The environmentally unsafe problems of silver reclamation which
Mr. Roubineau referred to, have been eliminated using
the Direct-Write technology for photoplotting.

BARCO ETS's customers successfully use the Direct-Write Imager 
Elise & EliseWriter to generate artwork on direct-write film, such 
as Mastertool from Agfa, in an economical and environmental safe way.
The direct-write film as imaged on the BARCO ETS' imager is indeed
an ecologically safe concept:
- no chemical processing is required - as the artwork is immediately
  ready when imaged.
- direct-write material is scratch-resistant and durable. Therefore 
  less re-plots are required resulting in less waste, compared to 
  silver-halide plots.
- the direct write material consists of a protective PET top coat,
  an extremely thin metallic bismuth layer, a PET base and an 
  antistatic back layer. Bismuth is a heavy metal of a lesser 
  intrinsic toxity than most other heavy metals, as you can see below.
	Toxicity ranking of metals used in the PCB Industry:
	Bismuth < Zn << Sn < Cu << Ag < Pb
- according to the results of an LCA study (Life-Cycle Assessment),
  the impact of the use of direct-write film is only 20% to 30% of 
  the impact that the use of traditional silver halide film has on 
  human toxity, eco toxity and total waste.


Lut De Maertelaere
BARCO ETS
Tel: +32 9 21 69 516
Fax: +32 9 21 69 870
e-mail: [log in to unmask]

***************************************************************************
* TechNet mail list is provided as a service by IPC using SmartList v3.05 *
***************************************************************************
* To subscribe/unsubscribe send a message <to: [log in to unmask]>   *
* with <subject: subscribe/unsubscribe> and no text in the body.          *
***************************************************************************
* If you are having a problem with the IPC TechNet forum please contact   *
* Dmitriy Sklyar at 847-509-9700 ext. 311 or email at [log in to unmask]      *
***************************************************************************