Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1038326
102 PCB007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2018 Goldman: That's good to hear. Now, tell me about the people working in the lab. Chassé: We have some- one working with cyclic voltammetric stripping, CVS, to analyze the elec- troplating copper baths. Right now, we have four different chemistries. And that particular anal- ysis requires great atten- tion to detail. One set of analyses could take up to three hours. Goldman: Wow, just to analyze everything in it. Chassé: Yes, you must set up your system, ev- erything must be right, and then for the two-species analysis of the one particular bath, it takes about an hour, to- tal. So, if you're walking around the plant and you see the big machine in the back, that can add up to eight different chemistries. We real- ly have to be experts at the utilization of that machine. Goldman: Of course, what you're doing basical- ly are checks. Chassé: Yes, system checks. Goldman: Unless there is something that hap- pens to be out of whack, all your adds and so forth happen automatically. Chassé: That's correct. We have a lot of dos- ing systems on the lines. As long as those are maintained, and nothing goes awry, this is precisely what you said, a system check. Over time, as we develop more time and experience with these new chemistries, we'll have a great- er understanding of how often we have to do these analyses. Goldman: That would be nice, since it is so time- consuming. How fre- quently do you do it now? Chassé: Sometimes twice a day just to make sure. It depends on the work- load, or if something had gone awry, you get your result, you make your correction, and then you have to re- check it. It's a long day. Next to CVS is an- other work station that handles most of the chemistries that we have to analyze in- house: typical acid-base titrations, colorimetric titrations, potentiomet- ric titration, those kinds of things. It's straightforward. You'll see this type of equipment in more laboratories, and it does a really good job. What's nice about that system is it's modular. If something goes awry, it's easy to replace, easy to clean, and easy to fix. Goldman: Now, again, are you analyzing as a check or to make adds? Chassé: Well, it's both. If you're running a new system and you don't have your dosing rates set yet, it could take a week or two weeks. You need a good series of data points to establish what reality is, and then as you make tweaks you can spread out your frequency of analysis. Goldman: You start dialing things in. Chassé: That's right. Ultimately what you want is for it to be a check. But sometimes you must have your start-up analyses done, especially on a Monday. Those are the times when it truly is a start-up analysis, and it's to get to ground zero. Mark Chassé