Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1494936
MARCH 2023 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 79 including the two COVID years that were quite slow. We designed a complete product lineup in the higher frequency area for analog RF electronics. We have more than 25 differ- ent products now for our customers, starting from non-glass-reinforced PTFE laminates to pure dielectric, RCF with a carrier for the non- glass-reinforced materials, hydrocarbon-based laminates. We offer hydrocarbon combined with metal-based material for heat dissipation. Our knowledge in this thermal management segment helps us a lot. As Mark pointed out, we have multiple and numerous treaters in our factories, so we have fantastic flexibility and a very effective supply chain. Goodwin: We're at the point now with some of these materials that we're holding inventor y ver y much on spec, with- out order coverage, because we're start- ing to build a history o f w h a t o u r c u s - tomers need. Other mater ials are more program-driven, but as we learn more about the programs and we do more programs, we'll take our usual view: our job is to manage the supply chain. We make product available in our warehouses in Europe and the U.S. We can't do that for everything, but when we can't, because of the flexibility we have in our manufacturing facili- ties, we can deliver these products quickly, and directly from manufacturing as well. We're certainly not talking about months for delivery, which some suppliers are now. We are very much looking from point of order to point of delivery. In my mind, I want to build our capability around being able to supply directly from manufacturing within 14 or 15 days, including flying the material and clear- ing customs. ere are a few things that can go wrong, of course, outside of our control, but the shorter we can make our manufactur- ing cycle time in the manufacturing facilities, the more tolerance we have on the things we don't control. I'm trying to get to having it on the shelf in two weeks, maximum. You've got flexible manufacturing capacity. Are you in anticipation of certain orders on certain technologies? Are you sort of keeping manufacturing capacity sitting there? Goodwin: Absolutely, but we've always done that because our game is always to be fast and flexible so we never run out. If I order a special material, it won't go in a queue, it goes straight to the customer? G o o d w i n : Ye s . I m e a n there's always a queue, but the queue isn't very long. I think we'll also be in the position where we can deliver pre-pro- duction for a lot of prod- ucts. Not all the products we're talking about yet, but it will come. For our tec-speed 3 and tec-speed 6, which are more in the high-speed digital realm than the RF realm, we're already at the point where we can deliver pre- production small and medium volumes from inventory in Europe. We're rolling that out in the U.S. in the next month or two. We'll do that with more materials, so we can get peo- ple started in production with those and fill in with product arriving a couple of weeks later directly from manufacturing, either to replen- ish what we've sold, or to supply bigger vol- umes directly to the fabricators. Which of your markets are growing most quickly? We're certainly not talking about months for delivery, which some suppliers are now. We are very much looking from point of order to point of delivery.