Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1193979
68 PCB007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2019 Nichols: People need to know that there's intel- ligent equipment that can adjust and/or moni- tor their processes. But they have to be ser- viced, or they can make slight adjustments to the online dosing system to keep it correct. You need to embrace the technology. Matties: And you've seen this firsthand and know what someone should expect for ROI. If they're embracing technology, that means they're going to be investing some money. Nichols: For a fairly complicated system, the top end is currently around $215,000–250,000. I'm talking electroless copper analysis in real terms for scrapping panels. Let's say your pan- el is $10,000, depending on military aerospace. Matties: And with the digital process control, the yields would go up. Nichols: Even if you don't increase the yields, you will prolong good yields. You don't get the fallouts. Matties: The fallouts are the problem. Nichols: Exactly. At GreenSource, for example, in their lab, they have the ability to monitor ev- ery line from the lab. I hadn't seen that before. Matties: I think that's where people need to head. Nichols: In populating assembly houses or wa- fer shops, where they are automated, the dif- ference is that it's not a process, while PCBs still involve a process. You still have a solution that can last months or years, so it fluctuates. Things are changing. Whereas in wafer fabri- cation, they do three, four, or five wafers, and throw it away. Can you make them? It's not a process, so that's the difficulty with PCBs and why you need process control. Matties: I appreciate that information. That's very helpful. Thank you very much. Nichols: Thank you. PCB007 Editor Pete Starkey and Nicola Doria discuss some of the changes that have taken place at Pluritec over the past few years. productronica 2019: Pluritec Takes Industry 4.0 to the Next Level