Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1517668
14 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2024 e sludge generation is another key piece. We use electrochemistry and physical treat- ment methods instead of chemicals. I regener- ate membranes with electrolysis. I'm not using sulfuric acid and caustic to regenerate mem- branes, which creates even more sludge that you can't put down the drain in zero-waste mode. is is a massive chemical reduction, using 98% less chemistry than a typical sys- tem, and no proprietary chemicals at all. e existing waste treatment industry is somewhat of a chemical mafia, and we are disrupting this. ey insist that you need these chemicals and consumables because it is their cash cow. Matties: You're not using a sludge press. We centrifuge it continuously into a roll-off at equivalent dryness, so nobody touches any- thing. at is another key element. Johnson: What about scalability? is new combination of technology scales very well. At the low end, in a small shop doing 30,000 to 100,000 gallons of water a day, our new design vs. a traditional-method system carries a three- to five-year ROI. But the big systems that you see in Southeast Asia, which might be more common here with CHIPS Act investments, have the ROI down to six to 12 months. It's encouraged by money, not the government. It is a decision people want to make even if they already have a system. e investment return is very high because you're able to make DI water inexpensively from your waste, and you don't need a permit. e capi- tal cost has been reduced significantly with the new equipment components, and those sav- ings add up. Marcy LaRont: You focus on ZLD, which deals with the issues of water and chemical consumption and waste output. This is huge for environmental sustainability in how we operate our businesses but how is sustain- ability defined in the larger sense for the bare board fabricator? First and foremost, sustainability has to do with the ability to be profitable and remain in busi- ness. In business, you have two focus points: your red/black P&L line (which you want to keep in the black), and the blue or valuation line. What is the blue line in your business? Is your value growing or shrinking? What's the risk in your business? Risk comes from high labor costs and low-cost foreign competitors in the market. How do you address this? No one wants to pay $10,000 for an iPhone just to restore it. I've historically focused on North America and Europe. e big challenge in both regions is that everything has become uncompetitive on a global basis, with very high labor costs. PCBs made in the U.S. are five to 10 times more than overseas prices. European PCBs are lower cost on average, but still high. e deci- sion to buy in these regions generally has to do with a company's tolerance for strategic risk. Today, that cost is very high, and aside from a very few exceptions, China + 1 means ASEAN with a pinch of India, and not reshoring to the West. Right now, you see investments in the U.S. market. Are those sustainable? Currently, there are not enough people to do the work, and Alex Stepinski