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74 PCB007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2022 acquiring a tool that has many uses must be a factor in the ROI. 2. Supplier as a partner. Direct imaging is a tool that relies on and influences many different processes. It's important to look at the role the supplier has within the industry and their approach or "passion level" for solving problems with rational cost and agility. Direct imaging com- bines so many disciplines; it is much more than selecting a machine. Imaging suppliers must be experts with imaging, of course, but should also contribute to the processes that DI impacts. If you make the right choice the supplier will become your partner and you will become theirs. 3. Team approach. e selection process usually includes a core group of two to four people at the PCB facility. However, a successful implementation should involve many more people. Our experience is that the most successful deployments of direct imaging are those that initiate communication and training immediately aer the purchase agreement. Initiating a successful implemen- tation before the machine even arrives accel- erates the timing of all savings and traps issues not considered during the selection process. e supplier is your partner; he wants a suc- cessful implementation and should be happy to participate. 4. ROI doesn't happen by itself. So, your team has done its homework and has evaluated savings and performance bene- fits that result in a positive ROI. Two things are true: e savings and costs the team assessed were sincere but also likely incomplete, and leaders need to remain vigilant about secur- ing the ROI and expanding potential savings as your team understands more about the technology and its impact on your processes. Direct imagers should be adaptable. Your sup- plier is your partner. Pick up the phone and pick his brain. He sees 200 PCB shops a year and five times the process issues. 5. Stupid is as stupid does, so don't skip the PM. Direct imaging systems are precise machines that rely on stable conditions. While the cost of technical support and PM can seem like an expense, it ensures that the ROI the machine should produce materializes. Building a rigid PM schedule for the imaging room and the direct imager is not only a critical element of performance but dramatically lowers the long- term cost of the unit. Our data reflects a direct correlation between routine PM expenditures and long-term performance. To take the step of making a major capital purchase without the relatively minor PM expenditure is short- sighted. Your supplier is your partner, so work out a PM schedule that meets the cost and objectives of the equipment. Most suppliers will train your staff to conduct the PM them- selves, but it needs to be a priority. PCB007 Brendan F Hogan is managing director of MivaTek Global, a leading producer of direct imaging systems. Brendan Hogan