Page 23 - PCMI Journal July 2018

Coming together for mutual benefit
David Allen | Emeritus Professor | Cranfield University | UK Photochemical Machining: Where has it come from, and where is it going?
The Photo Chemical Machining Institute (PCMI) was formed in Chicago, IL, USA in 1967 to act as a trade organisation and focal point for PCM activities. The five founder members of PCMI were all USA companies, namely:
• Eastman-Kodak Co. (photographic plate and photoresist manufacturers, founded on 4th September 1888 by George Eastman and Henry A. Strong)
• Buckbee-Mears (photoengravers, formed by cousins Charles E. Buckbee and Norman T. Mears in 1907)
• Philip A. Hunt Corporation (photoresist manufacturers, formed in 1909)
• Chemcut Corporation (etching machine and equipment suppliers, formed in 1956)
• Norland Products Inc. (fish gelatin photoresist manufacturers, formed in 1960)
PCMI therefore celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2017 and meetings were held in Chicago (Spring) and Como, Italy (Fall) to commemorate this landmark event.
PCMI attracted the attention of Japanese PCM companies and following a visit from Yasuhiro Ueda, Hirai Seimitsu Corporation became the first Asian member of PCMI in 1979. That contact also led to the formation of the Japanese Photo Fabrication Association (JPFA) that held its first meeting in Tokyo on May 8th, 1985 [PCMI].
The first European member of PCMI was Photofabrication (Services) Ltd, England, represented by Hugh McCallion, that joined in 1980.
Getting up to speed: PCM Research and Development
As sub-contract companies have little spare capacity for detailed research, PCM technical literature is dominated by research publications from universities and technical institutes including:
• Cranfield University, UK
• University of Bremen, Germany
• Hokkaido University, Japan
• Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria
• Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA
• International Prepress Association, South Holland, IL, USA
• University of Applied Sciences, Kaiserslautern, Germany
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (formerly Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe), Germany
• Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China
• College of Engineering (Polytechnic), Pandharpur, India
Issue 131 July 2018 PCMI Journal 22