This article describes how Hewlett-Packard uses one of its products, a computer, to control the plating operations for printed circuit board manufacturing. The use of a Real Time Measurement and Control System, a computer, on a plating line is a first that permits a number of useful monitoring and control operations to be performed. For example, the computer permits the flexibility of running several processes on the plating machine simultaneously. It keeps track of current requirements for the rectifiers, monitors ampere hours, makes automatic additions of brighteners and keeps a written log.