Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1419905
OCTOBER 2021 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 9 Bigelow of IMI explains why companies shouldn't be afraid to invest in processes that may save them time and money, and why ITAR- compliant manufacturers may wind up crack- ing open the piggy bank to fund IT and cyber- security upgrades as well as new equipment. And we have a conversation with omas Walsh and Travis Houchin of Integrated Pro- cess Systems, who detail the industry trends they're seeing in capital expenditure, as well as the changes they have noticed in their custom- ers' requirements. We also have columns from our regular contributors Mike Carano, and Steve Williams. Happy Holden now adds his voice to our pages, by picking up where Karl Dietz le off. ere's quite a bit happening in the indus- try now—much of it is positive, but some of it is quite challenging. (e supply chain prob- lem doesn't seem to be going anywhere soon.) We'll be keeping an eye on the issues that matter to you. See you next month! PCB007 breaks. We all know fabricators who have been using the same machines for decades. Some managers brag about building cutting-edge boards with equipment that they acquired during the Clinton administration. But even- tually, it's going to be time to crack open the piggy bank. You need to have a CapEx plan. So, we asked our expert contributors to discuss their CapEx strategies, as well as the market drivers and technical advances that are pushing today's fabrication capabilities to their limits. We start off by speaking with Sunny Patel of Candor Industries. Sunny explains how they manage their CapEx spending, and the ratio- nale for their recent equipment acquisitions. Next, in our interview with Joe Dickson of WUS, he examines capital expenditure strat- egies and offers insight about possible lower- cost alternatives. We also have a short con- versation with Alex Stepinksi, who posits this question: Do you really need new equipment? He follows his own question with this answer: Maybe not. MivaTek's Brendan Hogan discusses the company's new direct imaging technologies, and the challenges that are driving his cus- tomers to upgrade their equipment. Peter Andy Shaughnessy is managing editor of Design007 Magazine and co-managing editor for PCB007 Magazine. He has been covering PCB design for 20 years. He can be reached by clicking here.