-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Essential Guide to Surface Finishes
We go back to basics this month with a recount of a little history, and look forward to addressing the many challenges that high density, high frequency, adhesion, SI, and corrosion concerns for harsh environments bring to the fore. We compare and contrast surface finishes by type and application, take a hard look at the many iterations of gold plating, and address palladium as a surface finish.
It's Show Time!
In this month’s issue of PCB007 Magazine we reimagine the possibilities featuring stories all about IPC APEX EXPO 2025—covering what to look forward to, and what you don’t want to miss.
Fueling the Workforce Pipeline
We take a hard look at fueling the workforce pipeline, specifically at the early introduction of manufacturing concepts and business to young people in this issue of PCB007 Magazine.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
Shifting to Automated Chemical Dosing for Enhanced Control and Safety
August 26, 2024 | Mike Brask, IPSEstimated reading time: 2 minutes

Mike Brask of IPS explores the shift toward automated chemical dosing in wet process lines for enhanced control, safety, and product reliability. Mike emphasizes that automating chemical dosing reduces variability, ensuring consistent quality and safer working conditions. He notes past reliance on manual labor and highlights current challenges, including space limitations and regulatory hurdles. He also underscores the importance of process control and environmental considerations in adapting to automation, which is essential for meeting the demanding standards of semiconductor and substrate technology manufacturing.
Marcy LaRont: Mike, IPS’ wet process lines contain cutting-edge technology for better control to address higher technologies. What can you tell us about chemical dosing?
Mike Brask: To have good process control and repeatability part to part, you must start reducing variables in the manufacturing equation. Some of the easiest to eliminate are the variations in the chemical compositions in your baths. Metering and measurement systems allow you to dose chemicals so that the process maintains optimum levels for more reliable and consistent quality. Significant safety benefits are introduced by automating chemical handling. You create a better and safer working environment.
In the past, it was easier to hire someone to stand at the line in a smock with a drum pump and fill plating tanks from 55-gallon drums of chemicals. Some operators did this job for their entire careers. Today, our industry has contracted. We are bringing new talent into the industry; they don't want that job. Engineers don’t want to work the drum pump. Young workers expect to hit a button to control something like that. So, when you look at staff retention, chemical dosing in your wet process matters. You must create a better working environment that keeps the shop clean, and the more you can can automate this task, the more it helps with staff retention and safety and reduces the risks of mistakes when making up new process tanks.
LaRont: The fact that businesses should be looking at these elements in terms of getting and keeping a workforce, not just because of the process control element, is quite a commentary on where we are.
Brask: If you think about chemical distribution and bulk handling of chemistry, you don't want to have blue drums sitting around or risk someone getting hurt because a hose flew out or from a chemical spill. All that gets eliminated with a chemical management system. Your lab is not making up the bath for you anymore. You're doing that in a controlled and precise way. The lab is merely verifying its accuracy. You adjust your dosing to reduce that hysteresis between tanks.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the August 2024 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
Chemcut Corporation Announces Atlantic Micro Tool Expanded Sales Territory
03/11/2025 | Chemcut CorporationChemcut Corporation, the US based manufacturer of Wet Process Equipment, has expanded Atlantic Micro Tools sales territory to include DE, MD, VA, WV, NY, PA, NC, SC, TN, GA, AL, FL, MS, Ontario. Atlantic Micro Tool has represented Chemcut for over 15 years in the States of ME, NH, VT, RI, CT, NJ, New York City MA, NY counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Quebec & Eastern Ontario.
ITW EAE Electrovert Unveils Aquastorm 160 a Compact Design that Meets Unmatched Cleaning Performance
03/04/2025 | ITW EAEElectrovert, a leader in innovative cleaning solutions, proudly announces the launch of the Aquastorm 160 (AS160), an advanced cleaning system designed to deliver superior performance with a compact footprint.
IEC Collaborates with Supply Partners at IPC APEX EXPO 2025
01/29/2025 | IECIn keeping with its company's Supply Chain Motto of Collaboration – Innovation – Quality – Dedication, International Electronic Components, Inc. is excited to announce its collaboration with five other companies at the upcoming IPC Apex Expo 2025.
Mind Meld: Brian Chislea and AJ Arriaga Share Their Fascinating Experience in IPC's Mentorship Program
01/28/2025 | Michelle Te, IPC CommunityIPC’s Emerging Engineer program provides professionals an opportunity early in their careers to learn from dedicated industry volunteers participating in standards development. Two participants in the program—Brian Chislea, Dow Chemical, mentor to AJ Arriaga, Summit Interconnect—share their experiences in the program in a series of articles. We will follow them through their three years in the mentorship. This is the first in the series.
SandboxAQ Announces More Than $300 Million of Funding to Drive Next Era of AI
12/19/2024 | PRNewswireSandboxAQ announced a round of more than $300 million from Fred Alger Management, LLC, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., Mumtalakat, Parkway Venture Capital, Breyer Capital, Rizvi Traverse, S32, US Innovative Technology Fund, Ava Investments,