Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1520956
42 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2024 operation in Fullerton that does primarily flex. is acquisition added a 25,000-square-foot build- ing to the Winonics portfolio. Now we have the operations, and from an investment standpoint, we also control the real estate. Since then, we've spent more than $10 million in new equip- ment to elevate our capabilities and capacity. It has taken some time to get everything running properly, and to train our staff. At the same time, we've been exploring addi- tive by testing different materials in different configurations. We've been very successful on several R&D projects. Nothing has gone to production at this point, but it's getting close. What sort of cultural resistance have you experienced in embracing additive technology? Brown: A significant challenge has been getting people more familiar and comfortable with additive manufacturing. ey need to really understand the capabilities. We also want to work directly with designers. at is just now starting to open up. Familiarity and education are significant challenges for anything new or different. You seem to have done quite a lot in a relatively short period of time. Brown: We have a world-class team. We're two small shops that can do flex, rigid, and rigid- flex. We're doing a lot of aerospace and defense contracts that we probably couldn't touch two years ago. e Fullerton facility is focused pre- dominantly on the medical industry, which plays very well with aerospace and defense. Now, it's just taking what we have and build- ing on it. Congratulations on all you have accomplished. So, what's next? Brown: We want to be fully branded under the Winonics name. Winonics Brea is still sometimes referred to as ACT, and the Fullerton flex loca- tion has always been known as Bench2Bench. Going forward, they will be referred to only as Winonics Brea and Winonics Ful- lerton. It is good to note that we will be seeing that change. Brown: I would like to turn this over to Gary Abel. He is our technology mas- termind. If it's been done, he's done it. You can hear his passion about additive, both in capa- bilities and where it can go from a new tech- nology standpoint. Gary, it's nice to meet you. Tell me about the additive realm. Gary Abel: We are building advanced sam- ples for hybrid and multilayer products. We are focused on improving signal integrity with these new products so that we can offer Dennis Brown