Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1477844
SEPTEMBER 2022 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 55 Matties: Are you seeing any changes in order habits? Are people making larger orders to build inventory? Zou: Yes. Comparing last year to this year, one of the key reasons why there is large demand for the IC components is factories are doing a "panic buy." ey know there will be future shortages, so they are building up their inven- tory. Matties: When do you think it will ease and the supplies will be easier to locate? What's your estimate? Zou: Some line cards have gradually improved, but not all of them. Demand has changed a lot this year, and some demand has even dropped. You might see in the news that demand has dropped for some consumables, like mobile phones, so that has an impact. Also, IC fab manufacturers have increased their produc- tion over the past year. Our expectation is that it will continue to get better, but maybe not as soon as we hope. Matties: What components are the most chal- lenging to locate right now? Zou: It's still the IC components. Johnson: Meghan, you mentioned alternative parts and that might mean a redesign. How does Epoch work with the customer when a redesign is required? Zou: First, when we have a new project, we look at the BOM list and identify the most critical component because we don't want the product to go to mass production (MP) and suddenly there's no supply. So, before the trial run, they ask us to identify the critical components. ey might also ask us to do some redesign or suggest an alternative. at is the one of the key steps we are taking now. Next, if there's a product we've been sup- plying for a long time, but we can't source a component, our engineering teams may initi- ate a conversation, giving the customer alter- native options. Ultimately, the customer must approve whether that will work. When there is no pin-to-pin alternative then we need to revert to the PCB board. at means a revision change to the board. In most cases, we can find some samples of an alterna- tive part to use for testing, so we can give the customer the data they need on testing and verification. Ghalili: Not too long ago, we were having a similar discussion. When you want to use an alternate, it's not only the electrical modifica- tions, but you have to modify the firmware. at's something we offer if the customer is okay with it. We see it's an area where the cus- tomer is always struggling besides having the physical Gerber change that will change the path; there's a firmware change that comes in as well. We have people on our team who write the firm version in different languages. Johnson: How many people do you have doing that for you? Ghalili: On the engineering team, we have about 15–20 electrical, mechanical, and so- ware designers. Our business model has always been heavy on the value-add to our manufac- turing, rather than just the hardcore EMS that runs products. Matties: Are the requirements for the Fremont facility different than what you're seeing in China? Ghalili: Right now, a lot of the engineering support for Fremont is coming out of China. When we work with customers locally, the engineers in China also get involved to verify from a DFM perspective and they are support- ing the team here.