Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1101604
44 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2019 How Are PCB Manufacturers Meeting Challenges Like These? Stevenson: It is necessary to use materials—such as laminate, fiberglass, epoxy, thermoplastic—that work at the right speed, at the right temperature, and in the right condition. Each mate- rial has a specific range of electronic speed and stabil- ity in addition to the associ- ated environmental concerns. To be a full-ser- vice automotive supplier, you must be able to support all of those needs at all times to pro- duce robust, long-lasting boards. Are You Witnessing Similar Trends in Other Industries? Tise: Use of electronics is exploding in the health services industry as well. Because med- ical facilities are sterile, electronics used there must withstand exposure to chemicals needed to keep them clean. Any electronic used in a medical facility has to be completely encapsu- lated in a hardened plastic case, or it has to be disposable. Stevenson: And because of the nature of their use, the devices have to be small and high- ly functional. There's a lot of innovation, but there are also challenges unique to the indus- try. In addition to what we've already dis- cussed, it's important to remember every de- vice used in the medical industry has to go through FDA requirements before it can be im- plemented, which means a multi-year test and validation process. That's a lot of iterating. So, if you're in that space, you depend on trusted partners to help you through that process. What Are You Doing to Support Your Customers in the Healthcare Space? Tise: We maintain standards of IPC-A-600 and IPC-6012, which are divided further into a Class rank. Class 3 is stringent. A customer wanting to reach Class 3 to have it be usable in the medical industry or anywhere else would need to design a top-shelf board. We help them get there. Stevenson: Also, it takes multiple spins and re- visions within the circuit board testing process as well as expert advice to catch design flaws and make modifications quickly. It helps to have a seasoned professional at hand to keep customers on track in their testing processes. That's a value-add service Sunstone Circuits provides to engineers. How Are Robots Coming Into Play? Stevenson: As robotics become mainstream in every industry, including automotive, medical, military, and with cameras and making mov- ies; pretty much every vertical that you can think of is driven and made more commercial (Figure 3). Plus, it's really cool stuff! For the PCB industry, robotics represents both a busi- ness opportunity and a path to improving the manufacturing process itself. Matt Stevenson Figure 3: Robotics are becoming mainstream in every industry.