To all,

In an effort to reduce cost, our boards manufacturers are proposing to 
remove the requirements for etchback.  This is reported to be a saving of 
10-15% of the bare board.  For an equipment subject to be used in an 
environment which may be similar to a car and possibly marine types, 
questions are:

1- Do we put ourselves in a position where reliability will drop 
significantly if etchback is not specified?

2- Is etchback normally used in the automotive industry for multi-layer 
board if used?  If not what alternative to use?

3- Is the 10-15% cost reduction realistic?

4- General consumables like computers, are they using this process?


Any other comments would be appreciated.


Alain Fouquet
Canadian Marconi Company
Ville Saint-Laurent, QC, Canada
email: [log in to unmask]