Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1491409
FEBRUARY 2023 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 29 We're also a nationally certified minority business, so we're look- ing for businesses that are com- ing back to the North Ameri- can market. I just met with some people who are trying to get the U.S. Congress on board helping to get some of the business back to North America. Johnson: Let's talk through how your new facility went together. Where did you start, and how did you map out what you wanted for capabilities? Patel: We definitely mapped out which direction we wanted to go, we then went out and sourced the equipment that would fit our needs. Every single piece of equipment in that building is brand new, from drilling to imaging, wet process, plating, and etching lines, the AOI and LPI spray coaters—everything is brand new. Johnson: How did you go about deciding what equipment you would source? Patel: Our team is a mix of newer members with those who have been in the business for more than 30 years, so it was their understanding of the manufacturers out there as well as get- ting quotations on what we needed. e team at Alpha customized a lot of our wet process equipment, meaning they would give us a tem- plate, and we would make the changes that we needed, based on the expertise that we have on our team. As far as sourcing the manufacturers, it was a long process; we narrowed it down to the top two to three manufacturers in a specific area. Before making a final decision, every- thing had to be accounted for. We had to con- sider who had the best service and technicians, and the impact of downtimes. Price played a part but was not the driving force behind our decisions; dependability and service were the key factors. Johnson: As you were setting up the facility, what part of the manufacturing process was the most critical, pivotal part, where you had to make sure to get that one part right? Patel: I would have to say it was our plating line, which is made locally within the United States. It literally took more than a year and a half to get the line built. However, it has the capacity for many functions that maybe only three or four different factories in the United States would have. Smith: e plating line is set up to run high aspect ratio—thick panels with small holes. It's Wet process area showing IPS Plating line, Deburr and MacDermid Alpha Eclipse direct metallization line.