Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1501483
64 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2023 We have plans to hire four to six additional technicians by the end of 2024. e demand is still there; we are still selling machines. Cus- tomers are also retrofitting old machines, add- ing some special functions to an already exist- ing machine, like a second measurement sys- tem, which allows them to do non-conduc- tive back-drilling applications or touch probes. is allows for a small tolerance, pocket mill- ing. at demand is driving the growth of our service department. Service is regional, but it's global as well. How does your team interact with the other service teams around the globe? The development of our ser v ice depar t- ment here is fueled by Schmoll in Germany. ey send many of their service and applica- tion engineers to North America to help build up our knowledge base. North America is a big driver of the world industry. Schmoll real- izes that and is increasing its presence in North America. It's a totally different market here compared to the norm in Europe. We've done a really good job of hiring guys who are just clever. ey're clever with mechanics and with soware as they build confidence in the machine. We're seeing guys who naturally move toward applications. ey seem to have a more analytical brain vs. someone who's handy with mechanics. How much of the R&D effort will be modifying either the operator software, automation, or the hardware itself, to respond to these challenges at the customer site? Is there a conscious effort in design to make it easier to maintain and operate? ere's a lot of automation in the programming. Customers will have a database of scripted pro- grams to pull down to the drill machine. You can see scripting and programs that are auto- mating some of the things operators used to do. Every button clicked by an operator is a poten- tial for scrap. at's less pressure for the oper- ator who may be on his second week of work. We've created an applications department specifically for supporting customers. As part of our service department, we find that the applications and the ideas coming from cus- tomers need to be supported just as much as part replacements. Where is the market headed, specifically with Your products? We constantly see and hear more about automation with the push to Industry 4.0, and that difficult turnover of operators, process engineers, and even the pressure of technology. You can see a lot coming from this. It's all headed toward more auto- mation and more consistency. Schmoll is putting massive effort into automation. I see that being a big piece of the future. We appreciate your time today, thank you so much. Great. anks a lot. PCB007