PCB007 Aug2023

AUGUST 2023 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 1
ADi
st
in
ctE
vol
ut
io
nfr
omDF
M
L
ookI
ns
id
e
I
“na
nind
ust
ryra
cin
gaga
ins
tti
me,
MD
Dist
hekeytost
ay
in
gahead
.”
AmmarAbus
ham
DF
MInt
egr
ati
onEngi
nee
r(AREET
eam)
MetaRea
li
tyLabs
AUGUST 2023 • FEATURED CONTENT
Developing a Strategy
Today’s PCB fabricators face a variety of market and supply chain obstacles in addition
to competitors down the street and overseas. A solid strategy is a critical part of success.
This month, we asked some of the top industry leaders and business strategy “gurus” to
share their thoughts on developing strategies.
FEATURE INTERVIEWS
40 TTM CEO Tom Edman on
the Process of Strategy
50 Jet Appeal
with Carsten Sundin,
John Smoker, Aaron Park,
and Austin Alley
New Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL)
facility has the greenfield PCB manufacturing 70 What’s Your Process for
advantage. Developing a Strategy?
with Tim Rodgers
10 Discussing SEL’s Strategy

88 Developing a Fabrication
with David Whitehead
Business Strategy
with Chris Chapman
18 A Look Inside
SEL’s New PCB Factory
with John Hendrickson FEATURE ARTICLE
and Mike Brask
84 10 Steps to Outstanding
by Dan Beaulieu
34 Going Green
with John Hendrickson
FEATURE COLUMN
36 Innovations in 46 Developing Your Team to
Final Finishing Become Great Implementors
with Mike Brask by John Mitchell
4 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

AUGUST 2023 • ADDITIONAL CONTENT
COLUMNS
64 8 Developing a Strategy
by Andy Shaughnessy
78 64 Smoothing the Rocky Road

of Onboarding
by Hannah Nelson
78 India’s Rise in the Global

Electronics Ecosystem
by Preeya Kuray
98 Member Profile:
Melanie Bera Anderson
by PCBAA
SHORTS
9 Quantum Technology for
Your Smatphone
DEPARTMENTS
48 New Type of Quantum Bit in 105 Career Opportunities
Semiconductor Nanostructures 114 Educational Resources
63 Infographic: The Heights of Flight 115 Advertiser Index & Masthead
76 Protons Set to Power Next-gen

Memory Devices
HIGHLIGHTS
96 MilAero007
100 AI-based Technique for Predicting
Crystal Orientation 102 Top Ten from PCB007
TAKING IT TO THE EXTREME
B Y TA I YO
We created our new liquid photoimageable extreme solder mask, PSR-4000 HH01XR, to
withstand temperatures of up to 200oC for up to 2000 hours. Designed specifically for DI
equipment, it is the premier choice solder mask for ground and air vehicles as well as heavy
industrial machinery. PSR-4000 HH01XR is user friendly with wide processing latitudes, low
odor, fast developing, and good resistance to alternate meal finishes while maintaining dams
of 3 mils or less.
• Screen Print & Spray Application • Resistance to extreme temperature

of 200oC for 2000 hours
• RoHS Compliant
• Fine Dam Resolution
• Meets Aerospace Outgassing Requirements
• Halogen-Free
Contact your local sales

representative today!
Visit www.taiyo-america.com
for more information.
Follow us on social media

Developing a
Strategy
The Shaughnessy Report
by Andy Shaughnessy, I-CONNECT007
If you’re around my age, you proba- to squeak, fabricators need a solid business
bly spent much of the 1970s playing board strategy.
games such as Monopoly, Life and Scrabble. But how does a leader plan a strategy? In
But I really enjoyed playing Stratego, which a field of competitors offering basically the
required that you plan a strategy to defeat same services, how can your company dif-
the other players. ferentiate itself? Will you be a cost leader, or
PCB fabricators of today are in the same focus on serving a niche market such as med-
boat now, but it’s no game. They face a vari- ical or defense? As we learn in this issue, one
ety of market and supply chain obstacles in question that successful leaders need to ask
addition to competitors down the street and themselves is, “What do I not want my com-
overseas. With profit margins tight enough pany to be?”

This month, we asked some of the top
leaders in the industry, and some of the top Quantum
business strategy “gurus” in the world, to
share their thoughts on developing strate- Technology for
gies, particularly for North American fabri-
cators. Your Smartphone
We start with an in-depth look at SEL’s
new captive facility in Idaho, featuring
interviews with CEO David Whitehead,
Engineering Director John Hendrickson,
and Mike Brask, president of IPS which
provided an ENIG line for the new facility.
We have an interview with TTM CEO Tom
Edman, who shares some of the strategy
development ideas that have made his com-
pany one of the biggest fabricators in North
America. IPC’s John Mitchell discusses one University of Copenhagen researchers have
critical component of your strategy: devel- invented a “quantum drum” that can measure pres-
oping the right team. We have an interview sure, a gas leak, heat, magnetism and a host of
with Carsten Sundin, president and CEO other things with extreme precision. It can even
scan the shape of a single virus. With two innova-
of Stratos Aircraft, and his engineers, who
tive solutions, researchers at the Niels Bohr Insti-
break down their long-term strategy for tute have found a way to get quantum technology
bringing a new jet to market. into our pockets.
Next, we have an interview with Dr. Tim The heart of the apparatus could be called a
Rodgers of the University of Colorado, who “quantum drum.” It is a thin membrane that vibrates
lays out each step of a manufacturer’s devel- like a drum skin, but with so small an amplitude
opment strategy, including identifying what that the laws of quantum physics are needed to
describe what’s happening. This means the drum
exactly constitutes a good strategy. Colum- can be used as an ultra-precise measuring device—
nist Dan Beaulieu loves to make lists, and a quantum supersensor.
this month he points out 10 steps to mak- “The sensor is so sensitive that, in principle, we
ing your manufacturing operation outstand- could measure whether a single person is hopping
ing. And Christopher Chapman, publisher from one leg to the other in Paris. We would be able
of The Digestible Deming newsletter, dis- to capture it here, in our Copenhagen basement,
from thousands of kilometers away,” laughs Profes-
cusses what today’s fabricators can learn
sor Albert Schliesser from the Niels Bohr Institute,
from the work of W. Edwards Deming. who heads the team behind the quantum sensor.
It’s hard to believe that summer is almost Thought experiments aside, the sensor is very
over. Before you know it, we’ll be in trade real and has many possible uses. By reading
show season again. See you next month. changes in the vibrations with which the quantum
PCB007 drum moves, researchers can measure a wide vari-
ety of influences with extreme precision.
Andy Shaughnessy is manag- “For example, a change in temperature or the
ing editor of Design007 Mag- presence of a gas will directly affect the way the
azine and co-managing editor drum vibrates, and it’s the same when we place
for PCB007 Magazine. He has a virus on the drum. A laser allows us to read the
been covering PCB design for result accurately. But this is just the beginning,”
20 years. He can be reached explains Schliesser.
by clicking here. (Source: University of Copenhagen)

Discussing SEL’s Strategy
Feature Interview by the I-Connect007 Editorial Team
The Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories cess for developing a business strategy. He

(SEL) leadership team made some far-reach- explains how a company’s core values inform
ing decisions in the past decade: They opted to its strategy, the need to understand your cus-
build their own captive PCB fabrication facil- tomers’ needs, and why building your own
ity in Moscow, Idaho, and they decided to uti- PCBs makes sense in these times of supply
lize zero-discharge processes. Now the facility chain disruptions.
is up and running and the state and local offi-
cials are firmly on SEL’s side, thanks in large Barry Matties: Why don’t we start with your
part to the green processing, not to mention core values, and how those really are the
the employment opportunities. foundation to strategy?
We recently interviewed David Whitehead, In the early days of the company, Ed Sch-
CEO of SEL, and asked him to discuss his pro- weitzer wrote down our principles of oper-
ation, about eight pages front and back, and my career as an electronics designer here at
really described the way we want to operate SEL, designing circuit boards to go inside our
the business. There were about 25–30 employ- products. We’d send the Gerbers off to a manu-
ees at that time. Now we have 6,300 employees facturer, and about two weeks later, I’d get the
all over the world, and we maintain that orig- PCB back. Now when our engineers are done
inal culture and strategy across the company. with a design, they can send it to our factory
The very first part of those principles of oper- that’s seven miles away, and probably have the
ation are our nine values. The first two, qual- board back in a couple of days and start testing.
ity and customer focus, really set the tone for
how we do business. Every product and ser- Matties: Now, when you’re developing
vice we develop will be high quality. Our strat- strategy, what are key considerations?
egy around customers begins with how we will Well, it has to fit within our mission state-
provide what we call PQFIDS—price, quality, ment. We build products and solutions for
features, innovation, delivery, and service. the electric power industry, so we’re prob-
That equates to the ably not going to build
value that we’ll provide electric cars today. But it
to our customers. It must does give us enough path-
be all six of these crite- way to come up with new,
ria, which is really valu- innovative stuff. While
able to our employee our core devices measure
owners, and our cus- current and voltage on
tomers. a power system, we also
manufacture a line of eth-
Matties: SEL is a com- ernet switches. You might
pany that has really ask, “How does an ether-
embraced vertical inte- net switch fit into mak-
gration. At your PCB ing electric power safer
factory, just by having and more reliable?” Well,
a shop and the design- we use these switches to
ers and the collabora- David Whitehead, CEO of SEL. connect our devices and
tion opportunities here, control power systems,
I imagine that you’re finding benefits that you so that communication device becomes really
didn’t expect to see on a typical ROI sheet. critical. I’m not going to build a switch that
Yes, we are. It’s an education in and of itself. competes with Cisco; rather, I’m going to tai-
You know, I’m one of these types of engineers: lor my solution to fit the needs of our particu-
I really don’t understand something until I do lar industries.
it wrong about three or four times.
When you build something yourself, you Matties: But when you’re describing that,
have to understand how it works. When you you’re focused in on a core set of strategies.
get to a level of expertise with something, How do you look to build a strategy for the
you’re able to modify whatever you’re doing to future?
meet the needs of your customers. It’s proba- That is the fun part! It’s my job to figure out
bly better, cheaper, and faster than what we’re and anticipate the challenges our customers
getting from our existing suppliers—not that will have tomorrow, whether it’s integrating
our existing suppliers were bad by any means. a new renewable source of energy, or figuring
We can do things a lot faster here. I started out how all these devices will communicate.
How will we manage a wide-area power sys- Matties: Is this what helped drive the idea of
tem five or 10 years down the road? Then we bringing in more capacity to build your own
have to align our sales force and manufactur- circuits? When you look to expansion, what
ing capabilities to address the needs that we’re sort of window are you considering?
anticipating. Like anybody, sometimes we get Everybody has different levels or horizons of
it right, and sometimes we get it wrong. We strategies. At SEL, we utilize a five-year roll-
take the risk for the reward of making a little ing strategy. We plan and document where
bit of profit. we want the company to be in this industry,
and what technologies we’ll advance based on
Matties: We keep hearing all the discussion what we see the market doing. Opportunities
about EVs and how fossil fuel will be a thing for vertical integration are always part of the
of the past. How does that news play into discussions as we plan and set new strategies.
your longer-term strategy? The PCBs that go into our products probably
The great part about our particular part of the have the most intellectual property of anything
industry is that we aren’t necessarily concerned we design right now. They really hold all our
with how the electricity gets generated, or intellectual property together, when combin-
where it ends up being consumed. Our job is to ing our software and the hardware and every-
manage how it flows through transmission net- thing else that goes into our blue boxes. It’s
works and distribution networks. Whether it’s a big risk to send that out to somebody else,
coming from a solar plant, a nuclear plant, or a and there’s nothing better than having our
gas turbine, that’s all great. What’s being called own PCB factory in our backyard to make sure
the “electrification of everything” is really good that we can continue to ship products to our
for our business, because we know how to man- customers.
age electric power and there will always be an We’ve all experienced supply chain chal-
increasing need for the control, monitoring, lenges in the past few years. People were try-
and optimization of power systems. ing to onshore as much as they could, and they
SEL has incorporated their own products into their infrastructure.

U.S.Coastt
oCoast·Par tsandSer viceFast
ips-
vcm.
com ·sal
es@i
ps-
vcm.com ·435-586-
1188
We just started looking at how many circuit
boards we consume, and the prices we were pay-
ing. This is such a key component in our prod-
ucts. Why not do it ourselves, do it cheaper,
and in some cases, do it better? It’s just a win
for us and a win for our customers.
Matties: Now, you’re a zero-discharge

facility as well. What role did that play in
the decision?
Our community, Moscow, is only seven miles
away from our global headquarters, and we
have many employees who live near the PCB
factory, so it just makes sense to be a good
steward of the environment. It wasn’t because
of any EPA regulations or what have you. It’s
just part of our company values. We want to be
a good neighbor. We don’t want to be discharg-
ing anything that might harm our employees or
communities. We built what we believe is the
greenest PCB factory in America, if not in the
world right now.
SEL’s zero liquid discharge process area.
Matties: That is quite impressive. Now, when
you’re thinking about strategy, how important
were consuming the rest of the capacity within was the idea of being an ESOP (employee
the United States. If our circuit board fac- stock ownership plan) company? In your
tory had been online a year earlier, we could strategy development, how does this carry
have avoided a lot of headaches and scram- you forward?
bling, plus a lot of expediting fees. So,
being able to control the costs, quality,
and lead times makes this a win for us.
Our CFO did some calculations on the
return on this $100 million investment,
and how long it will take to see payback.
We’re estimating it to be a couple years.
Matties: That’s an incredible ROI.

Engineering Director John Hendrickson
estimated about three to four years.
I’m probably a little more optimistic
than John is (laughs).
Matties: What was the final tipping

point to decide that you were building
a factory? John Hendrickson, Engineering Director, SEL.

Being employee owned has a lot to do with all company-wide catered business lunch every
of our decisions. I feel a tremendous responsi- Friday. We get everybody together and review
bility as the CEO to make sure that we’re tak- how the business is doing. We’ve talked about
ing care of our 6,300 employees and their fam- the printed circuit board factory, its cost, and
ilies every day. So, when making the decision the challenges throughout the project. We talk
to spend $100 million, I understand that it’s about sales, if there’s a problem with a cus-
certainly a lot of money for us. We didn’t ask tomer or product, and we bring all this stuff
the government for any subsidies—not fed- forward. We’re very transparent and open
eral, state, or local. To do this, we reinvested with the employees about how the company is
our profit back into the printed circuit board doing and that has been our strategy since day
factory, and our expectation is that, because one. I don’t think we’ll ever get rid of it.
we’re making these sound decisions for our
employee owners, we will see long-term ben- Matties: What advice would you give to other
efits. One of the benefits of an ESOP is that we businesses that are developing a strategy?
report to the employee owners, not external Make sure that everybody in the organi-
shareholders who are most interested in short- zation is aligned on what your mission is.
term gains. It really gives everybody a sense of What’s your vision? Make sure everybody has
ownership. bought into it, and then you can start pick-
One of the best ways that we share our strat- ing out particular activities that you want to
egy with our employee owners is by hosting a do. My advice is to do something innovative

and different that will really change whatever Matties: Do you have any final thoughts that
industry you’re in. you’d like to share with the industry?
I would encourage everybody to consider the
Andy Shaughnessy: David, where do you think idea of vertical integration and doing things
leaders tend to go wrong when developing a yourself. Now, sometimes you just don’t
strategy? have enough scale to be able to build your
Usually it’s because your strategy gets discon- own PCB manufacturing facility, but you can
nected from the customer and the customer’s take baby steps to start designing your own
needs. That’s always one of those challenges. circuit boards. Make sure you really under-
Those things will happen every once in a while, stand the technology. Visit printed circuit
but that’s how strategies go wrong; you’re not board factories to understand the layup and
listening to the right people, or you’re not con- the whole process—drilling, plating, and all
nected enough with your end-user. those things.
My career advice for young folks is to become
Shaughnessy: We also hear about company an expert at your job, understand your cus-
managers following bad advice from tomers’ needs in great detail and, finally, never
consultants. say no to an opportunity. Taking on new chal-
Exactly. I would say that if you’re hiring a lenges will grow your career.
consultant to tell you how to run your
business, that’s a big red flag and you need to Matties: Very good. Thank you so much.
step back and understand your business a lot Thank you. PCB007
better.

A Look Inside
SEL’s New
PCB Factory
Feature Interview by Barry Matties

I-CONNECT007
After years of planning, Schweitzer Engi- Process Systems (IPS), a key supplier for the
neering Laboratories is now manufacturing new Moscow facility.
printed circuit boards in its new $100 million The facility showcases the latest technol-
captive facility in Moscow, Idaho. I recently ogy in PCB fabrication, along with a zero
toured the facility with Engineering Direc- liquid discharge water treatment system. The
tor John Hendrickson, who managed the site is surrounded by wheat fields—not a loca-
design and setup of the greenfield site, along tion where you would traditionally expect
with Mike Brask, president of Integrated to find a PCB manufacturing facility. How-

ever, with their environmentally friendly fac-
tory, the city officials have welcomed SEL, and
the facility has already been honored with the
Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry
Environmental Excellence Award.
The manufacturing area is set up on an open
floorplan with only a couple of processes—
drill and route—in closed rooms. As you
would expect, data automation is in full use
here. Each panel starts off with a serial num-
ber read by scanning equipment that con-
nects with the MES to identify the job and
program, and then loads that program onto
the machine. SEL’s in-house software team
builds and maintains these systems. They Laser etched barcoder for material traceability.
also employ automation/integration software
engineers as well. shops is typically handling damage. So, how
do you reduce that? You put in equipment, like
Now, the goal of automation here was we have from GreenSource and others, to help
not to reduce headcount? eliminate handling. Quite frankly, now our
John Hendrickson: Correct. That’s not why we operators aren’t just feeding panels on a line.
focused on automation; we automated first to They’re managing an entire line, and they’re
drive quality. The number one defect at board learning more about how those lines work and
From left: GreenSource Engineering (GSE) double loader, photoresist strip line, GSE unloader.

Schmoll’s Modul drills in a Cube line shown with optional automation.
how to maintain them. They have a lot more I believe that 20% of our part numbers are
ownership of that, even more than our mainte- 80–90% of our volume, which means 80%
nance team on a day-to-day basis. of our part numbers are lower volume. This
All our lines are integrated. One of the cool requires us to have flexibility to change over
things we’re doing here is using SEL equip- and run the lower-volume jobs. For example,
ment to collect real-time process data. We the drill room features a number of Schmoll
have a product called RTAC (Real-Time Auto- single-spindle drill machines, which load and
mation Controller) that communicates with unload through automation.
PLCs, and we use that to get information using
a range of industrial communication protocols. What sort of tolerances and line spacing
Using our software-defined network, we con- are you trying to achieve?
trol all network traffic between MES, RTAC, Hendrickson: The traces and spaces we’re tar-
and equipment. This increases the security geting right now are about 2.5 mil traces and
between our systems and our equipment in 3 mil spaces, especially for outer layers. We’re
case there’s ever a security vulnerability with also using pinless lamination to help get
piece of equipment. tighter registration there. We also have an
Impex Pro X3 machine that will scan a panel
What sort of volume are you producing? with 150,000 holes in 20 seconds. It provides
Hendrickson: While we have relatively high us the SPC data for diameter and location.
volume, we also have a lot of part numbers. It’s been an instrumental tool in qualifying
drill. We’ve seen tighter registration and tol- Hendrickson: We have four electroplaters with
erance in our drill process because of a data the first plater acting as a flash plate. Between
driven process. platers two and three we installed automation
to rotate the panel 180 degrees. The purpose
Are you doing continuous flow of rotating the panel is to balance the copper
manufacturing? across the panel.
Hendrickson: Our goal is to be as close to con-
tinuous flow as possible. We have small queues Is that recommended by the supplier, or is it
at the beginning and end of our lines. It’s a bal- something that you decided to do, based on
ancing act to ensure a process does not run out experience?
of work. Hendrickson: That’s something we decided to
do. Another thing we’re doing that isn’t really
As I entered the manufacturing area, the first done in North America too much is panel plat-
piece of equipment I saw was a nearly 300- ing. We’re not pattern plating. We’re not apply-
foot long Atotech horizontal plating line. The ing dry film, putting on a reverse image, plating,
line will produce about around 100 panels tinning and then strip, etch, strip. Everything
per hour when it’s fully up and running. goes through develop, etch, strip, whether it’s
Atotech’s 300-foot long horizontal plating line at SEL’s Idaho facility.

Chemcut CC8000 inner layer develop-etch-strip (DES) system using cupric chloride etchant.
The two large portions of the line shown are the etching chambers.
an outer layer or an inner layer. This simpli- Is that a measurable improvement that you
fies the factory by removing unique processes can come back and quantify?
and providing redundancy as we will have two Most shops don’t do that.
Chemcut DES lines. Panel plating also gives us Hendrickson: Not yet. We’re starting with our
a little bit more repeatability on copper thick- lower-complexity boards; I expect the extra
ness across the surface of the panel, where you cleaning and heating of the panels to pay off
only have the density of holes driving copper when we produce our boards with finer features.
thickness variation. After dry film, we put it in a buffer to get the
On our Chemcut etching line, we’ve added panel back down to room temp before imaging.
a Sigma Mecer etch recirculation and recla- We have a Schmoll MDI imager, which has a
mation system. The copper is removed from tandem table with two robots; a scanner on the
the etchant, plated on big copper sheets, and line will scan the barcode and automatically
then sent out for recycling. The long-term goal load the program. The panel is loaded in the
is plate out in a form that we can reuse in our first drawer to image the top side, and then the
platers. Before dry film, we are cleaning the robot flips it to the second drawer and images
copper surface, microetching for adhesion, the backside. Panels are then put in a buffer to
going through an electrostatic cleaner, and let the dry film settle for five minutes before
then we do a preheat. Not a lot of people do moving on to develop.
that, but we’re getting the panel up to temper-
ature. In the film laminator, we have heated In your lamination area, you went all in with
rollers; we are helping promote adhesion as induction presses. What was your thinking
much as possible. behind that?
Mecer’s acidic etchant copper recycling system—capacity 180,000 lbs. copper per year—
helps make SEL’s Moscow factory a zero liquid discharge facility.
Right to left: GSE double loader, followed by Chemcut preclean line, electrostatic cleaner and
preheat oven, cut-sheet laminator, GSE UV-protected lift-up gate, GSE FIFO FILO-capable buffer
with cooling, and partial view of Mylar peeler.

put your hand on it and it’s not even hot,
because all the energy is going to the panels
in the book. Each plate is stainless steel and
conductive, so you get even heating through-
out, as opposed to a hot oil press, where you
have to get the heat from the outside in. Also,
heat-up time is rapid compared to an oil pro-
cess. Each book has thermocouples that pro-
vide immediate response to the system, which
automatically adjusts the energy to put drive
the induction coils to keep the profile within
spec. Eventually, we’ll build this out to 10 two-
opening presses.
InduBond lamination press profile data.
For solder mask, you’re doing nothing but

Hendrickson: Well, they’re definitely nice, inkjet printers. Was speed an issue here?
clean machines. The energy savings alone is Hendrickson: Yes, we went with Notion Sys-
crazy. There are no thermal management chal- tems. This technology is newer, and speed is
lenges in the building like we would see with definitely a concern. But if you start to look at
a hot oil press; we don’t have to worry about how long it takes for an imager to image solder
any of that with the induction press technol- mask, like laser or LED, these printers are get-
ogy. When the machine is running, you can ting pretty close to on par with that.
Notion Systems’ n.jet technology saves multiple process steps, large investments in valuable space,
energy, and labor. This completely digital process also uses UV-curable inks instead of solvent-based
inks, which has far reaching effects on the environment.

Innovation + Precision + Reliability
In-house lab available for customer testing

Wet processing equipment for all of your circuit board
manufacturing needs, such as:
• Cleaning
• Developing
• Etching
• Stripping
• Conveyorized Plating
To learn more about our lab, contact

Chemcut at sales@chemcut.net
Booth 4437
Mike Brask, IPS president (left), and John Hendrickson, SEL engineering director (right),
in front of the automated IPS ENIG Line.
It’s quite a statement going exclusively with exempt from some of the RoHS regulations
this technology. in Europe. We also have a large IPS ENIG
Hendrickson: Yes, it was a leap. We did our line, with baskets that hold 40 panels apiece.
research, but it was one of our bigger risks on Mike, tell us about the IPS line.
the project. Most of the other processes are
pretty tried and true, but this is newer on the Mike Brask: Sure. This is basically a big ENIG
market. This is one area where I didn’t want line. When you get into the line details,
to be saying in two years, “Man, I should have you have the whole chemical management
gone with inkjet printers.” scheme. There are a lot of baths to make
The balance was the cost of a line like this up and chemicals to maintain, along with
versus the cost of a traditional line and, ulti- analyses. When you compare this to a typ-
mately, the throughput these lines could give ical plating line, you find the blue chemical
you versus a traditional line. All said and done, drums everywhere, with employees transfer-
four printer lines fit in the area of one tradi- ring chemicals using handheld drum pumps.
tional line. Footprint space would have been Here, every tank has continuous level con-
four times that amount in a traditional process. trol on it, baths are made up to specific con-
In final finish, we are still using tin-lead HASL centrations, and everything’s automatically
because we have some older products that are dosed.

n.jet soldermask
REDUCED
PRODUCTION
STEPS
REDUCED
MATERIAL
WASTE
REDUCED
ENERGY
CONSUMPTION
Print your soldermask fully digital
CONTACT US Notion Systems GmbH 3 +49 6202 57877- 0

Carl-Benz-Straße 22a 5 +49 6202 57877-99
68723 Schwetzingen sales@notion-systems.com
G E R M A N Y www.notion-systems.com
When you look at controlling odor and fumes
in this kind of environment, with SEL’s open
floor plan, the line benefits from a full enclosure
system. It has an inner environment that’s under
negative pressure, so you don’t have odor on the
other side of the building. And it’s a lot cheaper
to design and add the enclosure than it is to build
an isolated room around it.
Hendrickson: To maintain air quality in the shop,

we have a main duct that’s five feet in diameter
that goes into our fume scrubber; it’s a big work-
horse pulling exhaust off all our wet lines. Our
IPS ENIG line process control and HVAC is replenishing that air. Also, for all of
data capture panel. the chemical management, almost everything is
dosed from day tanks across the factory.
The basket counter keeps track of how much
product and square footage goes through the It certainly smells fresh and clean in here.
line. There’s a robot system to move the work Now, what about expansion?
into, through it, and then out of the line. To Hendrickson: We reserved space for a second
start, it puts the serial-numbered boards in plating line in the future. Plating is usually your
the basket to load the program. As that bas- limiting factor and as our product complex-
ket goes through the process, we fully record ity continues to increase, we will get less out-
everything that each basket encounters. IPS put because we will have to slow down the line
worked with SEL to design a system to trans- to make sure we get good copper thickness in
fer that data. high-density areas. Maybe with the technology
Internal view of IPS automated ENIG line.

ATG flying probe electrical testers.
we’re doing at that point, we’ll have to put a our suppliers and our internal partners helped
vertical line in versus all horizontal, but we left us through it. Currently we’re ramping up pro-
ourselves options, just in case. duction volume, installing new equipment for
capacity and capabilities, and making sure we
How did you approach electrical test? have a quality product. I think over the next six
Hendrickson: For electrical test, we went with to 12 months, the most challenging part for us
flying probe and did not bring in any bed of will be bringing everything up to speed with
nails. With the throughput of the new fly- the quality we expect.
ing probe, it is very comparable to some of the
bed of nails, and we do not have to build and man- Brask: Well, you also have a unique situation
age fixtures. It simplifies this whole department. where you’re choosing specific processes for
your product. You don’t have to have a full wet
What was the greatest challenge for you process room or the capabilities to be a job shop;
in setting up this facility? you can pick and choose what you’re going to
Hendrickson: I think bringing the factory up do for your products and then automate those
will be the easy part. Our property team served key points. You’re able to skip a lot of steps.
as the general contractor on this project. We
were designing and constructing the building Hendrickson: Mike has a good point. My back-
concurrently with the factory processes: If we ground is coming from R&D, and we spent the
had gone more linear, we would still be build- last 20 years simplifying our designs, and we
ing the facility right now. We built our first now have one material set. We worked with
board a couple of days ahead of schedule and our suppliers to consolidate that. Within that
have beat every other milestone so far on the material set, we have standardized stackups
project. With the technology, there were chal- with one resin system. To Mike’s point about
lenges all over the place, but working with all streamlining the process and factory design,

AOI inspection process.
how we’ve simplified our designs, overall, has

really helped us.
When you’re choosing a supplier in a critical

aspect, what are you really looking for?
Hendrickson: Our priority is to find suppli-
ers as close to home as possible. We look to
understand if their business philosophies
align with ours, and do they have the right
equipment to meet our needs? If we find the
right partner, maybe their equipment sets
don’t meet our needs today, but that’s where
we want to build those deep relationships
and work together to develop things to meet
goals for both of us.
When you look at the labor market, what

attracts somebody to modern PCB manufac-
turing, compared to what I would call a
“jet appeal” or “tech appeal” company?
Hendrickson: There are still a lot of folks who
don’t necessarily want to get an engineer-
ing degree; they want to get into a tech field
or work with their hands. I think we have fac-
tories in areas where there are a lot of folks
who want to have this type of job. What sets us
apart from other manufacturing facil-
ities are the work environment and
how we treat our employees. We are a
100% employee-owned company.
You invested about $100 million to

set up this facility. What’s the ROI
expectation?
Hendrickson: It’s two to three years.
In addition to the dollars, are you

factoring in the innovation that
comes out of this? That’s a soft
return that could accelerate. Do you Centralized dosing stations.
think more companies will start keep-
ing in mind that zero waste is a big factor? be dollars ahead in the long run. It seems
Hendrickson: I definitely think they will. like there’s an investment community
that’s willing to invest, especially in a zero-
With all the supply chain challenges in discharge facility. What are your feelings
reshoring or near-shoring, it seems like about that?
$100 million is not a bad investment if Hendrickson: Oh, definitely. I think this is what
you have capital available. future board factories should look like.
Hendrickson: It’s not. We were able to think The process flow can be streamlined, reduc-
differently, challenging how things are being ing cycle time, the employees’ work environ-
done today. Greenfield for us was the advan- ment is clean and bright, and the impact to the
tage. If we were trying to retrofit an existing local community, in terms of resources being
facility, we would not have been able to do a consumed, are great advantages in the green-
lot of the things that we’ve done here. field development.
Looking at older brownfield sites, does it Very good. Thank you for everything.
may make sense for them to expand by This has been great.
setting up a greenfield site? Even though Hendrickson: Thank you for visiting our facility,
the upfront cost may be greater, they could Barry. We appreciate it. PCB007
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories’ 162K-square-foot, $100M manufacturing facility in Moscow, Idaho.

Going Green
Q&A with John Hendrickson
SEL is going green at its new 162,000-square- the building. In the water recycling room, we
foot, environmentally friendly PCB manu- dropped the floor six inches.
facturing facility in Moscow, Idaho. As John The way this system works is that we have
Hendrickson explains, being a zero liquid dis- two primary inputs in the system for our rinse
charge (ZLD) facility—a trend you are likely waters, which we manage separately from our
to hear more of in our industry—is not just a concentrate side. On the concentrate side, we
smart business decision, it’s driven by SEL’s take the material and drop the metals out and
core values. then change the pH. Then we take that through
our filter press. So that’s where our metals are,
Barry Matties: As far as waste treatment and that goes out for recycling.
goes, this is a zero liquid discharge (ZLD) Everything else will move over to what we
facility, correct? call a pH batch tank. We adjust that to a pH of
John Hendrickson: Yes, it’s zero discharge. We 7 and then we run that through our evapora-
have zero drains in our manufacturing floor and tors. After the concentrate goes to the evapo-
zero drains in our water recycling room. The rators, then we take it to a dryer, and we’re still
only drains we have are in our bathrooms and putting it under pressure and heat evaporating
sinks; even the sinks in our lab are all pumped and then it goes back to the rinse inside. On
to our water recycling. There’s no opportunity the rinse side, we’ll take it through ozone, then
for somebody to dump something down the we’ll destruct the ozone with UV. We run that
wrong sink. through a GAC (granular activated carbon)
We designed the factory with a chemical- column, through ion exchange columns, and
resistant membrane underneath the facility. then eventually run it through reverse osmo-
We designed the floor so that it slopes a little sis. That’s how we generate our DI water.
bit to the center. If we ever had a major spill
on this floor, it would all go to the center of Matties: Is this kind of thinking why the city
the floor and it would all be contained within got behind this factory?
Hendrickson: Yes. The fume scrub-
ber and everything else definitely
helped us with our EPA require-
ments. Visiting officials have all
been very impressed by how clean
the factory is and how we’ve man-
aged some of these things. In fact,
some of the things that we’re doing
with this equipment have never
seen an application in the state
before.
Matties: Thank you, John. PCB007

GREENPROCESSE
SHELPTHEFUL
LYAUTOMATED
ME
CE RSYST
EMT OREDUCECOST
SANDIMPROVEQUALI
TY
Regener
atedet
chant Rec
ycl
edc
opper Rec
ycl
edr
ins
ewat
er Par
amet
erc
ont
rol
s
HCli
sreduc
edby9 5% whi
le Throu
ghrec
yc l
i
ng, Waterre
useduri
ngthe Ful
lcont
rolofpH,c
hlo
ridea
nd
al
kal
i
neetc
hant(r
epl
enishe
r) t
heME CERsy
ste
ma chi
eves e
tchi
ngprocessuse
slesswate
r c
oppercont
enti
mp r
ovesqual
i
ty
i
scomplet
el
yeli
minat
ed 99.
995%copperpuri
ty andre
du c
estre
atmentcos
ts a
ndreduceswast
e
Innovations in Final Finishing
I-CONNECT007
In this interview, IPS President Mike Brask Everything has gravity feeds into their pump
shares some insights about the company’s lat- stations to move solutions to their zero-dis-
est automated ENIG line installed at SEL’s new charge waste treatment area.
$100 million PCB facility in Moscow, Idaho. One other feature to note is that each tank
As Mike explains, this line features quite a few has a continuous level-control system to auto-
innovations not usually seen in North America. mate the dosing of chemicals, which allows
them to dial in their concentrations of water
Mike, let’s start with some details about the and chemistry. They’re totalizing water flow
features of this fully enclosed ENIG line. usages, productivity on all the rinses, and
Just how long is this line? maintaining checks and balances on all the key
Overall, this line is 81 feet long. Typically, tanks so that this line can run without constant
ENIG lines haven’t been this big in North operator intervention.
America. One of the things we also had to do We have installed individual double-jack-
on this line was to elevate it two feet to facilitate eted nickel tanks that allow for smaller batches
the above-ground drain system SEL installed. of boards to work. With any of these hot pro-
cesses, the trick is to cool that tank quickly. automatically transfer the nitric, do the rins-
These have jacket coolers on them that are plate ing process, and transfer the nitric back. You
heat exchangers and will refrigerate that jacket don’t need a guy with a drum and hoses. We
down out of that active plating zone within an are doing that now for other customers—we’re
hour. We also have our latest 45-degree oscilla- automating that chemical handling of the strip-
tion features here, along with bump vibration. ping process.
How are you offering ongoing So, when someone is looking into acquiring
support to your customers? a final finish line these days, what should
All of our lines are networked into our facil- they consider?
ity. So, if customers have questions or need I would do my homework and look at all the
troubleshooting sup- upcoming final fin-
port, we employ two ishes. Nickel and gold
full-time program- are the conventional
mers who do remote ones, but you also
training to solve prob- have ENEPIG, EPIG,
lems, or whatever is and all these other
needed. That remote autocatalytic golds
work gives us instant and things coming in.
access to all our lines It’s critical to define
in the field. the capacity and what
Along with the sup- you want to do with
port, the whole data the line early on,
management of that because it’s hard to
board going through modify after the fact.
a wet process is a
big move for IPS to Congratulations to
be compliant with you and your team
Industry 4.0. It’s not on IPS’s success.
just what’s happen- Thanks. It really is
ing to the board on because of that per-
the front end, it’s the sistence, waking up
whole turnkey chem- Mike Brask, IPS president. every morning, and
ical management side knowing what you
of things. For example, this line has a com- want to do as a business. That’s one of the key
plete turnkey nickel dosing. There are indi- things about being fabricators and tool build-
vidual Palm controllers on every single tank ers. When I get my people out in the field,
and all that data is logged into the computer, and they get to see the end-game of the prod-
so you know all your metal turns over the life uct they’re making, they’re not just welding a
of the bath. All the data from our lines at SEL piece of a frame together; they’re building a
are compatible and seamlessly integrated into system. In addition, this helps our team stay in
their MES. tune and evolve with the newest manufactur-
Also, we know one of the nasty processes ing processes in the industry.
is stripping nickel and the NOX gas and the
safety hazard with all that. So, we automated it Well said. Thank you.
for them. There is a nitric holding tank that will Thank you, Barry. PCB007
TTM CEO
Tom Edman
on the Process
of Strategy
Feature Interview by the

I-Connect007 Editorial Team
For this issue on strategy development, we cal components that will drive the company
sought input from Tom Edman, CEO of TTM forward. For me, that’s what you’re looking at
Technologies. He’s been at the helm for almost with a corporate strategy.
10 years and has overseen quite a few major
changes in that time. Matties: What are some of the key consider-
In this interview, we asked Tom to discuss ations that go into developing a strategy?
what goes into planning a successful strategy, This is very timely, because we just started
how to narrow down the perfect strategy for our process in July. First, we define the major
your company, and why the boss shouldn’t trends that we’re seeing globally that would
bear the entire responsibility for this strategy. have an impact on the company. Those trends
It needs to be a team effort. can be anything, such as macroeconomic, cli-
mate, geopolitics, personnel challenges, and
Barry Matties: Let’s start with how you define technology trends. So, we always start there,
strategy. What does that mean to you? and I think that provides the right background.
Strategy is about charting the corporation’s One of the board members I worked with in
direction for the long term. When I’m plan- the past always said that when you’re develop-
ning a strategy, I’m really outlining the criti- ing a strategy you should start with no more
than three major trends that impact the com- if anybody says “commodity” to me, I’ll say,
pany. We try to do the same because it helps “Fine. You take that business and treat it as a
one to really crystallize the major impacts that commodity. It’s all yours.”
you have to look at as a company vs. getting
caught up in some of the less critical areas. We Matties: Yet, for so many people, it’s a race to
always try to define three impacts, but some- the bottom when you’re in that mind space.
times we end up with four. At least that’s where Well said. We will take some projects to vol-
we start. ume in China. But when we get those pro-
How do we address the major trends in our grams toward the end of life, we start to see
rolling three-year strategic plan? Every year, Chinese competitors come in. That’s a choice
we come back to ground zero, take a fresh look that customers are going to make. If they really
at trends, and plan three major strategies feel that they want to take a cut, they can pur-
that we will focus on in sue commoditization of a particular
the three-year period. program. It’s just our choice as
We define the tactics to whether we participate or
and we get a little bit not.
looser there. We try to When you’re
keep it to three, but we developing a strategy Matties: I think that goes
generally end up with to another point of strat-
five or six tactics, tying you should start with no egy: It’s just as important
directly to the strate- more than three major to know what to say no to
gies. as what to say yes to.
trends that impact Absolutely. The real magic
Matties: So, when in strategy is what hap-
people are devel-
the company. pens during the process;
oping strategy, espe- it’s the sausage making
cially in this industry, cir- that really is exciting about
cuit boards are often referred strategy as the teams work
to as a commodity item. How through their ideas. The next step is
do you bring unique value into making sure that the strategy is communi-
strategy? cated to the organization in how it ties to our
It’s all about differentiation and focusing on vision and mission, along with the strategic
areas where you have differentiation. That can elements that we are going after, and how it
be several areas. But if we have a technology can impact them. But upfront involvement of
that we’ve been working on, that that gives us management is critical, and then communica-
an edge, that’s one area of differentiation. We tion on the back side.
believe that our field application engineer-
ing capability and support of the customers Matties: That’s exactly where I was headed—
in development work are critical areas of dif- how important is it to communicate with your
ferentiation. We also have a footprint strategy suppliers and customer base as well?
that ties directly to our strategy. When we do corporate presentations, we
It’s critical that we offer differentiation in include our vision, mission, and strategic ele-
those three areas: technology depth (and the ments—the three major strategic elements that
advantages we have), what we provide in terms we’re focused on. We also share our values in
of differentiation, and customer support that’s every presentation that we make to customers.
technical in nature. As you pointed out, Barry, It’s the values that I spend a lot of time on with
Ma
nuf
ac
tur
er
sofp
reci
si
onMic
ro-
Mach
ini
ng
Sol
uti
ons
forove
r50Ye
ars
COBRAI
IHybr
idLaser HS-
4L
UVandCO2l as
ers Low-cos
t,4-st
ati
onpreci
si
ondril
li
ng
Bl
i
ndvi
a,f
lexcut
ti
ng,cavi
ti
es orrout
ingsyst
em withl
argepanel
option
HS-
1LDS 136L
Si
ngle-
stati
on,dualspindl
ehigh-s
peed High-Speed,precis
eaccuracy
dr
il
l
ing/rout
ingwit
hI ntel
l
i-Dr
il
lVi
si
on dr
il
l
ing/r
outi
ngwi t
hI nt
ell
i
-Dr
il
lVis
ion
154L HS-
2L
Lar
gepanel
s i
zepr
ecisi
ondri
l
li
ng/r
out
ing Hi
gh-speed,2-
stat
iondr
il
lorr
outer
Si
ngl
estati
onwit
hv i
si
onopti
ons w/populat
edboardrout
ingopt
ion
Movei
ntothefut
urewi
ththel
atestinnovat
ions
i
nFabri
cati
onTechnol
ogyfr
om t
heI ndustr
yLeader!
www.
excel
lon.
com
our employees. Those haven’t changed much on our industry. We have a combination of slow
at all over time. growth and elevated capacity. That’s a critical
one. The second is the geopolitical environ-
Nolan Johnson: You’re describing a very ment, in particular the geopolitical environ-
much consensus-driven sort of process, ment between China and the United States.
with input that’s not just from the top level. Overall, you can just call it global regional-
How open is this process to the employees ization, which is driving supply chain resil-
at large? iency, or China Plus One strategy, depending
In our quarterly communication meetings, we on which customer you talk to and where they
chart the beginning and the end of the process. are in the world. The third one is technology
Part of our September session is trying to get drivers. Now everybody’s into AI, but I would
people to really stretch in their thinking and say it’s AI and 5G primarily driving huge shifts
throw out ideas and have a discussion vs. just that we see in semiconductor and technology
presentations. After we’ve requirements, and that’s impacting our
done the three-year strat- business. Those are the three big
egy, we then focus on ones.
the first year of the
strategy, and that I can’t say that we Andy Shaughnessy:
becomes our bud- have the magic formula Tom, what are
get. It’s a whole exer- some of the mis-
cise that stretches into for making this whole takes that you
early December that see leaders making
gets us from strategy
thing work, but every when they’re planning
to budget. In January, year we try to get strategy?
we roll the combined I think it’s a huge mis-
strategy and budget out to better at it. take if a leader believes
the broader organization. that they personally are
I’ll meet with all the man- responsible for driving the
agement teams in our plants company’s strategy. An organization is
and review the broad outlines of only made better by the input of the smart
the strategy for the year and what has changed. people that you bring together in a room. I
That’s how it works in terms of the broader think companies also make a mistake when
population. I can’t say that we have the magic they believe their strategy is sacred, and they
formula for making this whole thing work, but can’t communicate elements of the strategy in
every year we try to get better at it. broader teams. That’s the fun part, because it’s
just such an opportunity to get everybody on
Matties: Audiences appreciate a limited board with the company. People really enjoy
number of slides. stepping out of the day to day and actually
It took us a few years to figure that out. thinking about something bigger.
Johnson: Tom, what do you currently see as Matties: Tom, we certainly appreciate your
some of the major market drivers that would time and insights today. Thank you very
affect strategy for anybody in printed circuit much.
board fabrication right now? Thank you, Barry. PCB007
I’ll give you three. First is the macroeconomic
climate, which is clearly having a huge impact
Developing Your Team to
Become Great Implementors
One World, One Industry
Feature Column by Dr. John W. Mitchell, IPC PRESIDENT AND CEO
Strategy is all about choices, and most often company focuses on aviation, another on
choosing what not to do. Too many organiza- health care, and the third on energy. GE’s stra-
tions strive to do too much and because of that tegic rationale was clear: three well-capital-
end up doing very little as well as they might ized, industry-leading public companies, each
have. We see this principle highlighted in many with deeper operational focus and account-
of the structural changes happening in major ability, greater strategic flexibility, and tailored
organizations. Very large companies are often capital allocation decisions. The conglomerate
splitting their organizations into separate divi- model no longer works well in a marketplace
sions to allow focus or even spinning off por- in which only the quick and agile survive.
tions of their business; again, focus is often the In another such move, Continental AG
motivator. recently spun off a portion of its business to
Last November, General Electric (GE) split create Vitesco Technologies, enabling Vitesco
into three public companies, focusing to sim- to focus entirely on the shift toward electric
plify its business while reducing debt. One mobility.

Let me make a little bit more controver- • Employ a team of highly skilled and
sial statement: Your business strategy matters experienced professionals to tackle
very little. You need one to provide focus, but individual supporting projects.
what you list in your strategy is not really that • Improve internal communication to
secretive; letting it be public is not a matter of ensure all team members have the support
great concern. The real advantage of a com- and knowledge they need.
pany is not its strategy, but that company’s
ability to implement that strategy. Implemen- • Develop procedures or policies which
tation is everything. This is the hard reality, help teams better achieve their goals.
the daily exercise and regular sleep of the cor- • Create a healthy budget and allocate the
porate world. Without great implementation, resources needed to implement the
your strategy is irrelevant. Where we need to strategy.
be focused is on creating and developing our
We can talk all day long about how excit-
teams to become great implementors.
ing and forward-thinking our strategies are,
Think of your business strategy as a naviga-
but how can we be successful if we cannot put
tion system, with its implementation strat-
those strategies into practice? While the new
egy essential to your company’s success. The
ideas and creativity of our workplace inspire
following aspects help connect the dots to
us to think of success as limitless, without the
ensure the execution makes it to its destination
hard work of putting those ideas into practice,
smoothly.
we are just spinning our wheels. PCB007
• Establish the right work environment
and corporate culture that supports and Dr. John W. Mitchell is
embraces strategy implementation. By president and CEO of IPC.
To read past columns,
motivating employees and rewarding
click here.
success, you’ll improve the effectiveness
of your strategy.
New Type of Quantum Bit in Semiconductor Nanostructures

Researchers have created a quantum superpo- ently driven: they used two different laser beams
sition state in a semiconductor nanostructure that with intensities in a specific ratio to each other. With
might serve as a basis for quantum computing. The the first laser, they excited an electron-hole pair in
team headed by Feng Liu from Zhejiang University the quantum dot to create a quasiparticle consisting
in Hangzhou, reported their findings in the journal of two holes and an electron. With a second laser,
Nature Nanotechnology, published online on 24 they triggered the radiative Auger process to ele-
July 2023. vate one hole to a series of higher energy states.
The team made use of the so-called radiative In the process, the researchers increased the
Auger transition. In this process, ensemble homogeneity of the
an electron recombines with a quantum dots and ensured the
hole, releasing its energy partly high purity of the structures pro-
in the form of a single photon and duced. These measures facil-
partly by transferring the energy itated the performance of the
to another electron. experiments by the Chinese part-
In the current project, the ners working with Jun-Yong Yan
researchers showed that the radi- and Feng Liu.
ative Auger process can be coher- (Source: Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

Changing the World
One Connection at a Time
By consolidating your spend into our own sourcing program, we can leverage our
total volumes to get you the best pricing. Our staff can open the doors to
Asia-based factory solutions not previously available to your purchasing team.
World-class Top tier Ambitious information

PCB partners quality systems systems plan
LEARN MORE
info@linkage-tech.com
linkage-tech.com
I-CONNECT007
In 2007, Stratos Aircraft set out to design and a comfortable cabin pressured to an alti-
and manufacture an exciting, high-flying new tude of 7,600 feet.
product, which they estimate is still at least five I recently went to the Stratos manufactur-
years away from going to market. With a hefty ing facility in Redmond, Oregon, to meet Pres-
capital investment, they are now working on ident and CEO Carsten Sundin and his team
their second prototype: a six-passenger, sin- where I learned more about what it takes
gle jet engine plane that cruises at 41,000 feet, to design, build, and bring a new aircraft to
with a range of around 1,500 nautical miles, market.
50
50 PCB007
PCB007 MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE II AUGUST
AUGUST 2023
2023
Carsten, let’s start with
a little bit about your
company.
Carsten Sundin: We started
back in 2007 with a goal to
design and produce an air-
craft with significantly bet-
ter performance than any-
thing else out there in the
high-performance, per-
sonal aircraft category. We
set out to see what it would
take to design an air-
craft that would comfort-
ably seat four people and
travel as far as 1,500 nau-
tical miles with reserves,
cruise at 400 knots and,
therefore, be a significant Carsten Sundin, president and CEO (left), and Chief Test Pilot Peter Stiles.
step up from anything else
available at the time. When we started our ini- the Stratos 714 and the 716—and they’re prov-
tial design studies, we didn’t really have any set ing to meet all the performance goals that we
ideas about what that aircraft would look like. set out to make.
We considered all the various configurations
and powerplant options. The further we got What led you to want to start an aircraft
into it, the more we realized a single-engine jet company? It’s not something people wake
would keep it less expensive. Single-engine tur- up one day and just say, “You know what?
bine aircraft today are incredibly reliable; you Today, I’m going to go build an airplane.”
simply don’t need a second engine for safety Sundin: Well, aircraft is all I’ve ever done.
reasons. These engines, as long as they get fuel, Straight out of college, I worked for Lancair.
just don’t quit. A single engine makes it a lot For 10 years, I was part of several exciting air-
easier for the owner-operator. This aircraft is craft programs there including the Lancair 360,
very simple to fly compared to even the basic the ES, the Lancair IV, and the Lancair Legacy.
piston-powered aircraft. I had very good exposure the first 10 years of
Long story short, our design studies led us to my career, then I went on to manage the engi-
the Stratos 716X. It’s an aircraft that’s powered neering of the Epic LT program, a six-seat tur-
by a single Pratt and Whitney JT15D-5 engine. boprop aircraft company. I consulted for a few
It has about 3,000 pounds of thrust and it pro- years after that. Then I wanted to get involved
pels the aircraft at about 380 knots. The pro- with aircraft design and manufacturing again.
duction engine will take us to the goal of 400 So, I pitched a few different ideas to potential
knots. At 41,000 feet, this aircraft has a very investors and this one literally took off.
comfortable cabin altitude of 7,600 feet, which
is comparable to the Boeing 787. The trend is Nice. So, where are you in the cycle to go
for lower cabin altitudes, so you arrive a lot to market?
more refreshed and not so fatigued from a long Sundin: Aircraft design and manufacturing is
flight. So far, we’ve flown two aircraft now— a very long road; it took us almost nine years
to get the first aircraft, the 714, flying. After Wow. That’s quite a commitment for one
the 714, we decided to stretch it to turn it product to come to market. Is this a niche
into a true six-seat aircraft. That process took market that you’re filling or are there
another three years, and as part of that process, already players in this space?
we went through a weight reduction program. Sundin: Well, it’s niche in the sense that we’re
Not only did we increase the cabin volume by targeting the owner-operator, but it’s still a
about 40%; we also reduced 400 pounds of pretty large market.
weight. Weight is everything in aircraft design.
That’s like two people! Do you see electric aircraft coming into
play and into your design, as well?
You must go through a lot of regulatory Sundin: In time, but the battery technology is
hurdles. Talk a little bit about that challenge. just not there yet for a high-performance air-
Sundin: They say that by the time the aircraft is craft. I think we’re decades out still.
certified, the weight of the paperwork equals
the weight of the aircraft. I think that’s prob- Are you designing any of your own
ably true. We still have a long way to go. Basi- electronics?
cally, what we’ve done today is designed and Sundin: Electronics is a fairly small part of this
tested—both structurally and in flight—these aircraft design, and any time there’s a proven
two aircraft. We have hundreds of flying hours vendor part out there that works, we gravitate
on them and thousands of hours in develop- toward it. But in general, in aircraft manufac-
ment, manufacturing, and testing. We still turing, there’s just not that much off-the-shelf
have a long way to go with certification. Even available. For example, I was hoping to find off-
companies like Honda, with very deep pockets the-shelf landing gear, but that just didn’t work
beginning to end, took about 20 years to cer- out. We ended up designing and manufactur-
tify the aircraft. ing our own landing gear. We don’t make the

Leading surface-finishing solutions
for BEV, HEV and PHEV batteries
Steel battery housing
Electromagnetic shielding
Aluminum battery Thermal management

modules and housing
Battery and cell

management
Battery housing fasteners
Connectors, busbars and fasteners

Anode and cathode current collectors
Engineered for maximum performance, our cutting-edge surface modification and finishing technologies
for EV batteries ensure optimal circuitry, corrosion protection, wear resistance, and adhesion promotion
enabling superior connectivity, longer lifetimes, and outstanding reliability.
For more information on our company or products, just scan the QR-code.
info @atotech.com www.atotech.com

raw materials, but we produce the tooling, we Use proven technology and proven designs.
manufacture it, and we assemble everything. Basically, go look at everything that’s out there.
So, while we don’t produce raw materials, win- In each category, pick from the best proven
dows, the engine, or the avionics, everything designs and turn those proven designs into your
else is made right here in-house. aircraft design.
That’s great. It’s nice to know that there are One of the struggles in business today, as
still things being made in America. I’m sure you’re aware, is the labor market—
Sundin: In aircraft manufacturing, I think it’s finding and bringing in good talent. What
still the only way to go. are you doing in that regard?
Sundin: We did something that worked out very
What is the biggest challenge now, outside well for us. When we started this project we used
of the regulatory process, that you must go a lot of experienced engineers, and not too long
through? after that, we hired junior engineers and trained
Sundin: It really does come down to the regu- them. Aaron Park is a good example. He’s right
latory process. We strategize to test everything out of college and he will work with the expe-
before we start that process. We’ve cleared a rienced engineers. For the most part we have a
lot of hurdles, and I would say we have “de- few senior engineers who oversee things, and
risked” this program as much as possible. It we have quite a few younger engineers who are
really comes down to this mountain of paper- proving to be exceptional.
work that we’ve got to go through.
That’s a good strategy. However, your indus-
If someone’s looking at starting a manufactur- try has what I might call “jet-appeal,” com-
ing company, what advice would you offer? pared to circuit board manufacturing. So, I
Sundin: Don’t get into aircraft manufactur- think young engineers are probably more
ing. That is, of course, a joke. If you were going drawn to an environment like this.
into aircraft manufacturing, most importantly, Sundin: I think that helps, certainly. It has also
use proven technology and methods. Produc- helped us to have a lot of cool manufacturing
ing aircraft is very, very difficult. And if you technology. When you walk through the facil-
have ambitions of producing your own avion- ity, you’ll see a lot of advanced manufacturing
ics or your own engine, you’re destined to fail. here, and I think that attracts talent.

One of the trends we’re seeing is Industry We did that in May 2022. Other milestones are
4.0 and a move to digital twin. How much first flights. But when we reach the ultimate
of the simulation of aircraft parts are you milestones, like high altitude or high speed,
doing digitally? those are big days for us. There’s really nothing
Sundin: We design the aircraft entirely on the out there like the Stratos 716. There are other
computer. That means we designed the parts, single- and turbofan-powered aircraft, but the
the assemblies—all the way up to the com- performance of our aircraft is very similar to
pleted product. Along the way, we test things the light twin-engine business jets. I would say
virtually by simulation. We have virtual wind there’s no simpler high-performance aircraft
tunnels, which is CFD or computational fluid that’s ideally suited for the owner-operator.
dynamics. We have virtual structures testing,
which is FEA or finite element analysis. We’ll Well, I certainly appreciate your time.
do some coupon testing along the way to ver- Congratulations.
ify, then we do full-scale testing and, ultimately, Sundin: Thank you.
full-scale flight testing. So basically, we design
and optimize on the computer, and then we ____________________________
real-life test.
After sitting down with Carsten Sundin, I
You’re out flying your own aircraft. met up with three young engineers at Stratos—
Are you satisfied with the performance? Aaron Park, Austin Alley, and John Smoker—
Sundin: It’s meeting the performance targets, to learn more about their journeys from educa-
which were ambitious, so we’re very happy tion to where they are now at Stratos.
about that. The most satisfying were the days Aaron Park recently graduated from Boise
when we achieved our major milestones. As an State University with a degree in mechani-
example, one milestone we’d looked toward cal engineering and is now the newest full-
for years and years was reaching 41,000 feet. time design engineer at Stratos. Prior to that,
Left to right: John Smoker, Austin Alley, and Aaron Park.

he interned at Stratos for two years on and off
during the summer with a little bit of remote
work during the school years. Aaron said he
has always loved aviation and decided to focus
on mechanical engineering, especially when
he started his internship at Stratos.
Austin Alley joined Stratos about six years
ago and is now an engineering supervisor and
CAD manager. While having an applied phys-
ics degree and mechanical engineering minor
from the University of Idaho, he said he learned
core principles of engineering from growing up
on a farm. “That’s where I learned my mechan- CNC operator and machinist Rod McMahon.
ical engineering, fixing the tractors,” he says.
“I learned from the start how to turn a wrench school. I ask a lot of questions to try to merge
and from that, how design could be improved. the skills I learned there with what is required
For example, whoever designed our tractor here to make sure that what I do is safe for the
made it so that I need to take four things off to aircraft and the people in it.
get to a fuel filter or whatever. I was cognizant I also realize there can be a disconnect
then that the people hated poor engineering. between manufacturers and engineers in indus-
So, I definitely wanted to change that.” try; the engineers don’t always know what’s
John Smoker joined Stratos about five years going on in manufacturing. I try to learn how,
ago. He has a general engineering degree with for example, our welder likes to see welding
an emphasis in mechanical engineering. “The callouts on drawings, or how the CNC opera-
degree program was such that the fundamen- tors will interpret the drawing and how we can
tals and theory were really emphasized. So, best have that symbiotic relationship. A better
we didn’t get into much practical stuff; a lit- connection reduces the chance of error.
tle bit of SolidWorks, a little bit of Fault Tree
Analysis. But it was really a base of mathemat- We see this disconnect across a lot of indus-
ics, physics, some programming, and a good tries. We hear fabricators complain that many
amount of electronics as well.” designers just throw the designs over the
The common thread I found talking to these wall and want the fabricator to figure it out.
young engineers is their desire to collaborate This is where your approach of learning who
with the team and serve their internal custom- your customers are and what their needs are
ers, and they don’t take this lightly. makes a lot of sense. In fact, another com-
mon theme we hear is to have designers
Aaron, you’re in an industry where failure can learn the manufacturing process.
cause fatalities. How does that inform the Park: While I was at Boise State, they updated
way you approach your job, or the way you the mechanical engineering curriculum with
see the work that you’re doing? help from the local manufacturing industry.
Aaron Park: The added weight and responsi- Micron and a host of smaller companies located
bility is definitely in my mind as I’m creating in Boise were asked what skills, both technical
drawings or designing parts. There are a lot and soft, graduates were lacking or that they
of standards and specifications that we need needed to know. Being able to work with man-
to keep in mind. And, of course, all the aero- ufacturers and getting to know the equipment
space standards are not something I learned in with hands-on experience was a big part of
their feedback. I’m grateful that I got to have needs and it’ll save them a lot of time in manu-
classes where I was out in the shop working on facturing.
mills, lathes, and learning how they work. Now
that I’m working here at Stratos, I understand John, I understand you’re five years into your
better what the manufacturers are doing, and I career, and you’ve made some advancements
can ask them better questions, too. here. This sounds like a fast path for you.
What’s your title now, and what do you do?
Tell me about the soft skills you’ve found to John Smoker: I’m our lead flight test engineer.
be most valuable. I also do systems design work. Most of what
Park: A big part of what my college instructors I do currently is mid-level program manage-
wanted to convey that I now find really valu- ment, coordinating with contractors and sup-
able is being able to communicate with who- pliers, working on timelines, and then work-
ever is going to be manufacturing your product ing with the actual data coming off the aircraft.
and even explore scenarios where you were in I learn from our chief test pilots and from the
the manufacturer’s shoes. We had a long design pilot contractors that we work with. Often-
class where we did our own design that we times, because we’re working in such a fast-
passed off to another student to build. But then paced environment, we’re jumping between
we also received a design from someone else, programs. We’ve developed a software sys-
built it ourselves, and iterated back and forth. tem here at flightline to manage configuration
The emphasis was on being able to effectively and control the aircraft; that’s a huge thing. To
communicate with an employer or a coworker, manage weight and balance briefs debriefs,
or even another company that’s manufacturing just making it so that you get the most infor-
a product for you. mation out of a very information-rich environ-
Further to that, I now ask a lot of questions ment and coordinating it and calling it in such
at Stratos. Being able to articulate information a way that two months down the road, we’re in
and avoid any sort of miscommunication or a completely different program. What do you
misunderstanding has been a very important know, what did we learn?
lesson for me.
What was your first role here?
So, Austin, you’re reinforcing Aaron’s point of Smoker: I started as a low-level draftsman and
communication and collaboration. spent a lot of time just talking to the machin-
Austin Alley: Yes, figure out who your customer ists and fabricators, picking their minds, asking
is. In the end, our customer is whoever is going what they want to see on drawings, what does
to buy the airplane. As an engineer, my cus- it take to actually build the part, do this thing,
tomer is the person who will make the parts or make this system. I spent a lot of time learn-
I design and draw, and the person turning the ing the grammar of how to make stuff. I would
wrenches. I’m out talking to the machinist, for say that would probably be one of the better
example, asking how they need me to make a investments that I’ve made in my career.
design for manufacturing. “Oh, you need that
radius changed?” A lot of engineers don’t even You’re echoing what both Austin and Aaron
ask what the radius needs to be. But if you ask, had said, the importance of communication
it’s like, “Well, if you change this by ten thou- between your internal customers, who you’re
sandths, I can use this other drill bit and I can handing your work off to.
cut this twice as fast.” Little details like this are Smoker: Absolutely, because they [internal cus-
sometimes missed, whereas when you really tomers] are the ones who matter. It’s not about
talk to the person building it, you’ll learn their just throwing a stack of drawings on their desk

and saying, “Okay, bye, see you!” The process I’m very grateful for it. It’s a real privilege when
is from initial design concept to final proto- you don’t mind the drive into work every day.
type phase one, prototype phase two to final There’s a culture of internal customer service,
concept, and your fingers need to be in that collaboration, and education at Stratos.
process the whole time. That’s the most ful-
filling and rewarding way, I think, to tackle a At Stratos, they’ve welcomed you to learn
project. about all the other areas beyond your core
function; that’s a great sort of company to be
Excellent. What’s been the most exciting here working for.
for you? Park: Absolutely. I feel like I have learned just as
Smoker: It’s funny, because when you’re much, if not more, working on the job as doing
around a project like this you get attenuated to schoolwork. It’s being able to work alongside
the excitement and that’s an unfortunate part more senior engineers and talking with other
of being involved with the kind of resources departments for manufacturing metal parts,
we have, the kind of people we have. You get composites, learning about how things go on
spoiled fast and you forget how amazing your the flightline; it’s all very valuable information
life is. You just walk through the facility and and I love getting to learn about all of it.
have to pinch yourself.
And you get paired up to be mentored by
Stratos has invested a lot of money into other engineers; I believe one of yours is
talented people and equipment. Austin. So, Austin, you have been on a sim-
Smoker: Absolutely. I’m passionate about our ilar path as Aaron, and my understanding
aircraft. I’ve loved aviation for as far as back is that you’re carrying a lot of responsibility
as I can remember. So, when engineering was within the organization as a leader.
a discipline, I chose it and thought, well, if I Alley: Yes. So, I worked hard and did a lot of
can do anything with airplanes, that would be the things Aaron is talking about, and I steadily
amazing. Amazingly, I’ve ended up here and worked my way up, nearing the top on that.

Tell us about being a mentor. How important people new to the industry as well. In a lot of
is that, and what approach do you take with ways, it seems like you’re almost better off with
a new employee? that because you can kind of mold somebody
Alley: For the most part, we start off slow. It’s into what you need. They don’t come in with a
like, let’s see if this person can make this draw- preconceived notion of how this thing works.
ing and then, all right, they can do that. You And if you think this other way, you’re not
see they asked questions, they are now a little having to butt heads with someone who’s got
better, a little smarter, so then you give them 30 years of experience. (Granted, that person
a little bigger project and you just slowly work with experience knows there’s a reason they
your way up. Aaron is doing a great job ask- are thinking that way as well.)
ing a lot of little questions. Sometimes you
can tell he’s nervous to ask the question, but I met CNC operator and machinist Rod
that’s totally fine. I was the same way. When I McMahon and machine operator Ed Kissler in
first started, I knew almost nothing about air- the tool and the machining department, who
planes. So, it’s just every day asking the people remind us that there is no substitute for expe-
above you, “Hey, how does this work?” Being rience. These guys are true craftsmen, and
open when I don’t understand how something they’ve been at their crafts for years; they’re
works. At times, I might think, “This is a stu- experts. There’s a shortage in the labor force
pid question.” I’m still going to ask it because today for that kind of skillset. For you to come
I want to know why it works like this or how it in and be exposed to these craftsmen and
functions. have that kind of experience to learn from
must be invaluable for you.
As a mentor you share and teach the culture Alley: Yes, totally. When we make a drawing for
of the company. It sounds like this is what I the first time of some complex machine part,
might describe as a nurturing company; the we go out and talk to them and they almost
leaders encourage education, questions, always have some suggestion to make it easier
mentoring, and collaboration. to build. Working together makes a huge dif-
Alley: Yes. We almost always hire new engi- ference for the whole team and it makes their
neers, and a lot of positions here are filled by jobs easier.

WORLD-CLASS
SUPPLIERS
Insulectro, the largest distributor in North
America of materials used in the manufacture
of printed circuit boards and printed
electronics, salutes our premier suppliers.
Call 949.587.3200 for more infoRMation
Denkai America is a leader in the

manufacture of high-quality
electrodeposited copper foils for
printed circuit board (PCB),
industrial, and energy.
With the strength of domestic manufacturing,

and backed by a global presence, Denkai
America delivers both conventional cladding and
application specific copper foils required by
technology leading companies.
PACOTHANE®
PACOPADS®
TRIPAK®
PACOGARD® Lamination Assist
for Flex & Rigid PCBs
PACO•CLUTCH™
PACOTHANE® PLUS
PACO•VIA Pacothane services the worldwide PCB market, which includes
THERMOPADS™ rigid multilayer, rigid/flex, cover-layer flex, flexible multilayer,
copper and unclad Laminates. These circuit boards are
THERMOFILM™
integrated into a wide variety of applications and markets that
PACOFLEX™ ULTRA include telecom, data communications, high-speed computing,
PQP QUICK PRESS™ mobile devices, military, smart cards, medical and effectively all
electronic products.
American-made. Worldwide leader.
INSULECTRO 20362 Windrow Drive, Lake Forest CA 92630 • 949.587.3200 • insulectro.com

When we were back there talking with them, ple. That would be the biggest thing because
they were encouraging you to come and the opportunities I had came from just talking
spend some time to learn the skill and more to people and being curious about them. Ask
about what they’re doing. “How do you get to do what you do? How did
Alley: Yes, I would absolutely love to spend you get to where you are? What advice would
more time with them to learn more about you have for me?” And then the one: “Is there
their craft. There has been encouragement and anything that I could work with you on?” That’s
opportunity for me to do that. a big question that a lot of people avoid, but
ask! “Do you have a place for me?” And then
What advice would you give a young that just adds to your list of potential things to
engineer? do and directions to go.
Alley: One of the big things is just knowing
your customer, knowing who’s going to get Aaron, any advice you would give to a young
your product in the end. Be cognizant about engineer starting out?
manufacturing costs, how something’s going Park: I would say don’t spend all your time
together, and if there’s a better way to do it. engineering behind the computer. Get out into
Make sure that your whole team is involved a shop or out into the backyard with some sticks
with your design, not just you. I find a lot of and nails and make something. Buy a cheap 3D
bad designs tend to be that way because there printer, or whatever you can get your hands on,
was no collaboration; it was all kind of a one- to learn manufacturing as well. You’ll learn just
man show. as much about engineering by moving from
design concept to creating something yourself.
John, what advice would you give to a young There’s a whole other level of satisfaction that
student maybe just entering school or about to comes with that. Learn as much as you can for
come out of school and move into industry? the entire process! And don’t worry too much
Smoker: I would say you don’t have to know about the math and thermodynamics and all
exactly what you want to do. If you do, fan- that stuff.
tastic. But if you don’t know, try to find out,
gain breadth, network. Ask your professors Great advice. Thank you so much. PCB007
or senior classmates to lunch, just talk to peo-
The Heights of Flight
440 to 6,200 miles
Exobase
50 to 440 miles
Karman line
31 to 50 miles
7-31 miles
Ozone layer
0 to 7 miles

Smoothing the Rocky Road
of Onboarding
The New Chapter
by Hannah Nelson, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
Imagine you accept a job halfway across home for the past 22 years of my life, so when
the country, move there with no family or I finally moved to Arizona in June, I entered
friends nearby, and you’re extremely over- a state of panic. Thankfully, some of my peers
whelmed by your living situation. It can be from my university had moved out here as well,
really tough. but I still greatly missed my family and friends
To be honest, when I first interviewed for my back home.
current position, I was excited to move away In Indiana, I had leaned on my family for
from my home state of Indiana. I was thrilled security, discernment, and comfort, but when
about a new adventure on my horizons. When my parents dropped me off at my new apart-
the recruiter gave me the option of moving to ment, I was left to fend for myself. I immedi-
Texas or Arizona, I couldn’t have been more ately felt scared and lonely; I desired to feel
delighted than to say, “Send me to the sunny the comfort of home. Even more, I was terri-
state of Arizona.” But what I didn’t realize is fied of starting my new job. I had no idea what
how incredibly lonely and scary it is when you to expect or what was expected of me. I felt
have no one to lean back on in your new sur- incompetent from academia and, overall, I felt
roundings. Indiana is the place I have called hopeless.

PCB AUCTION #1 WEDNESDAY
WWW.THEBRANFORDGROUP.COM
View Full Lot Catalog Online Now
SEP 20
11:00 AM CET
Location: Schwenningen, Germany Register Now!
Complete Facility Closure of Renowned European

Printed Circuit Board Producer - Equipment as Late as 2017
• (8) Schmoll AMX1 Drilling & Milling Machines
• ATG A7 & A5 Flying Probe Testers
• Europlasma NV CD1200 PCB Plasma
Etch-Desmearing Machine
• (2) SUSS Microtec Pixdro JETx Inkjet Board Printers
• LHMT SCM 626 Scoring Machine
er, Timothy rial, LLC
• Pola e Massa PMC-PEM Pumice Scrubber
A License 9
• Cemco Quicksilver HASL (Lead-Free)
• Dynachem Auto-Cut Sheet Laminator 1600 G
• Schmid 45 Soldermask Developer
• Mass, Lohr Hermann, Kuttler Accumulators
Stackers-Loaders- Unloaders
Entertaining Pre-Auction Offers on Major Machines. Scheduling Preview By Appoointment Only

Please contact Scott Lonkart : +1 203 257-2184 • slonkart@thebranfordgroup.com
PCB AUCTION #2 WEDNESDAY
OCT 4
View Full Lot Catalog Online Now 10:00 AM CET
Register Now!
Equipment Location: Gracanica, Bosnia
Multilayer PCB Manufacturer High Tech Circuit Board Facility
• Schmoll MDI Single Table Direct Imager
(2 Heads) yr. 2020
• Schmoll Drilling & Routing Machine LM2
F • Jetrite Ink Jet Legend Printer
• Schmoll MX1-160 CCD Drilling Machine
• Auto PCB V-cut Machine, Model CK-1500
• ATG Flying Probe Tester A1-1037, 8 Probes
• HML LP 2000 VK 2 Lamination Press
• MIVA Photo Plotter, Type 2512E T3
• Camtek AOI, Type: Orion-604 & 808
• Targomat - hole drilling machine
• Numerous Laif-Corema-Mass-Weimer
Loaders & Unloaders

+1(203) 488-7020 | TheBranfordGroup.com | service@thebranfordgroup.com
Create a New Environment
The electronics industry is losing its work-
force left and right to retirement, and com-
panies are seeking out a new workforce to fill
that space. They are contending with issues
that include a generation gap, retention, filling
the talent pool, and onboarding strategies that
keep new hires fulfilled and interested in stay-
ing for more than a short-term stint. It’s daunt-
ing, at best.
One thing that companies can do for new
hires—especially ones like me who are new
college graduates moving away for the first
time—is to create an environment that feels
like home.
During my first day of work, I was imme-
diately greeted by my new co-workers. They
quickly welcomed me onto the team and
helped me see how some niche skills I had
learned in college would aid me in my proj-
ects. I felt welcomed, needed, and even a lit-
tle closer to home. That feeling of hopelessness
soon turned into excitement. My employer’s
onboarding methods created a positive expe-
rience for me.
But it’s not always this way, and I have the
experience to prove it.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

of Onboarding Experiences
I had a negative situation at a previous
internship. On the first day, I received a laptop
and instructions to review the online onboard-
ing materials. As I worked through the materi-
als at my new desk, I could hear the conversa-
tions of my co-workers around me; they were
all talking—to each other, and not to me. As I
reflected on this at the end of the first day, I was
distressed. I was in a new living situation with
no family nearby, and I didn’t know anyone,
so I was already feeling uncomfortable. On the
job, I was introduced to no one on my team,
and even felt purposely excluded from the con-
versations at work. I truly felt like a “new hire”
and even more isolated.

Throughout the internship, it was hard to (new) community and help those in need.
build those foundational work relationships Community volunteering helps the new
because of what happened that first day. I had employee know that no matter how small
been unable to connect with my coworkers, so their impact is in the moment, they are truly
it was difficult to want to speak up in meetings, making a difference in their new community.
and even more so when my opinion needed This leads to higher purpose and value in the
to be heard. On new projects, I felt like I was company.
wasting the time of others. I felt useless and so
5. Resource groups. Give the employee an
stupid! When I asked a question, the responses
opportunity to join employee resource groups
were short and quick, which additionally made
or clubs associated with the company. This
my input on projects feel useless.
helps them feel more connected to the com-
While I wish I hadn’t had that experience, I
pany’s purpose, values, and vision. It’s also an
know it taught me a lot, including that others
opportunity to get to know their coworkers
may be having similar negative experiences that
and help them feel like they’ve found a new
can be stumbling blocks to their success on a new
home.
team. So, how can you help your new employee
have a positive onboarding experience? Although not part of the specific onboard-
ing experience, I believe in rotational pro-
1. Introductions. Make this happen on the
grams, especially for new hires coming
first day in the first hour, to their team and oth-
straight out of school. A rotational program
ers around the office.
allows the new employee to work in mul-
2. Weekly one-on-one meetings. Check in tiple areas within the company, and espe-
on your new hire to see how they are feeling cially to find new opportunities where they
about their job. What questions do they have? might thrive. It opens doors to areas of exper-
By allowing them time to ask questions, you tise where they might be a better fit, allowing
open the conversation for more input and for higher productivity and job satisfaction.
improvement. Letting them ask questions even Rotational programs are beneficial for both
allows for learning. As a new hire, I absolutely employees and their employer. They allow
do not know everything—especially things like employees to attain valuable skills that they
acronyms that everyone around me is using— can bring back to their original team, again
but with the opportunity to meet with my man- increasing productivity and efficiency.
ager and ask questions during our one-on-one, Integrating even one of these practices can
I’m able to gain the tools and expertise neces- go a long way in helping your new hire feel ful-
sary to bring value to my company. filled and excited about being on your team.
I’m not saying that moving to a new state and
3. Acclimation. Help new employees become
new job is easy for anyone but knowing that
familiar with the company and surrounding
my employer wants me to feel “at home” while
community. This can be through suggestions
I’m working has made all the difference. PCB007
of places to eat, things to do, or even sports
leagues they can join. Throwing a team lunch Hannah Nelson is a validation
or happy hour for your new employee helps engineer at Texas Instruments
them feel more comfortable with their team. and in her third year of IPC’s
Happy hours can also help a new employee to Emerging Engineer Program.
learn about new restaurants in the area. She is a former IPC Student
Board Member. To read past
4. Employee community volunteer days. columns, click here.
These help an employee reach out to their

Summeri
ssueavai
l
abl
enow!
LOOK I
NSI
DE
Adver
tise!
What’s Your Process for
Developing a Strategy?
Dr. Tim Rodgers might not call himself a Andy Shaughnessy: Tim, would you share
“business strategies guru,” but the moniker your thoughts on developing a business
certainly fits. As an adjunct faculty instruc- strategy?
tor at the University of Colorado, Tim special- Sure. This is hugely important for companies
izes in project management, problem-solving, to understand. We see a lot of examples of
and streamlining processes in engineering and companies that fail because they don’t have a
manufacturing. Plus, Tim knows the business clear strategy. It really should start with ask-
side of PCB fabrication. ing, “How do you choose to compete? What
We asked Tim to discuss the process of devel- can you do to create sustainable competi-
oping a successful business strategy for PCB tive advantage?” Companies that don’t have a
fabricators, why operational efficiency is not a clear strategy just zigzag back and forth. They
strategy itself, and how smaller companies can take a lot of actions, and they may be very
differentiate themselves in an industry that’s busy, but their actions are not consistent with
becoming more and more commoditized. any kind of strategic strategy. So, they end up

Unrivaled Test Speed
with Full Automation
Introducing the newly designed atg A9a with

8 test probes and a new high speed “lights out”
automation for unrivaled throughput.
Highlights:
• Small footprint (6 square meters)
• Dual shuttle pick & place automation
• High accuracy combined with
high test speed
• Pen or label marking option
atg Luther & Maelzer GmbH

Zum Schlag 3 • 97877 Wertheim • Germany
Phone +49-9342-291-0 • Fax +49-9342-395 10
sales@atg-lm.com • www.atg-lm.com
ship, and the final way is appealing to a niche
market of some kind. Cost leadership basi-
cally means we will make the same thing, and
provide the same services that everybody else
provides, but we’ll do it at a lower cost. We will
beat everybody on cost. Walmart and South-
west Airlines figured out how to compete at
very low cost and they can compete very effec-
tively on that basis.
Differentiation means we will offer a product
or service that is different, and customers will
buy from us because we provide something
they can’t get somewhere else. A great exam-
ple of that kind of strategy comes from Apple,
which has a very clear differentiation around
its operating system. I’m a Mac user, and I can
get a cheaper PC, but we Mac users choose to
spend more money in order to get what we
think is a differentiated experience. The real
question is how we can apply that to the world
of printed circuit board fabrication.
Tim Rodgers The third one is niche. Can you appeal to a
particular niche? If you can, your business will
expending resources without really getting be small because it’s a niche market of some
anywhere. kind, but it could be quite profitable. A good
One of the big challenges for PCB fabrica- example of that might be trying to appeal to a
tors is trying to figure out how to differentiate specific kind of market, maybe medical devices,
themselves, and that’s really difficult. So many for example, manufacturers for the medical
fabricators are basically the same; they use the device industry have to submit to audits of their
same manufacturing processes, the same oper- manufacturing practices. If you choose to spe-
ating model, and there’s not a lot of opportu- cialize in this particular market, you may not
nity for differentiation. There are still break- get very big, but this strategy can help ensure
throughs in production capabilities and oper- competitive advantage in that niche market.
ating models, but it’s getting harder and harder
because the whole industry is becoming “com- Barry Matties: Now, how does the smaller
moditized,” and when you start selling the guy develop a strategy?
same thing that everybody else is selling, then It’s really tough to compete on the basis of cost;
the power shifts to the buyer; the buyer has the it tends to be a downward spiral as we keep
power to basically do price comparisons. It’s a cutting margins. With low margins, you don’t
difficult situation to be in. have the money to invest in additional opera-
A lot of what we teach about strategy comes tional improvements, technology, and exper-
from the work of Harvard Business School tise. The alternative is to figure out what your
Professor Michael Porter. About 30 years ago, customers are looking for, and really double
he published his idea that there are really three down on that. It’s not necessarily technology;
different ways to compete. One is based on dif- you can differentiate yourself based on other
ferentiation, another is based on cost leader- kinds of services that you can provide.
Some PCB fabricators provide design ser- ally end up losing money on a low-volume
vices, for example. I would strongly recom- work order. Now, there are situations where
mend your readers consider getting into things you might decide to do that anyway, because
like design services that make it harder to there’s the possibility of higher-volume orders
become commoditized. What are some of the in the future, and those would make better use
other services that you can differentiate your- of your assets.
self on? Are you affiliated with an assembly
site? Do you have assembly onsite? Can you Matties: When someone is starting to develop
do prototypes? Can you simulate the perfor- a strategy, they should look at operational
mance of the design before it’s actually fabri- effectiveness as a step in the process, but
cated? they have to realize that it’s not the strategy.
Operational effectiveness is a way of achiev-
Matties: Now, another area that ing that strategy. If you choose
Michael Porter talks about is to compete on the basis of
operational effectiveness, cost, then you absolutely
which some people If you choose to need to have that oper-
see as a strategy. It’s ating efficiency. Going
necessary, but it’s not compete on the basis of back to the example
a strategy. of Walmart or South-
Operational effective-
cost, then you absolutely west Airlines, that’s
ness will definitely create need to have that operating what they’re really
opportunities for lower good at—operational
cost. Greater efficiency cer- efficiency. efficiency.
tainly allows you to lower
your internal expenses and, in Matties: I would argue,
theory, be able to offer lower though, that you
prices. If you want to maintain need operational efficiency
the same price and higher mar- regardless of what strategy you choose.
gins, it provides an opportunity Absolutely. You shouldn’t be throwing
for higher quality. We haven’t talked about money away under any circumstances.
quality yet, because that could be an opportu-
nity for differentiation as well. An interesting Matties: I agree. If you’re in a red ocean,
thing about strategy is that it helps define what you had better find a way to put yourself
you do. It also helps you to find what you’re in a blue ocean and make those others
not going to do. It’s a hard place for small irrelevant, so to speak.
fabricators to say, “We’re not going to bid on In the world of printed circuit fabrication,
that business because it’s not a good fit for who can you come up with a new product offering
we are.” of some kind? That’s becoming increasingly
harder, and it will only provide temporary com-
Matties: When your sales are down, it’s very petitive advantage, not permanent competitive
tempting to just say yes to keep your people advantage. Now, we see rigid board fabricators
busy. But oftentimes you just wind up sending getting involved in full flex circuits, for example,
a $20 bill out with every board you ship. or chip-on-board type technologies. That was
A good example of this is low-volume pro- revolutionary for a while, but it doesn’t provide
duction, which doesn’t make good utiliza- permanent competitive advantage because it’s
tion of your production assets. You can actu- too easy for competitors to copy.
Matties: We came across an assembly partnership? When you do, you have a situ-
company that was using information ation where the client would never dream of
exchange and Industry 4.0 as a strategy. cutting ties with you as a supplier, because that
They said that every time a potential would mean having to recreate all of that tribal
customer came in for an audit, they would knowledge, understanding, and appreciation
close over 92% of those prospects. Their for who the client is.
strategy was to create a connected
factory as a showcase. Matties: Still, as Michael Porter and others
Yes, that makes a lot of sense. Think about this have said, it’s easier to do nothing than to
from the standpoint of the client. When a cli- be blamed for making a bad decision.
ent is shopping around for a supplier, what Yes, it’s risky for both parties when a client is
they want more than anything else is confi- shopping for a new supplier. Again, that comes
dence. Yes, they’re looking for a low price. back to this idea of switching costs. Sometimes
Absolutely. But we’ve all been burned as indi- it’s easier with the devil you know, rather than
viduals when we’ve cho- the devil you don’t know.
sen the lowest price. The
lowest bid is not always Matties: What about vali-
a recipe for success. dation certificates from
Michael Porter also When a client is a third-party organiza-
talks about the Five tion?
Forces model. His the- shopping around for a I think something like
ory here is that if you supplier, what they that is definitely needed.
want to improve prof- Everybody is ISO-9000
itability, you have to want more than anything certified these days; it’s
weaken the power of kind of the ante to get you
these five forces, and
else is confidence. in the game. You can’t
one of the five forces play if you’re not ISO
is the bargaining power 9000-certified, so it has
of buyers. When buyers lost some of its meaning.
have power, they can negoti-
ate lower prices in a commod- Matties: Speaking of books, we
itized environment. How do recently read a book by Seth Godin titled
you reduce the buyers’ power? One way to do This is Marketing. Seth points out that people
that is to increase switching costs. You want to often take a key and try to find the right lock.
make it as hard as possible for your client to Like Seth, you’re saying companies need to
switch suppliers. You want to lock them in. find the lock first, and then tune their capabil-
Why do I go to Starbucks? I go because I ities to be that key.
accumulate points, and I get a free drink every I agree with that analogy completely. It starts
now and then. What would be a correspond- with an understanding of your market. What
ing concept for a printed circuit fabricator? client base are you trying to appeal to? Are you
How can you lock your customers in like Star- trying to appeal to defense customers, medical
bucks locks in its customers? I’m not suggest- device customers, or information technology
ing you offer frequent flyer miles, but how can customers? What do those clients want? What
you become an effective partner in the cus- are those market segments? A defense customer
tomer’s overall production process, not just wants something very different than what the
fabrication? How do you create that kind of medical device community wants. What is your

target market? Now, you can still choose to sup- about how to prioritize work into batches?
port other segments, but you really have to win It’s the same problem. Your fabrication facility
in your target market segment. has a limited capacity. You know Disney has a
limited capacity for guests. Is there something
Matties: I think the other thing we have to you can learn from Disney about how jobs are
do is look beyond our competitors when queued up? Work is queued up at a printed cir-
we’re benchmarking. For example, if you cuit fabricator, right?
want to look at how to get people to move One thing I like about Disney is that you
through a line, look at what Disneyland does, never see the entire line. If you saw how long
as they are able to move people through a the line actually was, you probably wouldn’t
line quite well. bother. But the line snakes around, goes into
Good point. Benchmarking has fallen out of a building, and it goes into another building.
favor; you don’t hear people talking about it You don’t actually see the entire line. There’s a
very much. But benchmarking is not the same psychological aspect too. We taught Disney in
as competitive analysis, right? Benchmarking some of my past classes. One of the things that
is looking at some element of your business and Disney works on is the perception of waiting
trying to figure out how you can do that better. time. It’s not just the actual waiting time; it’s
Looking at another industry or a company that perceived waiting time. How do you keep your
may be outside your industry may help you to clients engaged during that period before they
understand your own processes better. receive the product or service?
So how do we take the lessons from Disney
on their queue management? Is there a way to Matties: This has been great, Tim. We really
apply that to how jobs are queued at a board appreciate your time. Thank you so much.
shop? Is there something we can learn there Thank you all. PCB007
Protons Set to Power Next-gen Memory Devices

A proton-mediated approach that produces multi- display excellent maximum read/write endurance
ple phase transitions in ferroelectric materials could and write speeds, but their storage capacity is low.
help develop high-performance memory devices, This is because existing methods can only trigger
such as brain-inspired, or neuromorphic, computing a few ferroelectric phases, and capturing these
chips, a KAUST-led international team has found. phases is experimentally challenging, says Xin He,
Ferroelectrics, such as indium selenide, are intrin- who co-led the study under the guidance of Fei Xue
sically polarized materials that switch polarity when and Xixiang Zhang.
placed in an electric field. In addition to requiring low Now, the method devised by the team relies on
operating voltages, the resulting memory devices the protonation of indium selenide to generate a
multitude of ferroelectric phases. The researchers
incorporated the ferroelectric material in a transis-
tor consisting of a silicon-supported stacked heter-
ostructure for evaluation.
They deposited a multilayered indium sele-
nide film on the heterostructure, which comprised
an aluminum oxide insulating sheet sandwiched
between a platinum layer at the bottom and porous
silica at the top. The researchers gradually injected
or removed protons from the ferroelectric film by
changing the applied voltage. (Source: KAUST)

Congress Needs to Support American
Made Printed Circuit Boards
OUR FOCUS
TO CREATE A MORE RESILIENT AND SECURE SUPPLY CHAIN, WE NEED
TO BRING PCB MANUFACTURING BACK TO AMERICA. PASSING H.R. 3249,
THE PROTECTING CIRCUIT BOARDS AND SUBSTRATES (PCBS) ACT, WILL
REINVIGORATE OUR INDUSTRY AND MAKE US MORE COMPETITIVE.
PCBAA advocates, educates, and champions legislation

and policies that support this critical American industry.
JOIN US TODAY
PCBAA.ORG
India’s Rise in the Global
Electronics Ecosystem
Material Insight
by Preeya Kuray, AGC MULTI MATERIAL AMERICA
From resplendent silks to ornate architec- increase jobs and promote global trade, partic-
tural marvels, India is perhaps best known for ularly in the electronics manufacturing sector.
her rich cultural heritage. Until the late 1980s, India’s current contribution to the global elec-
it remained a relatively closed economy. But tronics market is estimated to be just 3.4%2.
in 1991, former Prime Minister Rao passed a But slogans like “Atmanirbhar Bharat (Make in
series of radical economic reforms that opened India)” and “Digital India” are steadily perco-
its doors to foreign trade and investment. Since lating across the nation, supported by federal
then, India has been steadily developing into incentives to bolster and accelerate domestic
a major economic powerhouse on the global electronics manufacturing.
landscape. Earlier this year, President Biden hosted
Today it is the world’s fifth largest econ- Indian Prime Minister Modi to discuss the bur-
omy (behind the U.S., China, Japan, and Ger- geoning technological partnership between
many) and Goldman Sachs predicts that by the two nations, and strategies to strengthen
2075, it will be the world’s second largest econ- the commercial alliance between the U.S. and
omy1. With the largest workforce population India. Several important agreements spawned
in the world, it is no wonder there have been from the meeting, including the greenlight for
major incentives by the Indian government to General Electric to start producing jet engines

ORPRI
NESF
MACHI TBOARDS
RCUI
NTEDCI
TPROCE
WE NGT
SSI OOLSAREBENG
I
DE
RE FNE
I DBYI E
NTRNATONALSUPPL
I E
IS
S:
DE v
Deeo
l t
pEc r
hStpl
i n
i t
ewi u
hatma
o i
t o
clai
dng
t
gi
100% di l
acontol
r forrei
lbl
a i
el soutope
ght a
rton
i
Rela
i e1mi
bl lta
rnsportsyse
tm
Mult-
iha
c mberanddigia
tl
lyc r
ont l
olde
e tc ngz
hi ones
t
oma
Aut e e
dsl-
f i
ma e
nt nc
na ut
ea s
owahi y
ngsse
tm
r
Scub
be/
x mi
Pu e
fl y
xsse
t a
m: n
nids
utys
r a
tpef
l r4
o +y
0 a
ers
Nowavi
aa
l ewi
bl thdit
gil
ac r
ont s
ol
F ya
l
ul oma
ut ted
l
1mi t
maei
rl
as t
uppor
ur
eatpl
nmor
Lear t
i .
eccom
in India1. HP also announced its intention to turing sectors in India, which could pay divi-
begin high-volume manufacturing of serv- dends for the United States and other trade
ers in India, with the aim of producing $1 bil- partners. For example, unlike semiconductor
lion worth of servers in the first five years of assembly, PCB assembly yields a much larger
operation3,4. But perhaps the most interesting profit margin than manufacturing. For this rea-
development came from Micron Technolo- son, in 2019 the Indian government passed a
gy’s announcement to build a $2.75 billion fac- series of financial schemes that provide fiscal
tory to assemble, package, and test semicon- support for manufacturing and assembly of
ductor chips in India5,6. While this deal has electronic components (including PCBs). The
made headlines as a key technological break- first scheme (PLI for Large Scale Electronics
through for India’s electronics manufacturing Manufacturing) gives companies financial sup-
industry, critics point out that the assembly, port for PCB manufacturing, assembly, and
packaging and testing of chips is testing by offering a yearly incentive of 4–6%
a relatively smaller piece of on incremental sales (for up to
the semiconductor market five years). The scheme also
pie. 7-10
applies to the manufac-
The semiconductor sup- While chip turing and assembly of
ply chain generally entails manufacturing is mobile phones and other
designing the chip, slicing specified electronic com-
silicon wafers into usable undeniably critical, ponents in India2,13-18.
chips, layering, and it is just one part of the And the results from this
assembling the chips into scheme are showing. In
packages, before finally
global electronics 2022, Apple produced
integrating the chips landscape. more than 6.5 million of
onto electronics to cre- its 200 million iPhones
ate end products for cus- in India, with a target
tomers. Creating the actual of 10 million by the end of
silicon chip requires the highest 202319. In July of this year, Tata
level of advanced manufacturing, (India’s largest conglomerate) closed a
which is why it is the most lucra- deal to become India’s first iPhone maker—
tive part of the supply chain (roughly 83% of the first time a local company would move into
the market share)11. Because of this, earlier the assembly of iPhones.20
this year, Foxconn and Vedanta (Indian min- This could be good news for the United
ing conglomerate) agreed on a joint venture 12
States, if the goal is to diversify where con-
to begin manufacturing silicon chips in India, sumer electronics assembly is happening. It
with Foxconn agreeing to invest $19.5 billion is also promising news for India, since (unlike
to set up a chip manufacturing plant. But as of chip assembly) the fiscal gains of electronics
July 2023, Foxconn has pulled out of the deal, assembly outweigh those of manufacturing.
leaving Vedanta to find another investment While the full impact of these schemes is yet to
partner to fulfill the country’s manufacturing be seen for the PCB sector, it is starting to be
goals. felt by the mobile industry and beyond.
While chip manufacturing is undeniably crit- The Land of Many Wonders may be undergo-
ical, it is just one part of the global electron- ing a manufacturing awakening. It has already
ics landscape. And while the Foxconn-Vedanta begun with semiconductor assembly and test-
fallout may seem unpromising at first blush, ing, but it might possibly just reach the global
there are signs of potential for other manufac- PCB market next. PCB007
References 14. “Design and Manufacturing of Electronics Sys-
1. “Why India Could Be the Next Big Destination For tem,” Indian Ministry of Electronics and IT, March
Global Investors,” by Frank Holmes, Forbes Maga- 2023.
zine, July 2023. 15. “Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for
2. “The National Policy on Electronics (NPE) 2019,” Large Scale Mobile and Component Manufacturing”
India Law Offices LLP. Pamphlet, Indian Ministry of Electronics and Informa-
3. “HPE Prepares for Spicy Affair With India To tion Technology.
Churn Out $1B Worth of Servers,” by Dan Robinson, 16. “Extension of Tenure of the Production Linked
The Register, July 2023. Incentive Scheme (PLI) for Large Scale Electronics
4. “HPE to manufacture $1 billion worth of high-vol- Manufacturing,” Notification, Indian Ministry of Elec-
ume servers in India,” by Shoma Bhattacharjee, NBC, tronics and Information Technology, September 2021.
July 2023. 17. “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Pro-
5. “Micron to invest $2.75 billion in setting up semi- duction Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Large Scale
conductor testing facility in Gujarat’s Sanand,” by Aas- Electronics Manufacturing,” Pamphlet, Indian Ministry
hish Aryan, The Economic Times, June 2023. of Electronics and Information Technology.
6. “Micron to set up $2.75 billion semicon test, 18. “Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for
assembly plant in Gujarat,” The Tribute, June 2023. Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing,” PowerPoint,
7. “Aiming lower could be just what India’s semicon- Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Tech-
ductor ambitions need,” The Financial Express, July nology.
2023. 19. “Apple’s Complex, Secretive Gamble to Move
8. “India Will Pay 70% of Cost but Micron Will Own Beyond China,” Mark Gurman, Bloomberg Magazine,
100% of the Plant—A Curious Business Model,” by April 2023.
Prabir Purkayastha, Counterpunch, July 2023. 20. “Tata Group Closes in on Deal to Become First
9. “India can aim lower in its chip dreams,” by Indian IPhone Maker,” by Sankalp Phartiyal, Bloom-
Pranav Kiran, Reuters, July 2023. berg Magazine, July 2023.
10. “India’s Micron deal follows a curious business
model,” by Prabir Purkayastha, Asia Times, July 2023. Preeya Kuray, PhD, is a
11. “Mapping the Semiconductor Supply Chain: The material scientist at
Critical Role of the Indo-Pacific Region,” by Akhil Tha- AGC Multi Material America.
dani and Gregory C. Allen, Center for Strategic and To read previous columns,
International Studies, May 2023. click here.
12. “Can Vedanta pull off its semiconductor project
without Foxconn?” by Manu Balachandran, Forbes
India, July 2023.
13. “National Policy on Electronics, 2019,” Regula-
tory Insights from India Tax and Regulatory Services,
March 2019.

ecwc16
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
WORLD CONVENTION
WHAT S
NEXT
BECOMES
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

IPC invites engineers, researchers, academics, students, technical experts,
and industry leaders to submit abstracts for the Electronic Circuits World
Convention 16 (ECWC16) Technical Conference hosted by IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
TECHNICAL TRACKS
• Quality, Reliability, Test and Inspection • Factory of the Future Implementation
• Design • High Reliability for Extreme Requirements
• PCB Fabrication and Materials • Sustainability for Electronics
• HDI, uHDI and Substrates • Emerging Technologies
• Electronic Assembly Materials • Market Trends and Outlook
• Assembly Processes
Professional Development Course Abstracts Due AUGUST 28, 2023
Conference Paper Abstracts Due SEPTEMBER 18, 2023
Conference Poster Abstracts Due JANUARY 22, 2024
IPC.ORG/APEXEXPO-CFP | #IPCAPEXEXPO
10 Steps to Outstanding
Feature Article by Dan Beaulieu
D.B. MARKETING GROUP
So often when I talk to PCB shop owners, any way I can. So, here is a list of 10 things you
they ask me how they can be outstanding. How can do today to make your PCB company stand
can they position their own company to stand out from the rest.
out from the crowd? That’s because one of the 1. Develop a clear vision.
issues PCB shops face these days is they all
Think about what your company does best.
seem to be alike. While they used to be judged
Why do your best customers buy from you?
and differentiated based on performance, now
Think about where you are, where you want to
they all have very good quality.
go, and what you want to be. Then start creat-
I am both pleased and disappointed by this
ing a plan to be there. In other words, create a
question of how to be outstanding. I’m pleased
clear vision and make it a reality.
because the owners are finally getting around
to doing some branding, positioning, and mar- 2. Bring the customer to the table.
keting; I’m disappointed that it took so long. It is always about them. What does the cus-
But, better late than never, right? tomer want from you as a supplier? What does
I love this subject; I live, eat, and breathe it. the market want from you as a PCB expert?
I make my living by talking, preaching, and Now, deliver it. Keep your eye on the custom-
sometimes screeching about it. I want to help ers at all times.
84
84 PCB007
PCB007 MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE II AUGUST
AUGUST 2023
2023
3. Always be innovating. do in business is assume. Study the data and
What can you do better, build faster, and with base your decision on that.
better quality? Of course, make sure you are 9. Engage in marketing and PR.
doing this for your customers. What do they Hallelujah! Now we get down to it. If you do
want from you? get involved in marketing, all these other
4. Invest in your employees. things will fall into place. True marketing and
Make sure they are happy. Better yet, make the development of a marketing plan includes
sure your employees are passionately moti- all the things we have talked about so far: from
vated. Create a culture where they are always defining the market, to bringing your customer
focused on doing things better, and especially to the table, to studying the data. You must do
doing them better for your customers. all these things if you want to develop an effec-
tive marketing plan that will work. All that
5. Develop strong branding. marketing encompasses is the way you get your
What is your brand? What do you want to be name out there. It is the way to tell your story.
known for? When people think of you, what do You can be the greatest, most outstanding com-
they think of? Even better, when they think of pany in the industry, but if no one knows who
a certain technology like flex and rigid-flex, for you are and how to beat a path to your door,
example, do they think of your company first? well, what’s the point?
Are you the “Kleenex” brand of your technol-
10. Listen to your customers.
ogy?
There’s no one better to tell you how to be out-
6. Build partnerships. standing than your customers. They know what
You should be known for your collaborative they want, especially in an outstanding PCB
partnerships with your customers. A good cus- supplier. Don’t be afraid to ask your customers
tomer-vendor partnership will guarantee an what they need both today and in the future.
outstanding relationship with that customer. One of the key elements of being an outstand-
They are looking for suppliers they can trust ing supplier is to listen when your customers
and count on in the long run. Make sure you talk about what they consider an outstanding
are always focused on the long game of strong supplier. Simple enough, right?
partnerships with your customers.
In the spirit of under-promising and overde-
7. Do market research. livering, here’s number 11: Be authentic, real,
To be outstanding you must know your mar- trustful, and genuine. Make sure your com-
ket and what it takes to be outstanding in that pany has respect and regard for the market as a
market. Always be studying the market. This whole and that will go a very long way to mak-
should be a constant part of your effort to stand ing you an outstanding supplier. PCB007
out in your industry.
8. Make data-driven decisions. Dan Beaulieu is president of
D.B. Marketing Group, and an
Please stop with the gut reactions. They don’t I-Connect007 columnist. To
work, they’re not real, and they will put you on read past columns, click here.
the proverbial road to perdition. Don’t assume
you know everything about the world. Don’t
listen to politicians about the state of the econ-
omy in this country or the world. Do your own
research, collect your own data, and come to
your own decisions. The worst thing you can

WORLD-CLASS
TOOLS
Insulectro, the largest distributor in North America
of materials used in the manufacture of printed
circuit boards and printed electronics, provides
game-changing precision cutting tools to our
customers.
Call 949.587.3200 for more information
Kyocera designs and

manufactures tight
tolerance precision
carbide cutting tools for
PCB applications.
Products include drills,
routers, end mills, and
specialized cutting tools
ranging from: 0.05mm to
6.70mm diameters
(0.0020" - 0.2638").
Drills, End Mills, Routers, Specialty Tools

Kyocera’s renowned array of drills, routers, end mills, and specialty tools REPOINTING will be a
offer many benefits and advantages to customers for all their drilling and new service offered by
routing needs. Kyocera’s tool reliability and design flexibility are key Insulectro through
strengths of their products, along with a complete R&D facility in the US, Kyocera. The company
new tool manufacturing capability, and local technical resources, all has recently invested in
available to support customer needs. automated, state-of-the-art
equipment and all
repointing will be done in
Southern California.
INSULECTRO 20362 Windrow Drive, Lake Forest CA 92630 • 949.587.3200 • insulectro.com

Developing a Fabrication Business Strategy
Over the years, we’ve talked a lot about busi- I’m a software developer turned consultant
ness strategies for PCB manufacturers here in turned management consultant, and I’m based
the pages of PCB007 Magazine. But let’s back in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. And I’ve been
up a bit and look at the process for developing doing what I do for over 20 years.
a new strategy. Where should you even begin? I started as a software developer in the year
What’s your strategy for developing a strategy, 2000. I quickly discovered all of the problems
if you will? that existed in management of software proj-
We asked Chris Chapman, a Lean/Agile ects, and became exposed through that to the
leadership coach and publisher of the Digest- ideas and thinking of folks like Ken Schwaber
ible Deming newsletter, to share his thoughts and Jeff Sutherland, who created the Scrum
on developing successful business strategies framework, and Kent Beck, who created the
and how the management philosophy of W. XP (extreme programming) framework. And a
Edwards Deming can help leaders in our indus- lot of these guys were influenced by practitio-
try take their companies to the next level. ners like Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Non-
aka, who discussed the new product develop-
Andy Shaughnessy: Tell us about your back- ment game in the Harvard Business Review
ground, and how you got into studying Dem- in 1986. They were trying to figure out how to
ing and the process of developing strategies. develop complex knowledge-based products

CATCH THE NEW WAVE IN
VIA DRILLING TECHNOLOGY
The world’s most advanced ABF via drilling system is here
Optimized for productivity. Built for the lowest cost of ownership.

Designed for the most advanced materials. The new Geode™ A
enables a greener manufacturing solution through 21% less floor
space, 72% less weight, and up to 65% less power consumption
than the competition. Our latest innovation is truly a new wave in
via drilling technology.
Visit www.esi.com
just improve our practices there, things would
get better. It took me a long time to finally
realize the constraints lay outside of the team.
And that began to lead me slowly, inexorably,
on a path towards discovering W. Edwards
Deming.
I founded my own consultancy in 2011 and
I haven’t looked back since. Largely, what I do
now is try to help leadership and their teams
make sense of Agile the way it is practiced
today. I’ve directed my attention there to try
to produce improvements. That’s what I do. I
write, and I have customers—sometimes vir-
tual, sometimes physical. And I work with
them on learning the Deming management
Chris Chapman philosophy.
in such a way that we can actually control the Barry Matties: Let’s look at developing a
variation that exists. strategy. Many times the problem is that
The typical software projects that I was ini- leaders don’t know exactly where they’re
tially involved with were so big that you didn’t going to take the business. What’s the
see a release cycle in anything under several process for developing a “blue sky thinking”
months. And the Scrum and XP and a lot of strategy?
the Agile practitioners that were emerging Well, Deming would tell us that we’ve got to
out of the 2000s, influenced by the Japanese have constancy of purpose. And he says that
thinking around product development, were that includes having a well-positioned aim,
looking at releasing things in radically shorter and that you understand what business you’re
timeframes. With more intense planning, this in, what business you’re not in, and that you’ve
would happen in shorter, quicker bursts, with got plans toward the future. You see that
lots of touch points with customers, and lots expressed a lot inside of Japanese culture, like
of touch points with managers. This flew in Toyota, for example, as a management phi-
the face of everything. I loved it, because I’m losophy. With the Toyota production system,
a contrarian. I really enjoyed learning about they will set goals that help align and direct
all these practices. everyone so that they pull towards that direc-
I worked for a number of small- and tion or that objective, but they aren’t necessar-
medium-sized companies along the way. The ily something that you’re ever going to achieve
last large company that I worked for as a full- directly. You’re always trying to move yourself
time employee was Microsoft, from 2008 to towards greater and greater levels of improve-
2010, in their enterprise services consulting ment.
division. I was responsible for checking in on They’ve got to actually understand what it is
customers across the country and deliver- like if they’re going to set a strategy. Why are
ing materials training, advising, and produc- they moving in a particular direction? Have
ing reports on how to implement knowledge they considered, for example, whether they
management systems I was responsible for. are in the correct business or not? In just the
Previously, I’d figured that if we just worked last six months, we’ve seen layoffs and restruc-
better as a team down in the software and turings of companies, and you can see that
they’re shedding a lot of lines of business that Matties: Since leaders often confuse strategy,
they consider unprofitable. And you wonder goals, and missions, what’s the process that
why and how that ever actually aligned with they should follow to separate those out?
their original objective. They’re taking on a lot In my broad experience, I often come back
of mission creep and scope creep inside of the to Richard Ronald’s “Good Strategy, Bad
organization. And it’s not yielding results. It’s Strategy.” If you are going to chart a course
great to define strategy. But you have to have for where you want to go, you want to make
theory to actually shape what you’re going to sure that you’ve got a diagnosis for explaining
be pursuing things for. the nature of the challenge. You want to next
Just think about mergers and acquisitions. have a guiding policy that’s going to address
Why are you buying that business? For exam- the challenge. And then you want a set of
ple, is it to acquire a technology? Have you coherent actions that are going to carry out the
considered how you’re going to ameliorate challenge.
the disparate portion, and which parts of the
business to align so that they can become pro- Shaughnessy: Where do companies start to
ductive and learn how you work as an organi- go wrong when developing a strategy?
zation? What are the things that you’re doing Number one, they totally misinterpret or mis-
right now that are perhaps alienating that diagnose the challenge. And that comes from
effort toward the goals and objec- the prevailing thinking about how you
tives you’re actually pursuing? manage and how you perceive
I’m always at odds with the world. You’re always
how the term “strategy” is stuck in this Catch-22
defined and used in the loop where you’ll never
prevailing style of man- get the escape velocity
agement, because I to actually get where
often find that it leads you want to go.
to some very signifi- I’ve seen some
cant flights of fancy. spectacular transfor-
Leaders don’t directly mations and failures,
address the challenge and some of the biggest
that really faces the failures were champi-
business, and they often oned by somebody in the
confound and confuse executive suite. And there
goals for strategy. They’re just were literally people waiting
statements of desire, as opposed to take their place and disman-
to what you need to overcome. Then tle everything. When the theory
as a consequence of that they’re going to set is not diffused, then you will continually
bad strategic objectives. And they’re going run the threat of having expended a tremen-
to fail to address the critical issues. For dous amount of money, time and energy try-
me, the critical issue, it keeps coming back ing to change things that will never change.
to no matter what plan you want to put in I have a slide that I use to describe the sce-
action, if you haven’t got a good theory to nario of leadership trying to implement
support how you’re going to align the oper- change. It’s a guy in a Darth Vader uniform
ations of the organization, it won’t matter. standing knee deep in the ocean, with a Brita
You’re just biding time to the next round of filter jug in one hand, and a two-liter bottle in
layoffs. the other. It’s like one of those demotivational
The VP called me
and said, “We’re hav-
ing some problems;
the rate of innovation
is down, and the Board
is upset. The engineers
are not working fast
enough and we think
we need your help get-
ting the engineers to
work better together.”
“How many engi-
neers do you have?”
“About 19-20.”
“How many sales-
people do you have?”
“About 20-25.”
“Are they working on
posters. The metaphor writ large is that you’re commission? If so, what are your latest incen-
trying to desalinate the ocean into a tiny two- tives?” “Yes, and they’re all racing towards get-
liter bottle and you haven’t done anything ting a Q4 bonus on selling maintenance plans.”
about the salt in the water. It’s all behind you. “So, what’s stuffed into your pipeline right
And it’s all waiting to just wipe out everything now?” Then there was a long pause. I’m not
you’ve done. a wizard, but apparently no one thought to
In my career, I spent a good 10-12 years ask about how their process is contributing to
trying to fix things from the shop floor. I was the fact that they’re underwater, and they’ve
desalinating the team. But the larger practices incentivized their way there.
in the organization kept pulling my efforts
apart. The number one question that I get as Shaughnessy: Some of the managers in our
a cold call solicitation is, “Our people aren’t industry are a little “old school.” What does it
working well together, and there’s a problem take for people to realize they need to con-
with the team.” Really? Why is that? “Well, sider a new strategy after 30 or 40 years in
they don’t seem to be very communicative or the business? Is it an “Ah-ha” moment?
cooperative. They’re short with each other.” In all of the stories about companies who have
The next question I ask is, “How proximate successfully changed their ways, especially
are we right now to a performance appraisal? with the people who are “old school,” as you
Has it just happened? Or is it just coming?” say, it literally came from an epiphany, and
And nine times out of 10, that’s the case. it was brought about by somebody bringing
One call came from a manufacturer who an outside perspective to them to chew on.
makes augmented reality solutions for techni- Unfortunately, they don’t all have the bene-
cians in the field. The technology allows them fit of going to a four-day seminar on Deming
to use a smartphone to do a real-time video and having their thinking deconstructed by
feed, which automatically recognizes and pat- him over two days, and then building them
tern-matches the equipment being worked back up, so that suddenly the light goes off.
on, and transmits it back to a coach technician But, now there are better ways to learn
who provides a pinpoint diagnosis. Deming’s ideas, so that you don’t have to

actually sit through a four-day seminar with Blue Origin now. He is one of the best mod-
anymore. For example, The Deming Insti- ern Deming thinkers that I can think of, who actu-
tute has just launched a new educational ally helps you understand him. My own epiph-
platform called Deming Next. You can go any when I met Bill was that I finally understood
through and learn the individual modules where Deming was taking me, and that I actually
and they’re low time commitments, so that had to transform. Bill uses the expression, “You
you can begin changing your thinking about can know as much as there is to know about ice,
your thinking. But the transformation has but still know nothing about water.”
to begin with the managers, because they’re As I said, it’s risky. What you’re doing inside
the ones who can enact the most change of the organization is weird, right? You’re actu-
within the company. ally discarding some of your natural inclina-
tions and behaviors. When you walk through
Shaughnessy: Some people may think that the factory door, you suddenly treat everything
Deming is kind of abstract, but it sounds like differently. And Deming is trying to reveal—
there’s a lot of practical information in his reflect back to you—that you should resist the
teachings. inclination to overthink it. You just do it.
Sure. You know, when you first start under-
standing Deming, it feels like you’re going into Shaughnessy: This has been great, Tim.
the void. It’s very risky. One person who helped Thanks so much for your time.
me is a mentor of mine, Dr. Bill Bellows. He’s a Thank you all. I can always talk about strategy
mechanical engineer by trade, and he’s working and Deming. PCB007
RELATED VIDEO:
Why Deming, Why Now?

Is Deming still relevant for modern companies? Why?

As PCBAA grows, your impact
in Washington grows
27 15,000+ $15 billion+

States Employees to the US Economy
DOMESTIC HELP US RESTORE

PCB MANUFACTURERS OUR MARKET SHARE
2002: 2,000 2023: 145 2002: 30% 2023: 4%
PCBAA advocates, educates, and champions legislation

and policies that support this critical American industry.
JOIN US TODAY
PCBAA.ORG
Good News for U.S. National Security E Designing Aerospace PCBs:
In case you missed it, President Joe Biden A Galaxy of Challenges E
recently issued a presidential determina- Jeffrey Boye designs aerospace PCBs at the
tion that prioritizes the domestic development Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics
of printed circuit boards (PCBs) under the Laboratory. After a decade or so at the APL,
Defense Production Act (DPA). some of his boards are currently floating in
space. Jeffrey recently took a class with IPC
American Made Advocacy: instructor Kris Moyer titled “PCB Design for
Taking the Fight to Capitol Hill E Military and Aerospace Applications.”
PCBAA hosted its second annual meeting, June
13–14, in Washington, D.C. It was great to see Mil-Aero Design: Not Just Another
our founding members as well as many new High-Rel Board E
corporate and individual members. On the first Meijing Liu, CID+, is a senior PCB designer
day, we heard from senior officials at the Depart- for Microart Services, an EMS company in
ments of Commerce and Defense, as well as sev- Markham, Ontario, Canada. She recently took
eral members of the House and Senate. a six-week mil-aero PCB design class from
IPC’s Kris Moyer, and she was surprised at
A Front Row Seat for U.S. Military R&D E how much content she was able to absorb in
It must be fun to work at a job that has a place such a short time. I spoke with Meijing and
in the history of the United States. Ryan Lang we discussed some of her takeaways from the
can tell you all about it. Ryan is a PCB designer class, and how it has inspired her to pursue
at the New Mexico State University’s Physical more design education in the future.
Science Laboratory, where much of the early
research for rocket guidance systems took Green Circuits Achieves IPC
place. I recently spoke with Ryan about his job, Certification for J-STD-001 Space
as well as the milaero PCB design class that he and Military Addendum E
took with IPC’s Kris Moyer. Green Circuits, a full-service Electronics Man-
ufacturing Services (EMS) partner to leading
Nathan Edwards Takes Helm at USPAE E OEMs, is proud to announce that it has achieved
The U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics the prestigious IPC certification for J-STD-001
(USPAE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated Space and Military Addendum. This certifica-
to ensuring the U.S. government has access to tion is a testament to Green Circuits’ commit-
resilient and trusted electronics supply chains. ment to meeting the rigorous quality and envi-
USPAE members include companies, academic ronmental controls required by the aerospace
institutions, and nonprofit organizations from and defense industries, particularly for soldered
the U.S. and its allies, representing the entire electrical and electronic assemblies designed to
electronics ecosystem from research to design, withstand the challenging conditions of space
manufacturing, assembly, and test. and military applications.
I
nahurr
y?
We
’ret
hef
aste
sti
nthebus
ine
ss!
•I
SO900
1:2015Cer
ti
fied
•AS91
00Re
vDCer
ti
fied
•MI
L-PRF
-31032-
CQual
ified
•MI
L-PRF
-55110Qual
ified
•I
TARReg
ist
ered
Ser
vingt
hei
ndus
tryf
orov
er35y
ear
s pr
otot
ron.
com (
520)745-
8515
Member Profile Q&A:
Melanie Bera Anderson
American Made Advocacy
PCBAA
What was your path to Pro-Tech?

I learned the business from the ground up
at TRC starting in 1997. I worked in shipping
and as a receptionist. Eventually this led to
working with engineers and gave me a practi-
cal understanding of design vs. manufacturing.
We were doing some exciting work. We built
the antenna on the Mars Polar Lander and the
first GPS system for the Tomahawk Cruise
Missile.
Five years in, the owners of the company
wanted out, so I bought TRC. That was a
tough period as work was moving to Asia. We
dropped from 55 employees to 13. The only
way we survived was to work across multiple
industries, keep turning out quality products,
and take on work from 10 small shops in Min-
neapolis that had gone out of business.
In 2018, TRC Circuits created American Cir-
cuit Corporation to purchase Pro-Tech Inter-
connect Solutions LLC. Pro-Tech was 10X big-
ger than TRC. In 2022–23, we combined TRC ufacturing of cellphones, industrial controls,
with Pro-Tech and have 83 employees at one and the continued advances by the Depart-
facility in Chaska, Minnesota, as Pro-Tech ment of Defense in various technologies.
Interconnect Solutions LLC. Pro-Tech is a
100% Owned and Operated Certified Woman Where is the industry headed?
Owned Small Business. If we want this industry to grow, we need to
get the same kind of support and attention that
What interested you in this industry? semiconductors have received. We need the
I enjoyed working with engineering groups boards built in the U.S. and have the semicon-
from all over the world to build their boards ductors put on in the U.S. If we get the PCBS
with the challenge of emerging technologies, Act passed, it will help companies like mine to
running rapid prototyping, and seeing them upgrade facilities and equipment to improve
progress. For example, 3G to 20G in the man- technology. The equipment needed to produce
Electrajet® EMJ110 Inkjet Soldermask
What’s the True Cost of

Your LPI Soldermask Process?
Scrap • Late Delivery • Rework
Mask in Hole Mask on Pad Broken Dams
Eliminate With Inkjet Soldermask

Electrajet® EMJ110
www.electrapolymers.com
PCBs is extremely expensive. The tax incentive and that we are essential in protecting national
in the PCBS Act would encourage OEMs to security in the United States.
buy American-made boards. That would cre-
ate the kind of demand that would help bring How can we attract young men and women
more manufacturing back to the U.S. to a career in microelectronics?
We recently had U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer (of I have found that the younger generation
Minnesota) visit our facility. He saw our oper- likes hands-on manufacturing. They pick it up
ation and heard what we need to grow and quickly. We try to keep them challenged and
protect the industry. I was also in Washing- give them the skills to continue to grow with
ton, D.C., in June at the PCBAA annual meet- us. We give them a clear path to their next
ing where we met with other lawmakers to ask stage here. Our employees are our greatest
for their support. I joined PCBAA on the spot asset. PCB007
when Executive Director David Schild called
last year, because I understood the impor- Melanie Bera Anderson is president of Pro-Tech
tance of having a unified voice in Washington Interconnect Solutions.
AI-based Technique for Predicting Crystal Orientation

A team led by Nagoya University researchers in ing model that assesses photographs taken by illumi-
Japan has successfully predicted crystal orientation nating the surface of a polycrystalline silicon material
by teaching an artificial intelligence (AI) using opti- from various directions. They found that the AI suc-
cal photographs of polycrystalline materials. The cessfully predicted the grain orientation distribution.
results were published in APL Machine Learning. “The time required for this measurement was
Crystals are a vital component of many machines. about 1.5 hours for taking optical photographs, train-
Familiar materials used in industry contain polycrys- ing the machine learning model, and predicting the
talline components, including metal alloys, ceram- orientation, which is much faster than conventional
ics, and semiconductors. As polycrystals are made techniques, which take about 14 hours,” Usami said.
up of many crystals, they have a complex micro- Usami has high hopes for the use of the team’s
structure, and their properties vary greatly depend- technique in industry. “This is a technology that will
ing on how the crystal grains are orientated. This is revolutionize materials development,” Usami said.
especially important for the silicon crystals used in “This research is intended for all researchers and
solar cells, smartphones, engineers who develop
and computers. polycrystalline materi-
“To obtain a polycrystal- als. It would be possible
line material that can be to manufacture an orien-
used effectively in industry, tation analysis system of
control and measurement polycrystalline materials
of grain orientation distri- that packages an image
bution is required,” Profes- data collection and a crys-
sor Noritaka Usami said. tal orientation prediction
A Nagoya University model based on machine
team consisting of Profes- learning. We expect that
sor Usami from the Gradu- many companies dealing
ate School of Engineering with polycrystalline mate-
and Professor Hiroaki Kudo rials would install such
from the Graduate School equipment.”
of Informatics, in collab- (Source: Nagoya Uni-
oration with RIKEN, have versity)
applied a machine learn-

C
ompan
ion
shi
p
at
it
sBest
Thi
smust-
rea
ds e
quelt
oVente
c’sbookser
ie
sonTh er
ma lManagement
de
s c
ri
best
heappli
cat
i
ons,I
MSp roduct
sandsuppor
tserv
icestohel
pyou
unde
rst
andandover
comethermalmanage
mentchal
lenges.
D
own
loa
dNo
w
TOP TEN The Doctor’s In: Beyond the Horizon—
EDITOR’S
PICKS
Exploring the Digital Future of Health

In today’s fast-paced world, where technology has infiltrated
almost every aspect of our lives, it is no surprise that the
healthcare industry is undergoing a digital revolution. The
convergence of health and technology has given rise to an
era of digital health, reimagining how we approach patient
care, monitoring, and even medical training.
APCT Acquires San Diego Punching Out: 2023 Mid-Year

PCB Design North American PCB and EMS
M&A Update
APCT, a custom
manufacturer of The M&A market for
advanced technology North American PCB
printed circuit boards, and EMS companies
has completed the was quite active in the
acquisition of San first half of 2023. In the
Diego PCB Design. PCB sector, our records
Steve Robinson APCT, headquartered show seven deals were
in Santa Clara, completed in the first six
Tom Kastner
California, is a portfolio company of months of 2023, com-
Industrial Growth Partners. pared to only five in all of 2022. In addition,
two deals have been announced in July.
Recollections on Deming
In the early 1990s, I was working for EMD
Associates, an EMS company (now a
Benchmark Electronics operation in
Winona, Minnesota), when I became
familiar with Dr. W. Edwards Deming. EMD
was an early entrant into the SMT provider
world, and we were very focused on
quality. Deming was one of several experts
that we used as a guide for our company.

Global Sourcing Spotlight: Team Players: A New Industry
My Six-step Process Leadership Council Seeks
to Finding the Right Global Sustainability Solutions
Partners
In March 2023, IPC con-
I often get frustrated when companies vened a Sustainabil-
underestimate what it takes to find a ity for Electronics Lead-
global partner. They tell me that all it takes ership Council to offer
to find the right partner is to gather some peer review and direc-
quotes, and then accept the one with the tion to IPC. The council is
best price. When I hear comments like a response to the indus-
that, I think about what it really takes. I’ll try’s requests for more Kelly Scanlon
ask them, “Have you been to China, Tai- attention on environmen-
wan, or Vietnam? It just makes a difference tal, social, and corporate sustainability in IPC’s
when you visit your suppliers in person.” industry standards, education, and advocacy.
Celanese: Fired Up Over Ceramics North American PCB

Industry Sales Down
With the ever-increasing diver- 15.8% in June
sity of performance needs in
printed circuits, substrates are IPC announced the June 2023 find-
an ongoing area of development ings from its North American Printed
and innovation. At IMS Micro- Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Pro-
wave Week, we caught up with gram. The book-to-bill ratio stands
Daniel Barish, a global strategy at 0.98. Total North American PCB
and west commercial leader at Daniel Barish shipments in June 2023 were down
Celanese, to discuss substrates, 15.8 percent compared to the same
low temperature co-fired ceramics, in particular. month last year.
A 21st Century Perspective on American Made Advocacy:

Data, Analysis, and TQM Taking the Fight to Capitol Hill
Chris Chapman is PCBAA hosted its second annual meeting,
a Deming manage- June 13–14, in Washington, D.C. It was great
ment method practi- to see our founding members as well as
tioner and consultant many new corporate and individual
who publishes “The members. On the first day, we heard from
Digestible Deming” senior officials at the Departments of
blog on Substack. Chris has been a student Commerce and Defense, as well as several
of Deming’s agile, Lean, and related methods members of the House and Senate.
since 2007.
For the latest news and information, visit PCB007.com

Career Opportunities
Senior Sales Representative Technical Support Engineer

Ventec Central Europe USA Region
Location: Kirchheimbolanden, Germany/Remote ViTrox aims to be the world’s most trusted technol-
ogy company in providing innovative, advanced,
We are looking for a self-motivated Senior Sales and cost-effective automated Machine Vision
Representative—Ventec Central Europe, ideally Inspection Solutions for the semiconductor and
with experience in the PCB industry. This position electronics packaging industries. Located in Hay-
requires significant selling experience (15+ years) in ward, California, ViTrox Americas Inc. is actively
the electronics and PCB industries. Candidates must looking for talent to join our expanding team.
possess a proven & consistent history of proactive
sales growth with OEM customers. Most notably, Key Responsibilities:
they must be able to connect with OEM contacts that • Delivering excellent and creative problem-
have decision-making capabilities. solving skills for servicing, maintaining,
machine buy-off, and troubleshooting
Key Responsibilities advanced vision inspection machines at
• Promote, sell, and close business for all Ventec customer sites. Providing remote customer
product lines with focus on key OEM and PCB support to minimize machine downtime.
manufacturing customers. • Cultivating strong customer relationships and
• Track projects and submit monthly updates to ensuring comprehensive customer service to
management. drive repeat orders and support business
• Coordinate cross-functional resources when development in machine evaluation.
applicable. • Proactively understanding customer needs
• Assist in coordination and set-up of relevant trade and feedback to drive continuous improve-
show events. ment in existing technologies and new
• Assist in strategic planning initiatives. product development.
• Assist in market and customer intelligence gathering.
• Recommend pricing strategies. Qualifications & Requirements:
• A recognized diploma/advanced diploma/
Job Requirements degree in Science and Engineering, preferably
• Entrepreneurial spirit, positive, high energy, and in Electrical & Electronics/Computer Science/
desire to win. Computer Studies or equivalent.
• Proactive and self-motivated work strategy to • 3+ years of relevant experience in servicing
develop and win business for all business units. automated inspection equipment (SPI, AOI,
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in and AXI).
German and English • Strong communication and troubleshooting skills.
• Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Office, • Willingness to travel extensively across the USA.
especially Excel). • Positive attitude and flexibility to accommodate
• Proven track record securing new business at conference calls with headquarters.
OEM accounts. • Applicants from the USA and Canada are
welcome to apply.
Please apply in the strictest confidence, enclosing • Training will be provided at our headquarters in
your CV, to: accountingde@ventec-europe.com Penang, Malaysia.

Rewarding Careers
Take advantage of the opportunities we
are offering for careers with a growing test
engineering firm. We currently have several Sales Engineer SMT North Mexico
openings at every stage of our operation.
Rehm Thermal Systems, a leading German
The Test Connection, Inc. is a test engi-
manufacturer of reflow soldering systems with
neering firm. We are family owned and oper-
convection or condensation and drying and
ated with solid growth goals and strategies. coating systems, has produced energy-efficient
We have an established workforce with sea- manufacturing equipment for the electronics and
soned professionals who are committed to photovoltaics industry since 1990. We also offer
meeting the demands of high-quality, low- tailor-made applications related to the soldering,
cost and fast delivery. coating and hardening of modules.
TTCI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
We offer careers that include skills-based Responsibilities:
• This position is responsible for expanding
compensation. We are always looking for
our customer network and maintaining
talented, experienced test engineers, test existing customer relationships in the
technicians, quote technicians, electronics Northeast Mexico region. The Sales
interns, and front office staff to further our Engineer would work closely with the
customer-oriented mission. German headquarters and the General
Manager Rehm Mexico to implement the
Associate Electronics Technician/ sales strategy.
• A candidate’s proximity to Monterrey,
Engineer (ATE-MD) Mexico, is a plus.
TTCI is adding electronics technician/engineer
to our team for production test support. Qualifications:
• An Engineering degree or comparable
• Candidates would operate the test systems qualification with a strong technical
and inspect circuit card assemblies (CCA) background is required.
and will work under the direction of engi- • Sales-oriented attitude, good communication
neering staff, following established proce- skills and willingness to travel frequently
dures to accomplish assigned tasks. within Mexico is essential.
• Test, troubleshoot, repair, and modify
developmental and production electronics. We offer innovative products, a great dynamic
• Working knowledge of theories of work environment and exciting training opportuni-
electronics, electrical circuitry, engineering ties in our German headquarters.
mathematics, electronic and electrical To learn more about Rehm Group please visit
testing desired. our website at www.rehm-group.com.
• Advancement opportunities available.
• Must be a US citizen or resident. Please send resumes to: Mr. Luis Garcia at
luis.garcia@rehm-group.com.

Europe Technical Sales Engineer

Taiyo is the world leader in solder mask prod- IPC Instructor
ucts and inkjet technology, offering specialty dielec-
tric inks and via filling inks for use with microvia and
Longmont, CO
build-up technologies, as well as thermal-cure and This position is responsible for delivering effec-
UV-cure solder masks and inkjet and packaging inks. tive electronics manufacturing training, including
IPC certification, to adult students from the electron-
PRIMARY FUNCTION:
ics manufacturing industry. IPC Instructors primar-
1. To promote, demonstrate, sell, and service
ily train and certify operators, inspectors, engineers,
Taiyo’s products
and other trainers to one of six IPC certification pro-
2. Assist colleagues with quotes for new
grams: IPC-A-600, IPC-A-610, IPC/WHMA-A-620,
customers from a technical perspective
IPC J-STD-001, IPC 7711/7721, and IPC-6012.
3. Serve as primary technical point of contact
IPC instructors will primarily conduct training
to customers providing both pre- and
at our public training center in Longmont, Colo.,
post-sales advice
or will travel directly to the customer’s facility. It is
4. Interact regularly with other Taiyo team mem-
highly preferred that the candidate be willing to
bers, such as: Product design, development,
travel 25–50% of the time. Several IPC certifica-
production, purchasing, quality, and senior com-
tion courses can be taught remotely and require no
pany managers from Taiyo group of companies
travel or in-person training.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES: Required: A minimum of 5 years’ experience in
1. Maintain existing business and pursue new electronics manufacturing and familiarity with IPC
business to meet the sales goals standards. Candidate with current IPC CIS or CIT
2. Build strong relationships with existing and Trainer Specialist certifications are highly preferred.
new customers
Salary: Starting at $30 per hour depending
3. Troubleshoot customer problems
on experience
4. Provide consultative sales solutions to
customers technical issues Benefits:
5. Write monthly reports • 401k and 401k matching
6. Conduct technical audits • Dental and Vision Insurance
7. Conduct product evaluations • Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Account
QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS:
• Health Insurance
1. College degree preferred, with solid
• Health Savings Account
knowledge of chemistry
• Life Insurance
2. Five years’ technical sales experience,
• Paid Time Off
preferably in the PCB industry
3. Computer knowledge Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 8–5
4. Sales skills
Experience: Electronics Manufacturing:
5. Good interpersonal relationship skills
5+ years (Required)
6. Bilingual (German/English) preferred
License/Certification: IPC Certification–
To apply, email: BobW@Taiyo-america.com
Preferred, Not Required
with a subject line of “Application for
Technical Sales Engineer”. Willingness to travel: 25% (Required)

Regional Manager
Sales Representatives West Region
General Summary: Manages sales of the company’s
Prototron Circuits, a market-leading, quick- products and services, Electronics and Industrial,
within the Southwest Region. Reports directly to
turn PCB manufacturer located in Tucson, and collaborates with the Americas Manager to
AZ, is looking for sales representatives for ensure consistent, profitable growth in sales
revenues through positive planning, deployment
the Southeastern U.S. territory. With 35+ and management of sales reps. Identifies
years of experience, our PCB manufactur- objectives, strategies and action plans to improve
ing capabilities reach far beyond that of short- and long-term sales and earnings for all
product lines.
your typical fabricator.
DETAILS OF FUNCTION:
• Develops and maintains strategic partner
Reasons you should work with Prototron: relationships
• Solid reputation for on-time delivery • Manages and develops sales reps:
– Reviews progress of sales performance
(98+% on-time) – Provides quarterly results assessments of sales
• Capacity for growth reps’ performance
– Works with sales reps to identify and contact
• Excellent quality decision-makers
– Setting growth targets for sales reps
• Production quality quick-turn services – Educates sales reps by conducting programs/
in as little as 24 hours seminars in the needed areas of knowledge
• Collects customer feedback and market research
• 5-day standard lead time (products and competitors)
• RF/microwave and special materials • Coordinates with other company departments to
provide superior customer service
• AS9100D
• MIL-PRF- 31032 QUALIFICATIONS:
• 5-7+ years of related experience in the
• ITAR manufacturing sector or equivalent combination
• Global sourcing option (Taiwan) of formal education and experience
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Engineering consultation, impedance • Business-to-business sales experience a plus
modeling • Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office
Suite and common smart phone apps
• Completely customer focused team • Valid driver’s license
• 75-80% regional travel required
Interested? Please contact To apply, please submit a COVER LETTER and

Russ Adams at (206) 351-0281 RESUME to: Fernando Rueda, Americas Manager
or russa@prototron.com. fernando_rueda@kyzen.com

Technical Marketing Engineer

EMA Design Automation, a leader in prod- Field Service Engineer
uct development solutions, is in search of Location: West Coast, Midwest
a detail-oriented individual who can apply
their knowledge of electrical design and Pluritec North America, ltd., an inno-
CAD software to assist marketing in the vative leader in drilling, routing, and
creation of videos, training materials, blog automated inspection in the printed
posts, and more. This Technical Marketing
Engineer role is ideal for analytical problem- circuit board industry, is seeking a full-
solvers who enjoy educating and teaching time field service engineer.
others.
This individual will support service
Requirements: for North America in printed circuit
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical board drill/routing and X-ray inspec-
engineering or related field with a basic
understanding of engineering theories tion equipment.
and terminology required
Duties included: Installation, train-
• Basic knowledge of schematic design, ing, maintenance, and repair. Must
PCB design, and simulation with
be able to troubleshoot electrical and
experience in OrCAD or Allegro
preferred mechanical issues in the field as well
as calibrate products, perform modifi-
• Candidates must possess excellent
writing skills with an understanding of cations and retrofits. Diagnose effec-
sentence structure and grammar tively with customer via telephone
• Basic knowledge of video editing and support. Assist in optimization of
experience using Camtasia or Adobe machine operations.
Premiere Pro is preferred but not
required A technical degree is preferred, along
• Must be able to collaborate well with with strong verbal and written com-
others and have excellent written and munication skills. Read and interpret
verbal communication skills for this schematics, collect data, write techni-
remote position cal reports.
EMA Design Automation is a small, family- Valid driver’s license is required, as
owned company that fosters a flexible,
collaborative environment and promotes well as a passport, and major credit
professional growth. card for travel.
Send Resumes to: resumes@ema-eda.com Must be able to travel extensively.

Arlon EMD, located in Rancho Cucamonga,
Technical Service &

California, is currently interviewing candidates
for open positions in:
Applications Engineer • Engineering

• Quality
Full-Time — Flexible Location • Various Manufacturing
Koh Young Technology, founded in 2002 in Seoul,
South Korea, is the world leader in 3D measurement- All interested candidates should contact Ar-
based inspection technology for electronics manufac- lon’s HR department at 909-987-9533 or email
turing. Located in Duluth, GA, Koh Young America has resumes to careers.ranch@arlonemd.com.
been serving its partners since 2010 and is expand- Arlon is a major manufacturer of specialty
ing the team with an Applications Engineer to provide high-performance laminate and prepreg mate-
helpdesk support by delivering guidance on operation, rials for use in a wide variety of printed circuit
maintenance, and programming remotely or on-site.
board applications. Arlon specializes in thermo-
Responsibilities set resin technology, including polyimide, high
• Provide support, preventive and corrective Tg multifunctional epoxy, and low loss thermo-
maintenance, process audits, and related services set laminate and prepreg systems. These resin
• Train users on proper operation, maintenance,
systems are available on a variety of substrates,
programming, and best practices
• Recommend and oversee operational, process, or including woven glass and non-woven aramid.
other performance improvements Typical applications for these materials include
• Effectively troubleshoot and resolve machine, advanced commercial and military electronics
system, and process issues such as avionics, semiconductor testing, heat
sink bonding, High Density Interconnect (HDI)
Skills and Qualifications
• Bachelor’s in a technical discipline, relevant and microvia PCBs (i.e., in mobile communica-
Associate’s, or equivalent vocational or military tion products).
training Our facility employs state of the art produc-
• Knowledge of electronics manufacturing, robotics, tion equipment engineered to provide cost-
PCB assembly, and/or AI; 2-4 years of experience effective and flexible manufacturing capacity,
• SPI/AOI programming, operation, and maintenance allowing us to respond quickly to customer
experience preferred
• 75% domestic and international travel (valid U.S. or
requirements while meeting the most stringent
Canadian passport, required) quality and tolerance demands. Our manufac-
• Able to work effectively and independently with turing site is ISO 9001: 2015 registered, and
minimal supervision through rigorous quality control practices and
• Able to readily understand and interpret detailed commitment to continual improvement, we
documents, drawings, and specifications are dedicated to meeting and exceeding our
Benefits customers’ requirements.
• Health/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance with no
employee premium (including dependent coverage) For additional information, please visit our
• 401K retirement plan website at www.arlonemd.com
• Generous PTO and paid holidays

Field Service Technician

Are You Our Next MivaTek Global is focused on providing a
Superstar?!
quality customer service experience to our
current and future customers in the print-
ed circuit board and microelectronic indus-
tries. We are looking for bright and talented
Insulectro, the largest national people who share that mindset and are en-
ergized by hard work who are looking to be
distributor of printed circuit board part of our continued growth.
materials, is looking to add super- Do you enjoy diagnosing machines and
stars to our dynamic technical and processes to determine how to solve our
customers’ challenges? Your 5 years work-
sales teams. We are always look-
ing with direct imaging machinery, capital
ing for good talent to enhance our equipment, or PCBs will be leveraged as you
service level to our customers and support our customers in the field and from
drive our purpose to enable our your home office. Each day is different, you
may be:
customers to build better boards
faster. Our nationwide network • Installing a direct imaging machine
• Diagnosing customer issues from both
provides many opportunities for
your home office and customer site
a rewarding career within our • Upgrading a used machine
company. • Performing preventive maintenance
We are looking for talent with • Providing virtual and on-site training
solid background in the PCB or • Updating documentation
PE industry and proven sales Do you have 3 years’ experience working
experience with a drive and atti- with direct imaging or capital equipment? En-
joy travel? Want to make a difference to our
tude that match our company cul-
customers? Send your resume to N.Hogan@
ture. This is a great opportunity to MivaTek.Global for consideration.
join an industry leader in the PCB
and PE world and work with a ter- More About Us
MivaTek Global is a distributor of Miva Tech-
rific team driven to be vital in the nologies’ imaging systems. We currently have
design and manufacture of future 55 installations in the Americas and have ma-
circuits. chine installations in China, Singapore, Korea,
and India.

CAD/CAM Engineer
Become a Certified IPC The CAD/CAM Engineer is responsible for review-
Master Instructor ing customer supplied data and drawings, perform-
ing design rule checks and creation of manufactur-
ing data, programs and tools required for the manu-
Opportunities are available in Canada, New Eng- facture of PCB.
land, California, and Chicago. If you love teaching
people, choosing the classes and times you want to ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
work, and basically being your own boss, this may • Import Customer data into various CAM systems.
• Perform design rule checks and edit data to
be the career for you. EPTAC Corporation is the lead- comply with manufacturing guidelines.
ing provider of electronics training and IPC certifi- • Create array configurations, route, and test
cation and we are looking for instructors that have programs, penalization and output data for
a passion for working with people to develop their production use.
skills and knowledge. If you have a background • Work with process engineers to evaluate
in electronics manufacturing and enthusiasm for and provide strategy for advanced processing
as needed.
education, drop us a line or send us your resume. • Itemize and correspond to design Issues with
We would love to chat with you. Ability to travel re- customers.
quired. IPC-7711/7721 or IPC-A-620 CIT certification • Other duties as assigned.
a big plus.
ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIP
Reports to the engineering manager. Coordinates
Qualifications and skills activities with all departments, especially manufac-
• A love of teaching and enthusiasm to help turing.
others learn
• Background in electronics manufacturing QUALIFICATIONS
• Soldering and/or electronics/cable assembly • A college degree or 5 years’ experience is
required.
experience • Good communication skills and the
• IPC certification a plus, but will certify the ability to work well with people is essential.
right candidate • Printed circuit board manufacturing knowledge.
• Experience using Orbotech/Genflex CAM
Benefits tooling software.
• Ability to operate from home. No required
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
in-office schedule Ability to communicate orally with management
• Flexible schedule. Control your own schedule and other co-workers is crucial. Regular use of the
• IRA retirement matching contributions after phone and e-mail for communication is essential.
one year of service Sitting for extended periods is common. Hearing
• Training and certifications provided and and vision within normal ranges is helpful for normal
maintained by EPTAC conversations, to receive ordinary information and
to prepare documents.

APCT, Printed Circuit

Board Solutions:
Opportunities Await
APCT, a leading manufacturer of print-
ed circuit boards, has experienced rapid
growth over the past year and has multiple
opportunities for highly skilled individuals
looking to join a progressive and growing
company. APCT is always eager to speak
with professionals who understand the val-
ue of hard work, quality craftsmanship, and
being part of a culture that not only serves
the customer but one another.
APCT currently has opportunities in Santa
Clara, CA; Orange County, CA; Anaheim, CA;
Wallingford, CT; and Austin, TX. Positions
available range from manufacturing to qual-
ity control, sales, and finance.
We invite you to read about APCT at APCT.
com and encourage you to understand our
core values of passion, commitment, and
trust. If you can embrace these principles
and what they entail, then you may be a
great match to join our team! Peruse the op-
portunities by clicking the link below.
Thank you, and we look forward to

hearing from you soon.

NEW!
The Printed Circuit Designers Guide to...
Manufacturing Driven Design
This book introduces a new process workflow for optimizing your
design called Manufacturing Driven Design (MDD). This is a distinct
evolution from DFM. Readers will learn how to utilize data-driven
concepts to improve design capabilities. Visit I-007ebooks.com
to get your copy today.
Designing for Reality

by Matt Stevenson, Sunstone Circuits
Based on the wisdom of 50 years of PCB manufacturing at Sunstone Circuits, this book is a
must-have reference for designers seeking to understand the PCB manufacturing process
as it relates to their design. Designing for manufacturability requires understanding the
production process fundamentals and factors within the process. Read it now!
Thermal Management with Insulated Metal Substrates, Vol. 2

by Didier Mauve and Robert Art, Ventec International Group
This book covers the latest developments in the field of thermal management, particularly
in insulated metal substrates, using state-of-the-art products as examples and focusing on
specific solutions and enhanced properties of IMS. Add this essential book to your library.
High Performance Materials

by Michael Gay, Isola
This book provides the reader with a clearer picture of what to know when selecting
which material is most desirable for their upcoming products and a solid base for making
material selection decisions. Get your copy now!
Stackups: The Design within the Design

by Bill Hargin, Z-zero
Finally, a book about stackups! From material selection and understanding laminate data-
sheets, to impedance planning, glass weave skew and rigid-flex materials, topic expert
Bill Hargin has written a unique book on PCB stackups. Get your copy today!
Our library is open 24/7/365. Visit us at: I-007eBooks.com

PUBLISHER: BARRY MATTIES
barry@iconnect007.com A DV ERT I SER I N D EX
MANAGING EDITOR: NOLAN JOHNSON all4-PCB.................................................. 47
(503) 597-8037; nolan@iconnect007.com
EDITOR | COLUMNIST COORDINATOR: MICHELLE TE atg Luther & Maelzer GmbH......................... 71
michelle@iconnect007.com
Atotech.................................................. 53
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: PATRICIA GOLDMAN
(724) 299-8633; patty@iconnect007.com Branford Group........................................ 65
TECHNICAL EDITOR: PETE STARKEY Burkle North America............................ 21, 23
+44 (0) 1455 293333; pete@iconnect007.com
CONTRIBUTING TECHNICAL EDITOR: DAN FEINBERG Chemcut................................................. 27
baer@iconnect007.com
Electra Polymers...................................... 99
CONTRIBUTING TECHNICAL EDITOR: HAPPY HOLDEN
(616) 741-9213; happy@iconnect007.com Excellon.................................................. 43
SALES MANAGER: BARB HOCKADAY
(916) 365-1727; barb@iconnect007.com I-007eBooks.................................... 2, 3, 101
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: TAMARA SITES IEC/Sigma Mecer...................................... 35
tamara@iconnect007.com
MARKETING SERVICES: TOBEY MARSICOVETERE
IPC................................................... 45, 83
(916) 266-9160; tobey@iconnect007.com IPC Community........................................ 69
ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION MGR.: SHELLY STEIN
shelly@iconnect007.com IPS......................................................... 13
MAGAZINE LAYOUT: RON MEOGROSSI Insulectro.................................. 5, 61, 85, 87
AD DESIGN: SHELLY STEIN, MIKE RADOGNA,
TOBEY MARSICOVETERE Linkage Technologies................................ 49
CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST: BRYSON MATTIES Matrix USA.............................................. 55
COVER DESIGN: SHELLY STEIN
MicroCraft............................................... 67
COVER IMAGE: JOHN SMOKER, STRATOS AIRCRAFT
MivaTek Global......................................... 41
MKS | ESI................................................ 89
Notion Systems GmbH............................... 29
On the Line with...podcast......................... 39
PCB007 MAGAZINE® PCBAA................................................ 77, 95
is published by IPC Publishing Group, Inc.
3000 Lakeside Dr., Suite 105N, Bannockburn, IL 60015
Pluritec.................................................. 79
© 2023 IPC Publishing Group, Inc. does not assume and Prototron Circuits..................................... 97
hereby disclaims any liability to any person for loss
or damage caused by errors or omissions in the
Smart Process Design................................ 17
material contained within this publication, regardless Taiyo America............................................ 7
of whether such errors or omissions are caused
accidentally, from negligence or any other cause. Technica USA........................................... 93
August 2023, Volume 13, Number 8 Ucamco.................................................. 81
PCB007 MAGAZINE is published monthly
by IPC Publishing Group., Inc., dba I-Connect007
Ventec International Group......................... 75

PCB007 Aug2023

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

PCB007 Aug2023

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

AUGUST 2023 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 1

10 Discussing SEL’s Strategy

4 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

78 64 Smoothing the Rocky Road

78 India’s Rise in the Global

76 Protons Set to Power Next-gen

• Screen Print & Spray Application • Resistance to extreme temperature

Contact your local sales

Follow us on social media

8 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

AUGUST 2023 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 9

The Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories cess for developing a business strategy. He

SEL has incorporated their own products into their infrastructure.

12 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

Matties: Now, you’re a zero-discharge

Matties: That’s an incredible ROI.

Matties: What was the final tipping

14 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

AUGUST 2023 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 15

16 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

Feature Interview by Barry Matties

18 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

AUGUST 2023 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 19

Atotech’s 300-foot long horizontal plating line at SEL’s Idaho facility.

22 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

AUGUST 2023 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 25

For solder mask, you’re doing nothing but

26 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

In-house lab available for customer testing

To learn more about our lab, contact

28 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

Print your soldermask fully digital

CONTACT US Notion Systems GmbH 3 +49 6202 57877- 0

Hendrickson: To maintain air quality in the shop,

Internal view of IPS automated ENIG line.

30 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

AUGUST 2023 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 31

how we’ve simplified our designs, overall, has

When you’re choosing a supplier in a critical

When you look at the labor market, what

You invested about $100 million to

In addition to the dollars, are you

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories’ 162K-square-foot, $100M manufacturing facility in Moscow, Idaho.

AUGUST 2023 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 33

Matties: Thank you, John. PCB007

34 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

Feature Interview by the

46 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

New Type of Quantum Bit in Semiconductor Nanostructures

48 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

World-class Top tier Ambitious information

52 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

Steel battery housing

Aluminum battery Thermal management

Battery and cell

Battery housing fasteners

Connectors, busbars and fasteners

info @atotech.com www.atotech.com

54 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

Left to right: John Smoker, Austin Alley, and Aaron Park.

56 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023

58 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023