Dross Recovery System

Dross Recovery System

Keywords Earth-Tronics, Soldering, Recovery

Schneider Automation, based in North Andover, Mass. USA, is a manufacturer and marketer of high technology Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC's) and Motion Control Systems. They report a very successful implementation of the Earth-Tronics Dross Recovery System.

Chuck Babcock, Schneider Automations' manufacturing Engineering Manager,says, "The Earth-Tronics Solder Recovery System was installed in our factory in just a couple of hours. The training required was minimal and we immediately started to see dross reduction and solder consumption shrinkage. Before the system was in place, solder volume per month was 1200lbs. And six months later it is 600lbs. With the same manufacturing volumes. The system is easy to operate with little to no down time. It fits into the standard wave solder dross removal process requiring no additional user time. The system provides a clean lead-free environment for the users and actually eliminates lead handling with the automated dross into the bucket system that is built into the system with its optional cart. The machine also satisfies an ISO 14001 compliance issue. Schneider did not have any proactive manufacturing processes in place to reduce waste in compliance with ISO 14001. The Solder Recovery System provided an answer to this issue. At the same time we created savings of $20K per year in solder costs". Schneider Automation is ranked third in the global market place, second in Europe and North America, with plants in US and France. It is a subsidiary of the French based Schneider Electric, a global leader in the electronics industry whose 1998 sales totalled $8.7 billion.

Further information: Graham Norman, Managing Director and Alan Larwood,Financial Director, Earth-Tronics, PO Box 66, Bembridge, Isle of Wight, P035 5YS. Tel: +44 (0) 870 787 1103; Fax: +44 (0) 870 787 1104; E-mail: sales@earth-tronics.com; WWW: www.solder-recovery.com