With the growing need for sustainable manufacturing practices, industries are looking to reduce their dependence on scarce natural resources and attempting to optimize existing processes for better use of materials being consumed. This trend towards eco-friendly operations has also touched upon the electronics manufacturing industry where changes are being made to ensure proper utilization of solder metals being used and prevent wastage from occurring. This is how solder dross and the benefits derived from recycling it have come to light.
What is solder dross?
Wave soldering processes are usually carried out in the presence of air, owing to which there are always chances of the metal alloy being rendered unusable because of oxidation. This unusable alloy is known as solder dross which is usually thrown away as process waste. In reality however, dross is more than 75% pure alloy, which just needs processing and refining to render it reusable again. The process of recycling solder dross, removing its inherent impurities and contaminants and making it pure enough for reuse in PCB assembly process is therefore, needed to make electronics manufacturing and assembly more sustainable and eco-friendly.
What are the benefits of recycling it?
The most obvious benefit of recycling solder dross is the reduced strain on the Earth’s natural resources. When manufacturing processes are optimized for maximum consumption of raw materials through dross recycling, the need for further mining of natural ores is reduced drastically, thereby making these operations easier on the planet. Dross recycling offers additional revenue to the manufacturer as the unusable solder waste can be sold off at reasonable process to recycling companies. The process also helps reduce the amount of electronic waste that makes its way into landfills and garbage dumps in the form of solder dross. Overall, it offers a win-win situation for all stakeholders involved in the PCB manufacturing process.
What is solder dross?
Wave soldering processes are usually carried out in the presence of air, owing to which there are always chances of the metal alloy being rendered unusable because of oxidation. This unusable alloy is known as solder dross which is usually thrown away as process waste. In reality however, dross is more than 75% pure alloy, which just needs processing and refining to render it reusable again. The process of recycling solder dross, removing its inherent impurities and contaminants and making it pure enough for reuse in PCB assembly process is therefore, needed to make electronics manufacturing and assembly more sustainable and eco-friendly.
What are the benefits of recycling it?
The most obvious benefit of recycling solder dross is the reduced strain on the Earth’s natural resources. When manufacturing processes are optimized for maximum consumption of raw materials through dross recycling, the need for further mining of natural ores is reduced drastically, thereby making these operations easier on the planet. Dross recycling offers additional revenue to the manufacturer as the unusable solder waste can be sold off at reasonable process to recycling companies. The process also helps reduce the amount of electronic waste that makes its way into landfills and garbage dumps in the form of solder dross. Overall, it offers a win-win situation for all stakeholders involved in the PCB manufacturing process.
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