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The Bleeding Edge: A Green, Profitable PCB Process

All of us in PCB production know a dirty little secret: The traditional manufacturing of printed circuits is not a green process.

As a conservationist, I negotiate an ethical minefield. I'm caught between my desire to be green and my need to pay the bills. But over the years, I've found that going green often means going profitable too.

During the 1990s, my company tried graphite replacement for electroless, and then we found direct metallization and utilized its better green properties. We used low-weight copper foil to lessen etching pollution, and then switched to sulfuric acid peroxide etch chemistry with a full copper recovery system.  We sold the copper as a by-product.

Over 10 years, our shop slowly evolved as we implemented many small but significant changes that lowered our environmental footprint.

In 1995 we began selling our brains rather than printed circuits. I switched the shop over from selling boards to selling technology, and it was the single best change we ever made to the business. My shop went from being a small shop barely making the payroll, and competing for a penny per square inch, to a shop that sold boards for hundreds of dollars.

We decided to specialize in high technology, and we wound up selling many unique and expensive boards. The first technology created at a customer's request was heavy copper - prices per square inch jumped from $0.12 to $3.  Another customer needed a 25,000-volt board, and after a bit of research, we invented a new product.

Both technologies produced good sales with high profits. Our company went on to invent some very high-reliability, high-resistance boards, outer-space low VOC circuits, fine lines down to half a mil and more unique technologies like real 0210 embedded components. The evolution from selling square feet of circuit boards to selling our brains greatly reduced our consumption of raw materials, lowered our pollution footprint and took a nearly bankrupt company into profitability.

The question is: How can you do the same for your company?

It all starts when you admit that fighting for a few pennies per square inch is a fool's game. When you accept this stark realization, you're ahead of the pack. Then, by outlining your goals and selecting a path to obtain them, you can begin to change.

Many board shop managers and owners do not see the future; they don't think it is possible to change, or they doubt that the market is ready for the sale of high-technology products.

Don't try to change overnight. Instead, create a two-year plan. Start slowly and do your homework. Consider your existing customers and markets, as well as any advanced technologies that you already manufacture. Remember: Brain power vs. pennies per square inch.

I can give you a free consultation on getting green and profitable. We'll look at your green quotient and discuss ways to reduce your pollution footprint. I can show you easier, quicker ways to acquire advanced technologies. I'm happy to help anyone who wants to get green and profitable.  

But whatever you do, don't just sit there chasing pennies per board. That's yesterday's business model. Instead, sell your brains and go green.

And go profitable.

Robert Tarzwell is president of advanced technology provider DMR Ltd.  He can be reached at Bob@dmrpcb.com or 315-585-6496.