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26 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2021 is roundtable discussion with Alex Ste- pinski, Robert Zajac, and Lukasz Stepien of GreenSource Fabrication and AWP Group fo- cuses on the development of their new facto- ry soware and the collaborative work they've done with SEL and Vicor to help implement captive PCB facilities. Barry Matties: People look at a smart factory and they see a huge investment. We realized that many people aren't going to do that, and that started us talking about smart processes: take a small bite out of one of your most chal- lenging (or your easiest) processes and bring- ing some 4.0 data into it. I'd like to talk about smart processes and working as a smart fac- tory, because, ultimately, if you start with one process and move to the next, then over time your factory will evolve into a smart facto- ry. People need to feel the success before they take the final plunge if you will. Robert Zajac: Actually, this is in line with our typical implementation. One of the key ben- efits of rolling out in Industry 4.0 style is that you have the feature of capability; it's seamless, so you don't encounter too many penalties as you implement piece by piece, and in this case, typically you start with a designated work cell where you have the biggest interest. Where it becomes apparent is during the installation and testing. ere might be multiple items and features that are missing from the initial con- cept, so it is beneficial for you to start small and then expand. Matties: Right, you're going to learn a lot from starting small and realizing benefits, and that becomes contagious. Zajac: Companies starting this journey are seek- ing knowledge at this point. In the moment that they reach out for integrations of this sort, they don't really know their entire set of expec- tations; as they continue, their appetite grows. It's entirely recommended to start small. Matties: What does Industry 4.0 mean to you? Zajac: ere are many misconceptions about Industry 4.0 right now. It's a buzzword that is somewhat abused, but the basic gist is allow- GreenSource Fabrication on Industry 4.0: A Roundtable Discussion