Standard of Excellence: Speed vs. Quality in Customer Service
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Revamp Your Components with BGA Reballing
Global Sourcing Spotlight: Balancing Speed and Flexibility Without Sacrificing Control
A Greener, Money-saving Approach to Dealing with Waste
August 5, 2015 | Steve Burns, Conecsus LLCEstimated reading time: 6 minutes
Figure 2: Conecsus custom alloy ready for resale.
Gregory Bryant, Facility EHS for the Huntsville Facility, says, "Working with this new process changed everything. We no longer had to ship our materials as before at great cost; instead, they (Conecsus) send a truck to pick it up. We pay a nominal processing fee. Sanmina receives payment for the metals in return, that is often significantly greater than the original processing costs. The most important thing is that we are reusing, not disposing. It’s not only in keeping with Sanmina's 'green' objectives, but it changes the way that Sanmina may be classified or regulated. We have to maintain our 'Large Waste Generator' classification due to the multiple waste streams that we produce. But in our medical operations for example, fully 98% of the wipes we dispose of are now non-hazardous solid waste, recycled by pyrolizing and then used as a reagent to process our dross."
Greg says that this year alone (2015), up until the end of March, up to 1,500 lbs. of waste had been shipped, with a savings of thousands of dollars in hazardous material processing charges. "It has saved us a tremendous amount of money," he adds. "Conecsus refines the material and sells the metals on the global market. They don't return it to us; they simply pay us for it. The wipes and contaminated materials don't generate metals of any value, their value is in being turned to carbon and used as a reagent to recover the metals in our dross; that’s really where the money comes from."
And all of this is done with the approval of ADEM, something that they never thought they would obtain.
Page 2 of 2Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
BTU International Earns 2025 Step-by-Step Excellence Award for Its Aqua Scrub™ Flux Management System
10/29/2025 | BTU International, Inc.BTU International, Inc., a leading supplier of advanced thermal processing equipment for the electronics manufacturing market, has been recognized with a 2025 Step-by-Step Excellence Award (SbSEA) for its Aqua Scrub™ Flux Management Technology, featured on the company’s Pyramax™ and Aurora™ reflow ovens.
On the Line With… Ultra HDI Podcast—Episode 7: “Solder Mask: Beyond the Traces,” Now Available
10/31/2025 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is excited to announce the release of the seventh episode of its 12-part podcast series, On the Line With… American Standard Circuits: Ultra HDI. In this episode, “Solder Mask: Beyond the Traces,” host Nolan Johnson sits down with John Johnson, Director of Quality and Advanced Technology at American Standard Circuits, to explore the essential role that solder mask plays in the Ultra HDI (UHDI) manufacturing process.
Rehm Wins Mexico Technology Award for CondensoXLine with Formic Acid
10/17/2025 | Rehm Thermal SystemsModern electronics manufacturing requires technologies with high reliability. By using formic acid in convection, condensation, and contact soldering, Rehm Thermal Systems’ equipment ensures reliable, void-free solder joints — even when using flux-free solder pastes.
Indium Experts to Deliver Technical Presentations at SMTA International
10/14/2025 | Indium CorporationAs one of the leading materials providers to the power electronics assembly industry, Indium Corporation experts will share their technical insight on a wide range of innovative solder solutions at SMTA International (SMTAI), to be held October 19-23 in Rosemont, Illinois.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Revamp Your Components with BGA Reballing
10/14/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileBall grid array (BGA) components evolved from pin grid array (PGA) devices, carrying over many of the same electrical benefits while introducing a more compact and efficient interconnect format. Instead of discrete leads, BGAs rely on solder balls on the underside of the package to connect to the PCB. In some advanced designs, solder balls are on both the PCB and the BGA package. In stacked configurations, such as package-on-package (PoP), these solder balls also interconnect multiple packages, enabling higher functionality in a smaller footprint.