Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1471044
JUNE 2022 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 9 As we found, though the plating process itself hasn't changed much over time, there have b e e n s e v e r a l u p d a t e s i n the plating process, including process con- trol, plating rack s, and additives that enhance throwi ng power. Power sup- plies have come a long way in just the past decade or so, and newer tanks allow engi- neers to custom- ize the amount of agitation and solution flow. A process engineer from 1972 would have quite a few que st ions ab out t o d a y ' s p l a t i n g equipment, no doubt. So, in thi s i s s ue, our contributors share a var iet y of strate - g i e s f o r o p t i m i z i n g t h e i r p l a t i n g p r o - cesses to carry them into the future. We also look at current trends in plating equipment, pro- cesses, and chemicals, as well as challenges and opportunities for improvement, and areas for eliminating more waste. And we shine a light on measurement and instrumen- tation. In a segment where measurement is king, why hasn't the measuring equipment used to analyze the concentration of additives in chip manufacturing been tailored to the PCB segment? We begin with a feature interview with I-Connect007 columnist Michael Carano. As he points out, even with developments in the plating process, the successful plating opera- Andy Shaughnessy is managing editor of Design007 Magazine and co-managing editor for PCB007 Magazine. He has been covering PCB design for 20 years. He can be reached by clicking here. tor must have a solid understand- ing of fundamentals such as Faraday's Law and Ohm's Law, as well as the ability to control every process as tightly as possible. In an interview, Christo- pher Bonsell provides an update on the lat- est in PCB plating, w ith chal lenge s, opportunities, and what state-of-the- art means in this segment today. G e o r g e M i l a d of f er s a pr imer on elec tro p lat- ing , elec tro le s s, a n d i m m e r s i o n plating techniques, and s ome adv ice f o r e n g i n e e r s facing difficulties in plating. Denis Jacques discusses a n o l d p r o c e s s t h a t 's m a k i ng i t s way back into the fold: silver plating. Finally, we have an e x c e r p t f r o m Ha p p y Holden's book , Automation and Advanced Procedures in PCB Fabrication. We also have columns from our regular contributors Hannah Nelson, Christopher Bonsell, Happy Holden, and Dave Hernan- dez, who recognizes the work IPC is doing to advance manufacturing in Mexico. I think we would make the Egyptians proud. PCB007