IPS, SEL Raise the Bar for ENIG Automation in North America

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Editor's note: This article appeared in the August 2025 PCB007 Magazine as part of our spotlight on Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories.

IPS has installed a state-of-the-art automated ENIG plating line at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories’ PCB facility in Moscow, Idaho. The 81-foot, fully enclosed line sets a new standard for automation, safety, and efficiency in North American PCB manufacturing and represents one of the largest fully enclosed final finish lines in operation.

Purpose-built Innovation

Unlike typical ENIG setups, the line was elevated to accommodate SEL’s above-ground gravity-fed drainage and zero-discharge waste system. Each tank is equipped with continuous level control for automated dosing and stable, unattended operation. Metrics for water use and productivity are continuously tracked for tight process control.

Individually jacketed electroless nickel tanks and plate heat exchangers enable fast cooling between batches, while features like 45-degree oscillation and bump vibration improve plating consistency.

Advanced Automation and Industry 4.0 Integration

The line is fully networked with IPS headquarters, allowing for remote monitoring, diagnostics, and training. Every tank logs data via individual Palm units and integrates directly into SEL’s Manufacturing Execution System (MES), ensuring traceability and compliance with Industry 4.0 standards.

IPS also introduced a closed-loop nitric acid system for nickel stripping, replacing traditional manual handling. This dramatically reduces NOX exposure and enhances operator safety—a system now being adopted by other facilities.

Built in the USA, Supporting North American Customers

IPS uses U.S.-made components and has manufactured its systems domestically since 1993. In addition to supporting its own product line, IPS services legacy WTA and VCM systems and offers retrofits—helping customers extend the life and performance of their equipment.

A Critical, People-driven Supplier

IPS stands out as one of the few North American companies that delivers turnkey solutions, including wastewater treatment, exhaust systems, and facility design. IPS is a small army in North America. As the only supplier of this complete line of services, we have been identified among defense industry supply chain management as a critical supplier.

More importantly, IPS is defined by the people behind the work. The SEL system was designed, managed, and executed entirely by a dedicated group of IPS engineers that brought their years of collective knowledge and experience to the table.

Looking Ahead: Evolving Tech and Contact-Free Processing

IPS continues to innovate, now offering vertical continuous rotary processors and next-gen contact-free processing for final finishes like ENEPIG, EPIG, and all the latest requirements for contact-free vertical spray processes and immersion processes. Forward-thinking buyers are advised to plan for emerging technologies early to avoid costly retrofits down the road.

Culture of Craftsmanship

With deep involvement from fabrication through field installation, IPS’s team brings a sense of ownership to every project. The result: systems that meet today’s challenges while preparing customers for tomorrow.

The SEL ENIG line reflects IPS’s commitment to process excellence, safety, and American manufacturing—raising the bar for what’s possible in PCB production.

To see all of our SEL coverage, be sure to check out the August 2025 edition of PCB007 Magazine.