Printed Circuits, Inc. Invests in ENIG/ENEPIG Plating Line

Printed Circuits, Inc. (Minneapolis, MN) has added a Uyemura ENIG/ENEPIG plating line to their wet process area - giving customers the ability to specify a traditional ENIG final finish on their circuit boards, or an option for the newer ENEPIG plating.

ENEPIG has shown excellent results in mixed technology assemblies, where surface mount components are integrated in the same board with soft wire bondable gold devices.  Having a single solution improves PWB manufacturing yields, wire bond joint pull tests, and surface mount solder joints at the same time.

Prior to electroless processing,  PWB fabricators used a thin electroplated gold deposit for all of the surface mount pads, to prevent solder joint embrittlement.  They would then reimage and electroplate a thicker deposit for the soft wire bondable gold areas.  The multiple passes in imaging and electroplating always suffer yield loss in both bare board fabrication and assembly.

ENEPIG allows PWB manufacturers single pass final finish, with high reliability assembly yields on both wire bondable and surface mount components.

 "We have a couple of customers who have evaluated ENEPIG with excellent results in both wire bond pull strength as well as surface mount survivability in high reliability applications.  Interest in the technology seems to be growing and we want to anticipate our customers' future requirements" said Ken Tannehill, President and CEO of Printed Circuits.  "This new line gives us the flexibility to provide either finish for our partners."