Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1361971
32 PCB007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2021 Matties: How are you connecting the data flow from your front end throughout your factory? What tools are you using there? Mack: We have a CAM350 system. I don't get involved too much there. ere are a lot of hard workers up there. ey'll put it into a folder, and I'll upload it onto our CAM350 soware and shoot it over to either the Camtek machine or the Miva imaging machine. Matties: at'll give you the parameters you need for the processes throughout the factory? Mack: Correct. Matties: It's those process that, ultimately, you want to be able to feed directly to the equipment, and then have the laser tag adjust the parameters. at's the ulti- mate goal, right? Mack: Correct. If you build up more part numbers in a database system like that, especially with Camtek, they've got their new AOI machine, and so every time we start loading a new job onto that machine, it now has it in its directory. Any time an ob- solete part number comes out, front end does pull it out, so we're not bogged down with ob- solete part numbers. Both of those systems have pretty big databases that work togeth- er, but we don't have any barcoding thing yet. We'll get there. Johnson: Matt, it sounds to me like a key to be- ing a good process engineer is being a good communicator with people, which is not al- ways an obvious skill when we think about process engineers. Will you talk about that? Mack: I have daily stand-up meetings, and then we have weekly staff meetings. I've always been a person who asks questions. When I do the engineering on the floor, I ask operators specifically, "What do you see? What do you think?" etc. at drives some of my thinking. I might have an idea, but they'll tell me wheth- er it's feasible because they run the machines. When I start to bring those ideas up, let's say at a quality meeting, we might say, "I have this idea." We have project lists, and usually will follow up on them weekly, if not daily. ICM is really good at hav- ing us communicate with each other. In staff meet- ings, quite a few people at- tend. All our senior man- agers are there listening and asking questions. Most of those meetings include questions from senior man- agement: "How are we do- ing this? How can we make you better? How can we do this? How can we do it fast- er?" e communication at ICM is amazing. Matties: In your function, where do the suppliers fit in? How involved are your suppliers in what you do? Mack: ey're involved as oen as I need them to be. With process control, now that we're in a pretty steady state, they call. I contact my chemical rep once a week. We usually have a 10-minute phone call about any issues or con- cerns. He'll come in if I need help with an issue; that's been few and far between since we've op- timized, at least on the chemical end. e only supplier I deal with is the chemical supplier. Matties: What advice would you give a young process engineer? Matt Mack inspects a circuit board with an eye loupe in the PCB fabrication shop.