Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1202019
32 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2020 Feature Interview by Barry Matties I-CONNECT007 Alex Stepinski gives an update on Green- Source, their acquisition of AWP, and their move to full production after some delays. Bar- ry Matties and Alex also discuss automation and the difficulties in hiring in the U.S. and announces the decision to go to market with their recycling equipment in 2020. Barry Matties: It's nice to see you at produc- tronica, Alex. Let's start with an update on GreenSource Fabrication. Alex Stepinski: We experienced some signifi- cant delays in the past year from the equip- ment supply perspective. It was mostly asso- ciated with non-direct process equipment. We have all of our core processes in place with the automation from AWP and a couple of other suppliers. To mitigate this, we recently purchased AWP. We reorganized and got our equipment out of there, as well as finished up machines from other suppliers that were strug- gling. Everything is going to be on-site within one month. In Q1, we believe we're going to be in full production. Matties: The story on the street, as you're building this factory, is that it's a hands-off op- eration from start to finish. Stepinski: Nobody has to touch anything. We have all different types of automation and ap- plications. We have buffers that reprioritize the work for single-piece flow in a very compact space. We have vertical and horizontal loaders and unloaders and robots that load and unload special machines. The integration of automa- tion into the factory is the key to our being successful. Matties: When people talk about automa- tion, this is one of the areas that you can help clarify. What you're talking about is process automation and controlling the processes digitally. Alex Stepinski: GreenSource Fabrication Update