In a nutshell: 50 years of Lackwerke Peters from 1970 to 2020 - The hidden champion and PCB pioneer from the Lower Rhine region

'Coating Innovations for Electronics' is the credo of Lackwerke Peters today. The Peters Group is a well-known full-range supplier of coatings for the production of printed circuit boards and the protection of assemblies and electronic components as well as integrated solutions for coating technology in the electronics industry. These include high-tech coatings for electronics used in automotive electronics, aerospace, industrial electronics and medical technology as well as LED applications and other industrial applications.

The production program for more than 3500 customers is correspondingly extensive:

• The production of printed circuit boards includes photoresists, screen printing, etching and electroplating resists, photosensitive liquid solder masks as well as solder resists for screen printing and peelable solder masks
• ELPEGUARD protective lacquers for microelectronics, for protecting and insulating printed circuit boards. Also carbon conductive varnishes as well as TIP and thermal conductive pastes
• Potting compounds, casting resins and silicones protect and insulate electronics, sensor technology and light electronics from extreme climatic influences and aggressive media
• Auxiliary products for electronics production for processing all types of coating materials
• Planning of individual components or complete system concepts, partly in cooperation with selected suppliers

To provide comprehensive advice, the range of services includes machinery from various manufacturers in the technical center, which is also available to customers for trials.
With international sales offices and more than 65 foreign representatives, the Peters Group is present as a global family business in more than 90 countries. Ralf Schwartz and his wife Brigitte, daughter of Werner Peters, manage the group of companies as managing partners. They are supported by their daughter Britta and partner Benjamin Alfes (Fig. 1).

Pioneering applications from electromobility to e-bikes

Lackwerke Peters has positioned itself with its products particularly in future-oriented applications (Fig. 2) in the field of electromobility. These are installed in DC/DC converters, distance sensors, dashboard controls, solar sunroofs, sound systems, keyless access and battery control units (BCU), among others. The alkaline-developable solder resist Elpemer 2467 is used for the direct exposure of printed circuit boards with the finest structures. Under the label 'Edition 766', this Elpemer solder resist is also used when the latest and most demanding automotive requirements have to be met. These include continuous temperature and thermal shock resistance up to 175° C in temperature-critical high-current applications and excellent moisture insulation resistance (SIR) at 1000 V.

Fig. 2: Pioneering applications in electromobility

Twin-cure systems for e-bikes

Another fast-growing future market is e-bikes. This involves protecting the electronics even in critical weather conditions. The Twin-Cure DSL 1602 FLZ/400 thick-film coating ensures reliable chemical cross-linking and safe curing, even in shaded areas. The system is UV-curing and VOC-free.

"The anniversary celebration - 50 years of Lackwerke Peters - has only been postponed"

The coronavirus is also taking its toll on the Lower Rhine. Brigitte and Ralf Schwartz write: "We are therefore canceling our celebrations planned for May 15, 2020 with a heavy heart; however, we will make up for this in due course - even if it should be called 'Peters 50 + 1' - then even more so.

Werner Peters - one of Europe's PCB pioneers

In 1957, printed circuits, as PCBs were called at the time, were used for the first time by the Metz company for radio production. The Ruwel-Werke in Geldern, with its founder Fritz Stahl, was the supplier of these printed circuits, which were produced in series for the first time. The lacquer engineer Werner Peters (Fig. 3), later founder of Lackwerke Peters, developed the necessary circuit printing lacquers. Hermann Seul, technical director of Isola Werke, produced the paper laminate impregnated with phenolic resin. These three pioneers laid the foundations for the printed circuit board industry in Europe.

Fig. 3: Werner Peters (1931-201

Fig. 4: Main plant in Kempen with 40,000 m² of company premises and 7200 m² of production and storage space

Ralf Schwartz comments on the expansion in Asia: "We have to serve Asia in order to survive in Europe."

A life's work to be proud of

A quote from the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (121-180) perhaps aptly describes Werner Peters' life's work: "A man's life is what his thoughts make of it.

In the 1970s to 1990s, the gold rush years of the PCB industry, there were more than 700 manufacturers in Europe, but also fierce competition among suppliers. At the beginning of the 1980s, the Swiss chemical company Ciba launched the world's first photosensitive solder resist, Probimer. This was later followed by companies such as Tamura, Taiyo Ink, Coates, Huntsman and Hitachi Chemical.

Others would have given up in the face of such a superiority of large companies, but not Werner Peters. Peters was an entrepreneur who was not easily deterred.

Fig. 5: Werner Peters (center) Rüdiger Dietrich, long-time technical director and companion of the founder (left), Ralf Schwartz (right) in 1993

The company brochure states: Werner Peters and fellow campaigners were lone knights and tried in vain to fight against the rising power of alkaline-developable solder resists, particularly from Japanese cooking pots. Nevertheless, there are still many applications for Elpemer 2469 in the automotive industry using the developer medium butyl diglycol, which is significantly cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

In his 20 years as managing director of technologically strong, large PCB manufacturers, the author has encountered Werner Peters countless times as a supplier, excellently networked industry expert, colleague on the VDL board, at conferences or simply in conversation over a beer.

"We have to serve Asia in order to survive in Europe."

The author once asked him: What do you actually do when customers don't pay? The pragmatic Werner Peters simply said: "If a customer seems unsure, we only deliver cash on delivery. If they don't pay, the goods are returned and sent back to the warehouse. Apart from the freight costs, nothing is lost.

To the point:

A company in the printed circuit board industry that has not only survived 50 years, but is still active on the global market today with an eye to the future, deserves respect. It demonstrates the high level of entrepreneurial competence not only of the founder, but also of today's management. Added to this is a team of highly motivated employees.

It remains for the author, together with many customers, suppliers and competitors, to congratulate the Peters management and employees on their 50th anniversary. Let's hope that the Peters Group will be just as dynamic in 10 years' time, on its 60th anniversary, as it is today.