After the pandemic created widespread supply chain issues and chip shortages, Greene Lyon Group decided to commercialize a new technology they first developed over a decade ago through a new company division called IC Recovery. According to E-Scrap News, IC Recovery is employing a recovery-as-a-service business model. Companies, including OEMs and ITAD firms, pay a fee to have IC Recovery remove higher-value chips from printed circuit boards en masse.
Greene Lyon Group CEO and president and CEO of IC REcovery, Dale Johnson, explained that this approach produces chips that are more cost-effective with less of a greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. They can also be delivered in a fraction of the time that new chips are typically delivered. “The two factors that create pain for someone are the cost of the chip and the time that you need to get it, and we can address both of those, “ Johnson said.
The process involves immersing circuit boards in a tank with oil heated to a consistent but adjustable temperature. Because the oil will not damage electronic components or absorb contaminants, it can be reused. However, it will degrade over time and require treatment. According to Johnson, the fluid loosens the chips from the tops and bottoms of the boards in about five minutes. Staff then manually separate the chips destined for retinning, reballing, testing and certification, reuse, and non-targeted chips are recycled. While the stripped boards do not always have gold content, they contain high British Thermal Unit (BTU) and can be sent to a smelter for beneficial use.
The new recovery process will be a more cost-effective, environmentally friendly way of chip production. “Chips typically have a useful life well beyond that of the equipment they’re originally in. So disposing of populated circuit boards in the typical fashion of smelting them for precious metals destroys many years of valuable remaining chip life,” Johnson said.
Recovering any kind of electronic device or component helps decrease the need for new materials, which decreases the need to use resources. Recycling conserves the energy, time, and money it takes to manufacture new products, especially electronics recycling.
HOBI is an R2v3, RIOS, and ISO-14001 certified IT asset management and disposition enterprise with more than 30 years of industry experience. We collect retired IT assets and ensure appropriate disposal in an environmentally friendly manner. HOBI also offers repair and remarketing opportunities for all models of mobile phones and tablets. For more information about our ITAD services, call 817-814-262, or contact HOBI at sales@hobi.com.