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24 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2022 Getting answers to these questions can tell you a lot about the supplier you are getting chemicals or equipment from. Whether they can provide the support you need can make a big difference. e last thing anyone wants is to be stuck with a piece of equipment, with- out training, to figure it out for themselves. Also, if something goes wrong with your plat- ing equipment, you want to know that there is a way forward to receive help and fix the prob- lem. Shaughnessy: ere's been a lot of talk about smart processes and increased automation in PCB fabrication. Are you seeing innovations like this in the industry today? Bonsell: Yes. ere has certainly been a surge in automation throughout the industry. Auto- mation has been primarily adopted into the loading and unloading sections of processes like plating. Robotic loading/unloading sys- tems have grown in popularity as they become easier to use. ese loading systems offer great opportunities for maintaining product quality and boosting production while being relatively inexpensive. Shaughnessy: What are the biggest challenges and opportunities in plating right now? Bonsell: e biggest challenge in plating right now is overcoming the knowledge gap. Most of the knowledge in plating comes from the man- ufacturers/suppliers of plating equipment and chemicals—this is why I recommend going with a knowledgeable supplier. It is becoming more difficult to obtain engineers with hands- on experience in the plating process for PCB production. For this reason, engineers oen need to be trained by the manufacturer or sup- plier. And as I mentioned, automation pro- vides a variety of opportunities in this space. Shaughnessy: Some of our readers are eyeing retirement, but we do see more young people coming into this field now. What advice would you give to young process engineers who are just starting out in plating? Bonsell: e best advice I can give to new engi- neers is to network and document your learn- ing and training. If you want to learn more about plating, it is best to learn from the people who have experi- ence with it. When you find someone experi- enced, you should try to maintain a connection with them so that you can feel free to ask ques- tions and receive feedback on your thoughts. If you get the chance to work with someone experienced, you should observe how they approach problems. Any bit of insight that they can offer will be useful. Don't just document your learning and train- ing; record these steps in your ongoing educa- tion as if you are writing them for someone else so that they can understand. Writing this way will significantly help you track all the knowledge you acquired, and this will help you if you need to train someone else and get them up to speed. Shaughnessy: anks for your time, Christopher. Bonsell: ank you, Andy. PCB007 Read this month's The Chemical Connection column on page 58. Christopher Bonsell