i

cc 99 for Go .I. G n for the Env!i ron ment- A Positive Outlook for the Year 2000 and Beyond By J.H. Lindsay

Organizers The Past is Prologue- tal equipment, including automaticcon- Session E Setting the Perspective trols and laboratory instrumentation for 1 SUR/FINa ’92-Atlanta For the Year 2000 new process development. Very often, we forget that the key to the In the year 2000 and beyond, Pfaff future lies in reviewing the past. It fell to sees the industry consolidating, but Michael A. Pfaff, vice president-ln- continuing to survive and continuing to dustrial Products Group, MacDermid, meet the challenges of our world. Ac- Inc. and president of the Metal Finish- tivities will be influenced by world stan- ing Suppliers’ Association, to do just dards on specifications and the envi- that. He set the perspective for the coming century and noted that the sur- face finishing industry is driven by tech- Will the Year Zoo0 nology, is environmentally safer and is worldwide in scope. see the supplanting of The surface finishing community was It got that way through a long and “surface finishing” by heartened by the outlook for the indus- eventful history. He reviewed the early “surfaceengineering?” try as envisioned by the participants in days of sacrificial Dr. David R. Gabe a unique and special session on the coating applications conference program at SUR/FlN@’92in (such as cadmium Atlanta. SURFACE FINISHING-THE on piano wire), the YEAR 2000 AND BEYOND took an functional military ronment, computerized instrumenta- expert look at what opportunities, chal- applications of World tion, more specialized finishes and coat- lenges and advances are likely to exist War II and the glory ings. World standards of the highest in the surface finishing field at the start years of automotive level, such as the IS09000 being pro- oi the next century, and beyond, just decorative trim, muigatea in rne European Community, over seven short years away. The orga- Pfaff plated plastics and will set the pace of quality and reliabil- nizers of this session were J. Howard electronics applications up to the 1960s. ity. In terms of environment, regula- I Schumacher, Jr., AESF Executive Di- The picture changed in the 1970s with tions will be worldwide in scope and will rector, and AESF Past President James the energy crisis and the emergence of tend to level the playing field, as far as E. Voytko, CEF, of the U.S. Department strict environmental and safety regula- world competition is concerned. Zero of Energy, and it was ably moderated tions, which changed much of the focus discharge will be the primary objective. t- by AESF Past President Jack Dini, of of metal finishing technology. Many Advances in computerized controls will Lawrence Livermore Laboratories. regulatory challenges have been met be of such a major impact that they will It is no surprise that the environment and are continuing to be met today. revolutionize certain types of finishing. 4 and the survival of the industry were the With this historical perspective in The increasing ability to process smaller primary concerns addressed in this fo- mind, Pfaff reviewed present needs and parts and analyze down to lower limits rum. What was heartening was the posi- how they will be met in the future. In- will accelerate developments. Minia- tive outlook on both. As Schumacher creased production yields, expanded turization of electronics will proceed noted in his introductory remarks, “The specifications and improved reliability apace and render circuit board finish- members of this industry ... are as con- are major objectives. Specificadvances ing as the largest plating operation. cerned about environmental problems and improvements in reliable fastener Increased requirements for functional as anyone else.” Responding to those finishes, EMI/RFI shielding, electroless coatings-remember the high world needs, the industry has already shown nickel properties, and more environ- standards-will accelerate the devel- that in metal finishing technology, the mentally-compatible nickel-chromium opment and use of multilayer alloycoat- environment can be improved with re- decorative systems, are examples of ings and special topcoats. Reflecting duction in operating costs and increases current technological progress. Capital worldwide trends, technical societies in product quality. With the attitudes of spending is focusing on advanced tech- are expected to amalgamate and em- the industry, these trends will continue. nologies for process and environmen- phasize a global focus. The interna-

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tional activity of the AESF is laying the thinking. The CFCs are to be phased the ones that we have been hearing groundwork for this expanded outlook. out completely by 1997. Carbon tetra- about lately, such as physical vapor By virtue of its size, the international chloride, halons and 1,l,I -trichloro- deposition, sputtering, conversion coat- scope of surface finishing includes a ing and the like. Other venerable tried- variety of geographic viewpoints that and-true techniques, including metal do not necessarily encompass all as- spraying and hot dipping, will be receiv- pects of the North American perspec- ,, , Cooperation in ing more attention. Dr. Gabe noted that tive. In particular, the outlooks from the metal sprayers don’t often talk with Europe and the AsidPacific region are finishing technology the electroplaters. The turn of the cen- vital to any discussion of the future of lies in the activities of tury will see an embracing of all coating surface finishing technology. technical societies and technologies for optimum use and envi- ronmental soundness. The European Viewpoint trade associations ,. , Dr. Gabe cautioned against jumping The-political devel- Charles Kimzey to conclusions on the impact of future opments since the technologies. Additional time is still ~~ end of World War II needed to properly assess the role of have fundamentally ethane are scheduled to be totally physical and chemical vapor deposi- influenced the Euro- banned by 1998, 2000 and 2005, re- tion in the scheme of things. Dr. Gabe pean view. Dr. David spectively. Environmental matters are concluded by posing this challenge: R. Gabe, director of transnational and must be met head- Will the Year 2000 see the supplanting the Institute of Poly- on, in a transnational context. of “surface finishing” by “surface engi- merTechnology and Resource issues also fit into the equa- neering?” Will your Society become Gabe Materials Engineer- tion for the coming century. Metal re- the AESE?Perhaps, he said, we should ingat Loughborough source predictions have been found to be “broadening our perspective, broad- University of Technology, in the United be unreliable in the past and must be ening our base and perhaps we should Kingdom, put things in a historical con- approached with caution. Water re- be taking on the engineers, and not text by citing: sources and the infrastructure for get- kowtowing to them.” The American government’s aid in ting it to where it is needed will influ- rebuilding Europewith the Marshall Plan; ence the cost of water and finish pro- The Asia-Pacific Perspective The rise and fall of Communism in cessing. Proper handling of water re- The surface finishing industry in the Eastern Europe; and sources leads to effective effluent treat- Asia-Pacific region has influences that The trends toward economic unifi- ment and the positive results that come differ from those of Europe. Among the cation in Western Europe, including the from it: more metal recovery, less water factors have been European Economic Community and consumption (because of recycling), and the tremendous theTreaty of Maastricht. less chemical usage for precipitation. growth in consumer The Treatyof Maastricht has spawned electronics manu- a strong legal environmental compo- facture in the 1980s nent in matters of “Euro-development.” and the current Dr. Gabe listed a number of strong- change in empha- sounding buzzwords that have yet to sis from consumer make a real impact on North American to industrial appli- shores, including “eco-auditing,” “en- cations. The future Hayashi ergy accounting,” “eco-counseling,” and of the surface fin- the ominous-sounding “eco-crime” or ishing industry in this region was ably “environmental crime.” The environ- discussed by Professor Tadao Hayashi, ment, therefore, is a major factor in the Professor Emeritus, University of Osaka development of the surface finishing Prefecture, and 1990 AESF Scientific industry in the Year 2000 and beyond. Achievement Award recipient. Metal toxicities are basic to deter- As with other regions in the world, mining toxic limits, and yet the data for environmental issues are of paramount specific metals is incomplete, ambigu- concern in the industry, particularly in ous and not well understood. For ex- regard to effluent treatment. While the ample, the literature shows toxic limits regulations may differ from country to for cadmium ranging from 50 to 2000 pg1 country, common technological goals day. Chromium toxicity must be consid- for solving environment problems and ered in the context of its chemical state: meeting regulations are apparent. Metal, trivalent or hexavalent. The re- The emphasis in the Asia/Pacific re- i placement of chromates with molyb- European thinking will focus more on gion is on technology, particularly in dates is being explored, but informa- coating methods other than just elec- electronics areas. Professor Hayashi tion on the toxicity of molybdates is troplating. A multitude of coating tech- noted that future technologies in sur- sparse indeed. As Dr. Gabe put it, “More niques will have to be assessed ac- face finishing can often be inferred from information is needed.” cording to criteria such as environmen- the titles of the technical papers pub- I Solvents and the ozone layer are tal impact, thickness, cost and applica- lished today. In reviewing the titles major issues in European Community tion. These methods are not limited to published in Japan during the last 35

September 1992 17 years, electronics comprised 45% of One measure in gauging future trends of the Cold War is that the resources of 1 the total. Other subjects were funda- in Asia is in the projected manufacture these institutions are more available to mental concepts (15%), composites of printed wiring boards. From 1980 to the private sector, both in terms of tech- (15%), coated automotive sheet steels 1990, production of printed wiring nology transfer and governmenthndus- (1 1”/.), precious metals (1 OY0) and plat- boards quadrupled, and the Asian share try cooperation on new projects. The ing of oxides and superconductors (4%). increased from 35 to 40%. By the year new opportunities available here were This suggests that the emphasis on 2000, production is expected to double described by Roy Hamil of Sandia Labo- electronics and miniaturization will con- again, reflecting a share increase to ratories. The National Competitiveness tinue into the year 2000 and beyond. 44%. Multilayer printed circuit boards Technology Transfer Act of 1989 New trends in plating, particularly in will increase in complexity as will the spawned the concept of a Cooperative Japan, have addressed both techno- technology to manufacture them; what Research and Development Agree- logical and environmental issues and is commonly 12 layers today will con- ment, or CRADA, between government will have increasing impact in the next sist of 18, 24 or 30 layers over the next and industry on individual technologies century. Non-cyanide silver plating pro- 10 years. or projects. Non-cyanide gold plating - cesses have been developed for steel was cited as an example. For the sur- wire and other applications. Low con- Technology Transfer face finishing industry, this means that & Government/lndustry another technology resource is avail- Cooperation able that will provide real payoffs by the Multilayer printed circuit Other speakers in the session dealt with Year 2000 and beyond. broader matters which, while extending Probably the paramount example of boards will increase in beyond the scope of surface finishing high technology today is the American complexify as will the technology, certainly influence it and pro- space program. Although tempered on vide newopportunitiesfor it. These areas technology to manu- were manufacturingtechnology and gov- facture them ... ernmenyindustry collaboration. ,, , The paramount Dr. Tadao Hyashi The Manufacturing Technology Pro- gram of the U. S. Department of De- example of high fense was described by Charles technology today is centration baths, which, in essence, Kimzey, chief, Manufacturing Programs the American space reduce “inventory” and waste treatment, Division in the Office of the Secretary of are a major avenue of development. Defense. The program addresses the program. These include low-concentration chro- venerable problem of shrinking bud- Mitch Mendrek mium and low-cyanide zinc processes. gets, increasing costs and increasing Marshall Space Flight Center Dr. Hayashi noted that amorphous time required to develop a product and materials have also been given serious get it out the door. Kimzey described attention, because of the unique prop- the concept of “agile manufacturing,” occasion by setbacks, the successes erties of these materials. Both electro- which, in effect, involves the harness- of this program have excited the imagi- lytic and electroless processes have ing of human resources to an extent not nations of people around the world. been developed for a multitude of alloy traditionally found in American indus- This program is by nature focussed on combinations, including nickel-phos- try With emphasis on the people side the next century and it, too, has finish- phorus, nickel-tungsten, bismuth-sele- of management systems, agile manu- ing applications, as outlined by Mitch nium and iron-tungsten, among others. facturing requires a more knowledge- Mendrek of the Marshall Space Flight An electroless palladium-phosphorus able workforce, innovative, non-rigid Center in Huntsville, Alabama. deposit has been found to impart heat- management structures and flexible Chromates and zinc-rich primers are resistance on printed wiring boards. technologies. This overall flexibility and among the finishes applied to surfaces Each material may find its way into increased cooperation (even between of booster rockets for corrosion resis- tomorrow’s application technologies. firms) is intended to increase quality tance. In orderto ensure the availability and customer satisfaction with the re- of the space shuttle well into the 21st sources available. For century, the environmental problems the surface finishing in- associated with hexavalent chromium dustry in the next cen- and with volatile organic components tury, such concepts can will require new environmentally- be used to extend the friendly technologies. The development reach and capabilities of and qualification of new processes and the technology that will materials will provide opportunities for be on hand in those the surface finishing industry in the next years. century’s endeavors in space. Over the past several Kimzey’s talk emphasized coopera- decades, a multitude of tion in manufacturing. The primary av- government laborato- enue of cooperation in finishing tech- ries have generated a nology lies in the activities of technical Dr. Gabe surmised that “surface finishing” may be “surface profusion of technology societies and trade associations, and, engineering” in the year 2000. To support his case. he informed the audience of these topics discussed at the ‘Green Surface in avariety of fields. One in particular, our own American Treatment’ conference in London, April 1992. ofthe benefitsoftheend Electroplaters and Surface Finishers

18 Plating & Surface Finishing 4 n 3 Society. Richard Watson, CEF, who is Environment and education com- Technical Sessions sponsored at AESF now our new AESF president for 1992- prised the primary topics of concern in Technical Conferences, providing some 93, outlined the role and future of the discussion that followed the formal “good news” to an industy that can this Society into the next century. program. There was serious discus- certainly use it at this time, and was a Watson commented that the AESF will sion as to whether we are spending a worthy effort. With hard work, dedica- be celebrating its disproportionate amount of resources tion and international cooperation, the 91st anniversary in on environmental matters. Watson surface finishing industry can survive the Year 2000. The noted that if regulations develop on a and flourish; additional benefits of co- outlook is decidedly worldwide basis, thereby leveling the operation include improved environ- optimistic, he said, playing field, the world economy will ment, improved product quality, reduced and the operating determine the pace. Dr. Gabe observed costs and advanced technology. words will be “inter- that priorities have to be established. national’’ and “envi- That is, should we spend money clean- ro nmen tal. ” ing up other countries that have very About the Author The environmen- little pollution control or should we de- Dr. James H. Lind- tal side of the coin vote the resources to cleaning up the say is a staff re- will grow from the harmonious relation- already comparatively pure advanced search engineer in shipestablished with the U. s. Environ- industrialized countries? It remains to the physical chem- mental Protection Agency over the last determine in which direction the money istry dept., General 15 years. The joint conferences, regu- is better spent. Motors Research latory updates and jointly-funded The other prime concern discussed Laboratories, projects with the AESF Research Pro- was the critical need for future engi- 30500 Mound Rd., gram are evidence of that cooperation. neers and scientists in the surface fin- Warren, MI 48090- Watson noted that international envi- ishing field. Materials science, in gen- 9055. He holds BS ronmental regulation is an inevitable eral, is receiving reduced interest from and MS degrees in mechanical and trend, and the AESF/EPA relationship the upcoming generation and this trend metallurgical engineering, respectively, will continue into that international must be reversed. It was noted that a and a PhD in metallurgy from Penn arena. Further, the AESF Research major need exists and a major impact State University. Now serving as con- Program, which has included 23 program is essential. tributing technical editor for P&SF, he projects related to the environment, will SURFACE FINISHING- THE YEAR is a member of the Research Board and continue to sponsor worthwhile envi- 2000 AND BEYOND was unique in the the Scientific Achievement Committee. ronmental programs. The input of re- I * lated Committees, such as the Environ- mental Committee, should enhance the quality of this output. GETTHE EDGEON The international aspects of the Soci- ety will deal with the prospect of world- wide specifications and technologytrans- fer. Foreign language supplements to EARTH-FRIENDLY Plating and Surface Finishing will ex- pand the audience and extend the range to which surface finishing knowledge is CHEMISTRIES sent. The membershipofthe AESFin the We provide a complete line of surface-active chemistriec environmentally effective for: ., . New processes metal cleaning and materials will foam suppressioIn provide opportunities resist stripping for the surface finishing coagulation industry... biocidal activity Mitch Mendrek Far €ast ! InternationalUnion for Surface Finishing PLASCHEM PT~LTD. (IUSF) and the European Academy of Ang Mo Kio Ind. Park 2 EUROPE: i Science and Technology (EAST) will fos- ter further international cooperation and Block 5073, #03-1614 P.O. BOX60 04 18 communication in the surface finishing RS-2056 Singapore D-8000 Munchen 60 field. The discussions that ensue will Tel: (65) 4823140 Tel: (49) 89-832013 surely address the point that Dr. Gabe raised on surface finishing versus sur- Fax: (65) 4823141 Fax: (49) 89-8204369 b 4 face engineering. Free Details: Circle 109 on postpaid reader service card.

September 1992 19