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122 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2026 In effect, the team wanted to establish a baseline: How well could the system perform using process optimization alone? Initial orientation testing already produced encouraging results. Copper distribution across the production panels measured approximately 9–10%, a level considered acceptable even before any mechanical optimization was performed. Those results raised a natural question: If acceptable distribution could already be achieved, which process variables contributed most to that performance? Isolating the Variables To answer that question, the engineering team con- ducted a structured production-scale study using a nine-run Taguchi screening matrix. Rather than changing multiple aspects of the plating process simultaneously, the investigation focused on three adjustable physical parameters: • Horizontal mechanical agitation • Vertical mechanical agitation • Electrolyte pump pressure All other processing conditions—including panel dimensions, plating chemistry, dwell time, current density profile, and plating module configuration— remained constant throughout the testing. Each plated panel was measured at dozens of locations across its usable surface to evaluate copper thickness distribution while excluding nonfunctional edge regions. This allowed the researchers to isolate the influence of physical motion and electrolyte delivery without introducing additional process variables. Unlike laboratory experiments performed under tightly controlled conditions, these trials were Figure 3: A schematic of the vertical and horizontal mechanical agitation illustrates the variables under study.