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PCMI Fall 2022 Conference

Lawson Lightfoot, Christopher Bonsell, and Mike Soble at the PCMI Conference in Phoenix
Lawson Lightfoot (Left), Christopher Bonsell (Middle), and Mike Soble (Right) at the PCMI Conference in Phoenix.

Chemcut recently attended the PCMI’s most recent conference in Phoenix, Arizona. There, Chemcut sent 3 people to represent the company: Lawson Lightfoot (Chemcut Representative in Europe), Christopher Bonsell (Chemical Process Engineer), and Mike Soble (Technical Sales Manager). At this conference, the PCMI provided a pre-conference tour to experience Sedona Arizona, technical presentations, and a tour of a chemical machining facility in Phoenix.

Pre-conference tour

Before the conference took place, the PCMI organized a trip to Sedona. In Sedona, attendees were given a tour of Sedona’s landmarks and astonishing scenery via the Pink Jeep Tours.

Pink Jeep Tour Picture
One of the Pink Jeeps used in the Sedona tour.
A picture taken during the Pink Jeep Tour

Presentations

Eric Kemperman presenting a gift to Mike Soble after presenting at the PCMI Conference
Eric Kemperman (Vice President of the PCMI and Research Manager of Etchform BV) presenting a gift to Mike Soble after presenting.

At this conference, various technical papers were presented ranging from topics of surface preparation and automation for chemical machining. One of the presenters was Chemcut’s Mike Soble, who discussed “Automation Strategy for Wet Processing Equipment”. Listed below are the many other presentations that took place during the conference:

  • Welcome To Phoenix – Kiva Couchon | Director of Industry Affairs | Arizona Office of Tourism | US
  • Cleaning Metal Preparation Before Lamination – David Allen | Emeritus Professor | Cranfield University| UK
  • The Future of Silver Film – Ralph Jacobo | Technical Sales Manager | All4-PCB | US
  • Improving Efficiency & Profitability Inside a Clean Room – Sylvain Dromaint | VP – General Manager | Altix North America, Inc. | US
  • Current Developments and Improvements Using Zapp MicroEtch and Zapp SuperEtch: A Case Study – Tobias Wiegandt | Technical Business Development Manager | Zapp Precision Metals GmbH | DE
  • Improving Dry Film Adhesion in the Photo Chemical Milling Process – Sean Hill | Product Manager | Eternal Technology Corporation | US
  • Front End Processing and Pre-Cleaning – JP Ferguson | Account Manager East Coast | International Electronic Components (IEC) | US
  • Treatments of Waste Ferric Chloride Containing Dissolved Nickel and Chromium – David Allen (see second bullet point) and Peter Jefferies | PCMI President | Technical Consultant
     Parker Meggitt | UK

PMA Tour

outside view of PMA Industries Inc. facility with PMA logo

After the technical presentations, PMA Industries Inc. generously hosted a facility tour. PMA is a chemical machining company that operates in Phoenix. In their facility, they utilize chemical etching to manufacture parts that service many different worldwide industries. To learn more about PMA go to pmaindustriesinc.com.

The Next PCMI Conference

Near the end of this PCMI conference, it was announced that the next one will be held in May 2023 in Birmingham, UK. Chemcut is currently expecting to attend and be a sponsor for the event.