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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.
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IPC Focuses on Education and Onboarding
05/09/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineI recently spoke with Carlos Plaza, senior director of education for IPC, about expanding educational efforts in the PCB design, fabrication, and assembly segments. As Carlos explains, PCB design is a hot topic, but onboarding may be the hottest one of all.
American Standard Circuits to Exhibit at Focus on PCB 2024 Italy
05/09/2024 | American Standard CircuitsAmerican Standard Circuits will be exhibiting at this year’s Focus on PCB Italy 2024 to be held on May 15 and 16 at the Vicenza Expo Centre, Vicenza, Italy.
MKS’ Atotech, ESI to Participate in CPCA Show
05/09/2024 | MKS’ AtotechMKS’ Atotech, and ESI will participate in the CPCA Show 2024. The show will be held from May 13 to 15, 2024, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) and will bring together domestic and international manufacturers in the electronic circuit industry.
Connect the Dots: Designing for Reality—The Pre-Manufacturing Process
05/08/2024 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsI have been working with Nolan Johnson on a podcast series about designing PCBs for the reality of manufacturing. By sharing lessons learned over a long career in the PCB industry, we hope to shorten learning curves and help designers produce better boards with less hassle and rework. Episode 2 deals with the electronic pre-manufacturing process. Moving from CAD (computer-aided design) to CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) is a key step in PCB manufacturing. CAM turns digital designs into instructions that machines can use to actually build the PCB.