Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1479191
28 PCB007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2022 ment, whether it comes from government, in- kind states, or whatever. Upgrading of the opportunities would include horizontal equipment, new plating technologies, reliability, testing internally, materials handling, via formation, laser drill- ing, and more. I looked at all new equipment, state-of-the-art flying probe testing. at's all included. Now, if you just started with the greenfield, that might be more like a $25 to $40 million investment. But take our key five or six fabrica- tors out there—such as TTM, Summit, APCT, FTG, Calumet—that have several fabrication sites under their ownership. ey have qual- ity people and engineering. If the DoD really wants to have some safety and security, then we need some help. ere's a way to do it that doesn't even put a dent into that $52 billion. Johnson: For the CHIPS Act, it's about 2% of the funding. Carano: Exactly. Let's use that to get into the technology and what it will take to make this work. Our fabricators are capable and stable. ey're well managed, but in making that invest- ment, they need some help to minimize or de- risk some of the investment they would have to make. I know they could do it and do it well. e chemical processes keep evolving, mate- rials keep getting better. When some say, "Look at what's going on in Asia, the chemistry works so well." Wait a minute, it's the same chemis- try, so it's nothing secret; 90% of the chemistry in the world and materials were developed by U.S.-based companies. ey may have facilities all over the world, but that technology is there. When someone tells me the plating technol- ogy doesn't exist here, that's not true. Digital Factory Barry Matties: Where does the digital factory come into your thinking for bare board fabri- cators? ere seems to be a lot of reluctance, a "we're small and that doesn't work for us" mentality. Carano: You hear about CFX and the Factory of the Future. e assembly companies see the machines, the need for them to be intercon- nected, how the data is transferred, basic mon- itoring, and even if there's a glitch, how it can be repaired quickly. en there's blockchain. What will that do for me? is is a big part of the security of any transaction, soware development, or factory operation. ey don't see the connection, or the cost seems to be a concern. Furthermore, why aren't we investing in more semi-addi- tive or additive processing? Oen the fabrica- tor doesn't see that CFX, digital factory, as a big move for them and as something that will enhance their position in this industry. Johnson: Fabricators are having a hard time staffing the floor for their old processes. Carano: Workforce development is extremely difficult across the board. I'm traveling here in Michael Carano