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- 16 Plating & Surface Finishing some tests are tougher than others. than with other chrome plating processes Neutral Salt Spray Test Data Taber Abraser Wear Test due to the outstanding process latitude Corrosion of 1 mil deposits I ._ of the HEEF 25 system. 3 II So whatever your chrome plating HEEF 25 f 10 application, use the best. Use HEEF 25 hard chrome plating. Because the real MIXED 39 test isn't in the lab. i CONV. 48 5 3 For more information talk to your 20 17 M & T Harshaw representative or call '0 40 80 120 160 200 HEEF25 MIXED CONV 1-800-PLATINGtoday. HOURS CATALYST Free Details: Circle 1 Won postpaid reader service card. 2 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.