the critical importance of communications between the PCB design and the PCB fabrication engineer. I’ll explore why clear communication is so important, highlight the differences between standard and CTQ items, and outline the key issues that must be agreed upon to achieve success in PCB manufacturing.