4 Environmental Considerations in PCB Assembly

These days, pressing environmental concerns are at the centre of discussions in nearly every industry, as the global push for a decreased carbon footprint continues. This is certainly no different when it comes to printed circuit board (PCB) and electronics manufacturing.

While the assembly of PCBs is integral to the production of electronic products of all types, this process also has a significant impact on the environment. This impact encompasses various stages of the assembly process, from the selection of materials to the management of waste.

Since the consequences of these negative impacts are dire, and one of the goals of the PCB manufacturing industry is to become more sustainable, it is essential that these issues are tackled head-on and alternative approaches are considered.

Main Environmental Factors to Consider for PCB Assembly

If the industry is to achieve its goal of going green and reducing its carbon footprint, the first step must be to identify the problem areas and consider where corrective measures should be focused.

While a number of aspects of the PCB assembly process could benefit from change and innovation, a few areas in particular deserve special attention for a more sustainable future. These areas include the following:

1. Pollution control in PCB assembly

During different stages of the PCB assembly process, significant amounts of chemicals are utilized for various reasons. How these chemicals are disposed of when they are no longer needed can have a serious impact on the environment. Certain chemicals can produce hazardous reactions, generate toxic fumes, or result in violent heat when they are mixed together and should thus be kept apart. 

In addition, many of the wastes produced during the PCB assembly process are metal-bearing. If there is a high concentration of heavy metals in this effluent, such as Cu, Fe, or Cr, it could be very harmful to biological processes. 

To protect the environment against such concerns, civic authorities must adopt strict regulations relating to the disposal of this effluent and sludge, and impose severe penalties for non-compliance. This will force PCB manufacturers to take pollution control seriously.

PCB manufacturers should adopt measures to neutralize spent chemicals to reduce the volume of toxic materials. It is crucial that they avoid flushing toxic materials down sewers or sanitary drains and never mix hazardous waste with normal garbage destined for landfills.

2. Air emissions in PCB assembly

Manufacturing PCBs can also lead to air emissions from hydrochloric, sulfuric, nitric, phosphoric, and acetic acids.

In addition, throughout the assembly process, problematic vapours can stem from ammonia and chlorine. Organic solvent vapours can come from acetone, isopropanol, trichloroethylene, petroleum distillates, xylene, acetate, and other ozone-depleting substances. These toxic air emissions are particularly common in the fumes formed during the soldering process.

To combat the negative effects triggered by these emissions, many PCB production facilities are beginning to invest in advanced filtration and scrubber systems to capture and neutralize toxic fumes and particulates.

The industry is also shifting towards using safer materials, such as lead-free solder and more environmentally friendly fluxes. As innovations in material science continue to develop, it will have a positive impact on the safety of these materials. 

As cleaner production techniques, such as minimizing the use of solvents, become increasingly commonplace, hazardous air emissions will be kept from reaching concerning levels.

3. Energy consumption in PCB assembly

Throughout the PCB manufacturing process, a substantial amount of energy is generally consumed. At its core, this energy consumption is driven by the various stages of production, each of which comes with its own energy demands. 

For instance, in surface mount technology (SMT) assembly, high-temperature reflow soldering ovens are used in order to form reliable solder joints. However, these ovens operate at temperatures exceeding 200°C (392°F), and consume a vast amount of energy to maintain these temperatures throughout the production cycle. 

In addition to reflow soldering, other stages, such as solder paste printing, component placement, and curing processes, also contribute to the overall energy usage. Large-scale operations often have multiple machines running simultaneously, which amplifies their total energy footprint. 

To mitigate the impact of high energy consumption, it would help to invest in more energy-efficient equipment, such as those that feature improved insulation, variable-speed motors, and advanced heating controls. This will reduce energy consumption without compromising on performance.

It also helps to streamline manufacturing processes to minimize energy waste. This can be done by implementing smart controls and automation to manage energy-intensive stages better.

4. Additive processes in PCB assembly

Currently, multistep subtractive processes are common in PCB manufacturing, which removes waste and unneeded materials. For instance, traditional PCB assembly methods involve removing excess copper and other materials from a larger sheet.

To eliminate such wasteful subtractive processes, it is necessary to embrace more additive PCB printing solutions using 3D printed electronics, conformal electronics, aerosol, and inkjet and laser printing, as these methods only apply the material that is needed. 

A design team can use additive processes to build schematics and layouts in PCB design software, make sure the work complies with design rules, manipulate the design in MCAD and ECAD environments, and then export the completed design to a printer so that traces can be printed directly onto the substrate.

The added benefit of this approach is that atchants and photomasks are not required, cutting out unnecessary use of toxic substances.

How Circuits Central Can Help You Assemble PCBs Without Harming the Environment

Although there are many ways that the PCB assembly process could potentially have negative environmental impacts, if you work with a reliable, environmentally conscious manufacturer like Circuits Central, this will not be a concern.

As seasoned experts in PCB and electronics manufacturing, we have a solid grasp of how to face this complex process with varied approaches. We integrate the latest and most innovative strategies into our work, which allows us to produce sustainable end products.

We offer a full spectrum of PCB manufacturing services. So, no matter what you need, from PCB designing and prototyping to assembly and testing, we can handle it with confidence.

At Circuits Central, we employ stringent and rigorous inspection and testing protocols developed by our experts to ensure your PCBs meet the demands of your industry.

Our production facility is also flexible by design. This allows us to manage varying production demands and manufacture PCBs in different quantities according to your needs. Leverage the knowledge, skill, and experience of our team of PCB experts for your next PCB-related project, and the results will speak for themselves.

For more information about how we can help you with PCB assembly, or to learn more about all our different PCB-related services, call Circuits Central at 1 (888) 602-7264 or contact us here.