Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1523387
JULY 2024 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 21 the people who have been here a long time can get complacent, and complacency can kill your business. When a new hire comes in, maybe without the experience, you can shape them into what you're doing within your facility. Johnson: We've been talking mostly about the skill set for hand soldering. Is there a distinction between a line operator and a hand-soldering person? Is hand soldering your baseline? Salinas: e surface mount line operators' training is ongoing. e line staff isn't trained to the J-standard, just to the A-610 standard. However, their training is different because, on the line, you have to know packages, polarities, programming, and programming dimensions. Line operators set the parameters for components that are electrically verified on the line, so they must understand the component electrical specs. Ron Gonzales: Obviously, the SMT opera- tors are paid at a higher rate, but they can get complacent. You must be on your game every day. Just because you think you saw this identical job last week, it could be different this week. e customer could have made a revision change. e same product family could have gone from a dash-one to a dash- two. It's critical to read the documents and be thorough before you begin every job. Matties: You mentioned that you've watched candidates walk right past your door to a wire harness company down the street because the candidates don't know the difference between a circuit, a solder joint, or a resistor. I like your idea that IPC should start with the temp agencies to offer some of those core courses to broaden that labor pool. Ron Gonzales: at's a good point, Barry. We've used the temp agencies; you're paying a lot more money, and you're not always getting