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10 The PCB Magazine • May 2016 We have included a special report on a col- laborative research project (MACFEST) on ad- vanced formulations for final immersion gold and palladium finishes for future electronic sys- tems. It is authored by Dr. Andrew Ballantyne and Professor Karl Ryder, both with the Univer- sity of Leicester in the UK. Wrapping up this issue we have our most venerated columnist Karl Dietz, with a discus- sion on the levels of electronic packaging along with the material and processing requirements detailed for each level. As usual, clear and con- cise and just the basic info we need, when we need it. In our June issue, we delve into fine features, as in the ever finer lines, spaces, pads and toler- ances that we are all faced with in the continu- ing race towards…what, exactly? Yes, these ev- er-finer features are still manufacturable. Tune in next month to learn more. PCB Patricia Goldman is a 30+ year veteran of the PCB industry, with experience in a variety of areas, including R&D of imaging technologies, wet process engineering, and sales and marketing of PWB chemistry. Active with IPC since 1981, Goldman has chaired numerous committees and served as TAEC chairman, and is also the co-author of numerous technical papers. To contact Goldman, click here. how following this almost-no-capital-involved approach can significantly reduce handling is- sues while increasing efficiency. Immediately following is a short case study by Yash Sutariya of Saturn Electronics/Saturn Flex Systems that provides a real life example of this in action. Happy Holden also weighs in with a case for automation as a means to reduce handling er- rors. Happy thoroughly explains the six classes of automation, ranging from a totally manual operation through 100% automated (recall our article on Whelen Engineering in October's is- sue). He also details some inexpensive ways to automate or reduce handling. Taking a different approach, Dave Becker of All Flex Flexible Circuits discusses the impor- tance of a clean operation to preventing defects. He details the requirements for a cleanroom— ever more important as feature sizes decrease. Is a defect caused by a human hair considered a handling defect? Moving on, we have a series of interview ex- cerpts by our own Pete Starkey from the recent CPCA show in China. Three diverse people offer their thoughts on automation, mainly in Chi- na. It's important to read if only to learn what the thinking is on the other side of the world. Regular columnist Mike Carano of RBP Chemical is on hand to provide us with an ex- cellent primer on imaging for pattern plating. And Todd Kolmodin with Gardien Services USA explains why you need to get individuals ("the hidden 'I' in team") to buy into your quality process in order for it to be successful. GettinG a Handle on HandlinG errors