Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1069358
8 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2019 Years back, one of my friends was the proud owner of a late '60s Volkswagen van—a "microbus" we called them, although your name for them might have been different. My friend's microbus had a faulty fuel gauge; the float inside the tank was sticky and sometimes got hung up. Eventually, a bounce or a jostle would knock it free, and it would return to proper working order. Even though the issue was pretty easily resolved, the thought of opening up the gas tank to replace the float seemed daunting enough that the problem never rose high enough on her priority list to get fixed. Instead, she'd drive along, seemingly on a full tank, only to hit a couple of potholes and watch the gas gauge plummet to nearly empty all at once. It could be a shock to any of us friends who watched this for the first time during our turn behind the wheel. More than one of us was convinced the gas tank had ruptured suddenly! All of this was no big deal until it WAS a big deal as in the moment the tank read half full, and then the engine would cough, sputter, and die, fuel-starved. Not to date myself, but this was during the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s. Back then, with the even and odd license plate guidelines and endless lines at the pump, running out of gas might mean being without a car for multiple days. Yes, it could be darn inconvenient. We learned to cope. One of us might pop underneath the rear end to knock on the tank with a knuckle. Did it sound full or empty? What did the gauge say? Did anybody know when it was filled up last? How many miles did we think we needed to drive? What was our guess on whether we had enough gas or not? We paid attention to the gauge because when it worked, it was accurate. We just never knew whether it was telling us accurate information or not, and the consequences could be very sudden indeed. We'd carry a few gallons of extra fuel in a can, just in case. There are parallels in the PCB fabrication industry right now. PCB fabrication is a lot like that VW microbus. Everything is running just fine while the supply is there. H owever, Nolan's Notes by Nolan Johnson, I-CONNECT007 Reflections on Supply Chain Issues