Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1361971
APRIL 2021 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 27 older folks retire, we might not need to replace them immediately. at's where we're at with labor. For now, we operate our shop with 13 people, and then two on second shi for sec- ondary drilling. Matties: Where does the smart factory come in to play for you? Where do you start bringing in AI? You mentioned you came from Whelen… do you continue their thinking with respect to bringing AI and smart factory into your facil- ity? Mack: In the future, yes. We haven't tapped into too much AI yet because we're still optimizing our panels. We're running about 2,000 a week on one shi, which is pretty good. We're get- ting about 400 panels a day. e goal, initial- ly, is to ramp up panels per day, because that also decreases panel cost, and price per panel. e more panels I can put out with the peo- ple already here brings price per panel down. We're comfortable now where we're at. So, yes, AI will come in the future, but it hasn't started yet. Johnson: at sounds to me like you're still tar- geting simpler optimizations in your processes before you start pulling out the big guns of au- tomation. Mack: We want to do both at the same time. I grew up as a lab tech originally, so I really strive for Cpk and quality control. Right now, we AOI 100% of our panels. We might drive away from that because we're producing, at last count, 99.6% yield through the board shop. at number is really where I start. Matties: ere's a difference, too, between au- tomation and AI. When I think of AI, I think of machines modifying the parameters based on the work the coming through, where you had a barcode, and the machine would adjust to pa- rameters set on that board's barcode. Are you moving in that direction? Mack: We've talked about laser markings on the panels in order to switch. Right now, our imag- ing process is still manual. We've talked about buying a flipper and being able to do that. If we do get a little more automation in our imaging department, we'll put down some laser mark- ings beforehand, and then that'll be a whole automated staff and able to swap jobs. We just run double-sided boards right now, single-sid- ed, double-sided. Our rounds are generally pretty big. We don't get a lot of small lots. As we search now, would we want it? Sure. Do we absolutely need it? Not yet. Matties: When you're looking at the capex, are you looking at equipment that is capable? Is that a consideration for the purchases you're making now? Mack: Yes. Obviously, I come from a place that was almost fully automated, so I get the idea about what we might use as far as equipment and automation. Matties: Whelen went for total factory automa- tion, and what we're recognizing is, in the in- dustry, it's going to be incremental steps. It's what we're calling a smart process strategy rather than a smart factory strategy. What pro- cess do you think you would want to prioritize to really make it the smart process? Mack: We currently have two imagers, and we flip panels manually. I really want to start I come from a place that was almost fully automated, so I get the idea about what we might use as far as equipment and automation.