Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1538540
Culture is important here at SEL. I get that in every conversation I have. John, now that the factory's been in operation for a couple years, what lessons have you learned? Hendrickson: This has been a fun adventure for sure, and many lessons have been learned. One is that we should have been a little more aggressive on hiring team members up front to learn faster and stay aligned with the project. From a design, equipment, or capability perspective, there are definitely some areas that we should have over- designed versus designed for what we thought we needed. At the time, the cost would have been a lot less than trying to take care of it now. I think truly understanding the impacts of the differ- ent requirements and thinking that through a little more would've been helpful. Hall: Having the depth of understanding we have today, earlier, would have been awesome. Nothing like experience to get to that depth, though. Hendrickson: True. Starting earlier, hiring, and hav- ing more folks would've helped us get there faster. IPS has installed a state-of-the-art automated ENIG plating line at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories' PCB facility in Moscow, Idaho. The 81-foot, fully enclosed line sets a new standard for automation, safety, and efficiency in North American PCB man- ufacturing and represents one of the largest fully enclosed final finish lines in operation. Purpose-built Innovation Unlike typical ENIG setups, the line was elevated to accommodate SEL's above-ground gravity-fed drainage and zero-discharge waste system. Each tank is equipped with continuous level control for automated dosing and stable, unattended oper- ation. Metrics for water use and productivity are continuously tracked for tight process control. Individually jacketed electroless nickel tanks andplate heat exchangers enable fast cooling between batches, while features like 45-degree oscillation and bump vibration improve plating consistency. Advanced Automation and Industry 4.0 Integration The line is fully networked with IPS headquarters, allowing for remote monitoring, diagnostics, and training. Every tank logs data via individual Palm units and integrates directly into SEL's Manufactur- ing Execution System (MES), ensuring traceability and compliance with Industry 4.0 standards. IPS also introduced a closed-loop nitric acid system for nickel stripping, replacing traditional manual handling. This dramatically reduces NOX exposure and enhances operator safety—a sys- tem now being adopted by other facilities. IPS, SEL Raise the Bar for ENIG Automation in North America b y M i k e B r a s k , President, IPS 40 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2025