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| Waste solder recycling facility |
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Ricoh Microelectronics Co., Ltd. (RME) developed technology to collect and reuse unused paste solder generated during the manufacturing process for printed circuit boards, jointly with the Tottori University of Environmental Studies. The use of paste solder in manufacturing printed circuit boards was under strict control in order to maintain the quality of the solder, and paste solder exceeding the time limit had to be thrown away. The introduction of lead-free products, however, led to higher solder costs, causing a heavy cost burden. Using recently developed technology, paste solder is heated on the spot and separated cleanly into metal solder and solvent, which are collected and used in other processes.
The original technology including the separation method and automatic control was adopted in the newly installed facility, which realizes steady treatment of solder. As a result, no more solder is disposed of, which has reduced both purchasing and disposal costs. The technology, which is expected to contribute widely to society by solving common problems in the manufacturing of printed circuit boards, was awarded an Excellent Performance Award at the Fiscal 2006 Awards for Resource-Recycling Technology and Systems hosted by the Clean Japan Center.
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