-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Growing Industry
In this issue of PCB007 Magazine, we talk with leading economic experts, advocacy specialists in Washington, D.C., and PCB company leadership to get a well-rounded picture of what’s happening in the industry today. Don’t miss it.
The Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
The Fabricator’s Guide to IPC APEX EXPO
This issue previews many of the important events taking place at this year's show and highlights some changes and opportunities. So, buckle up. We are counting down to IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
Happy’s Essential Skills: Engineering Economics (ROI)
August 10, 2016 | Happy HoldenEstimated reading time: 6 minutes
Copper/tin pattern plating line with rack strip: $400,000USD plus $15,000 installation, purchased in 1991, eight-year operating life, five-year depreciation
Capacity: 500 18" X 24" (450 mm X 600 mm) panels per shift. Load: 2 rows of 4 panels.
Process: load- micro etch- rinse- rinse- sulfuric acid- copper plate- dragout- rinse- fluoroboric acid- tin- dragout rinse- rinse- dry- unload- rack strip- dragout rinse- rinse- load.
Figure 2: ROI payback worksheet.
Figure 3: Cash flows for plating investment.
The equivalent interest rate that could be earned on the investment of $400,000 + $15,000 installation and startup is:
35.0% interest; this is the ROI, as calculated in Figure 2 and summarized in Figure 3 with its cash flows.
These tradeoffs can be seen in Figure 4, where I have calculated the cost of manual production for electroless copper and electroplating copper/tin versus four automation strategies.
Figure 4: a) Electroless copper curves of manual versus automatic cost per square foot; b) electroplating copper/tin curves of manual versus automatic cost per square foot[2].
Other Engineering Spreadsheets
Figure 2 shows an Excel Worksheet for the automation ROI. Other typical engineering spreadsheets could be:
- Major Equipment—New equipment versus old equipment or manual labor
- Yield Improvements—Yield improvement using new materials, process and machines
- Process Change—Process improvement using new materials, process and machines
- Technology Acquisition—Technology acquisition using new materials, process and machines
- Material Changes—Justification for changing materials
- Environmental Improvement—Justification for changing environment/energy equipment, processes or materials
- Safety Improvement—Justification for changing safety equipment, processes or materials
- Customer Required Change—Justification for changing materials or processes for a customer
Page 2 of 3
Suggested Items
Designer’s Notebook: What Designers Need to Know About Manufacturing, Part 2
04/24/2024 | Vern Solberg -- Column: Designer's NotebookThe printed circuit board (PCB) is the primary base element for providing the interconnect platform for mounting and electrically joining electronic components. When assessing PCB design complexity, first consider the component area and board area ratio. If the surface area for the component interface is restricted, it may justify adopting multilayer or multilayer sequential buildup (SBU) PCB fabrication to enable a more efficient sub-surface circuit interconnect.
Insulectro’s 'Storekeepers' Extend Their Welcome to Technology Village at IPC APEX EXPO
04/03/2024 | InsulectroInsulectro, the largest distributor of materials for use in the manufacture of PCBs and printed electronics, welcomes attendees to its TECHNOLOGY VILLAGE during this year’s IPC APEX EXPO at the Anaheim Convention Center, April 9-11, 2024.
ENNOVI Introduces a New Flexible Circuit Production Process for Low Voltage Connectivity in EV Battery Cell Contacting Systems
04/03/2024 | PRNewswireENNOVI, a mobility electrification solutions partner, introduces a more advanced and sustainable way of producing flexible circuits for low voltage signals in electric vehicle (EV) battery cell contacting systems.
Heavy Copper PCBs: Bridging the Gap Between Design and Fabrication, Part 1
04/01/2024 | Yash Sutariya, Saturn Electronics ServicesThey call me Sparky. This is due to my talent for getting shocked by a variety of voltages and because I cannot seem to keep my hands out of power control cabinets. While I do not have the time to throw the knife switch to the off position, that doesn’t stop me from sticking screwdrivers into the fuse boxes. In all honesty, I’m lucky to be alive. Fortunately, I also have a talent for building high-voltage heavy copper circuit boards. Since this is where I spend most of my time, I can guide you through some potential design for manufacturability (DFM) hazards you may encounter with heavy copper design.
Trouble in Your Tank: Supporting IC Substrates and Advanced Packaging, Part 5
03/19/2024 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankDirect metallization systems based on conductive graphite or carbon dispersion are quickly gaining acceptance worldwide. Indeed, the environmental and productivity gains one can achieve with these processes are outstanding. In today’s highly competitive and litigious environment, direct metallization reduces costs associated with compliance, waste treatment, and legal issues related to chemical exposure. What makes these processes leaders in the direct metallization space?