Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1524755
16 SMT007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2024 to a scarcity attitude. Don't threaten to move business if you don't get what you want; any good supplier already knows that is your right. A good supplier will stick with you a lot longer and expend a lot more energy solving prob- lems if they see that you are of a mindset to start with solving problems together first. Tell Your Story Last but certainly not least, tell your story. We have already talked about how suppliers oen have as much choice, especially in the current market, as customers do, regarding who they do or do not supply. Or, more accu- rately in times of allocation, who they supply first. If you are "big," don't just assume that is good enough all on its own. Help your suppli- ers understand that you are committed to the long term. Help them understand why you are going to grow. Help them understand that their extraordinary performance will be rewarded and allow you both to grow together. ink about it as if you are talking with a potential investor in your company; tell them why their money will grow more with you than with other choices. In a sense, that is exactly how they will look at you: as an investment. Espe- cially when supply is constrained, they will be trying to decide which customers will generate the largest amount of margin for their compa- nies over the long term. Whether they admit it or not, that's their job. SMT007 Mark Wolfe is principal of Wolfe Consulting and an executive EMS advisor for IPC. Sandia is transforming how it develops custom electronic connectors for weapons systems. The Rapid Development Connectors program is a five- year NNSA-funded project to build a team and lab space capable of fabricating and delivering func- tional connectors in less than four weeks. The program's overall goal is to quickly provide production-representative development hardware to customers while working in parallel with commer- cial suppliers. Currently, obtaining custom hardware from external companies can take a year or longer. By delivering development hardware sooner, the program accelerates cycles of learning and reduces overall program risks. Along with rapid development comes an opportunity for funda- mental research in materials and processes essential for produc- ing electrical interconnects. This understanding of materials science helps identify alternatives that meet performance requirements while being quickly manufacturable. Co-locating various manufacturing techniques in the lab has sparked innovative ideas, including combining 3D-printing technology with injection molding for low-volume production of parts. Using additively manufactured molds for injection mold- ing enables quick turnaround connector manufac- turing with more design iterations. Other ideas coming out of the lab include her- metic seals made with additive manufactured glass and a green alternative for materials used in light- ning arrestor connectors. Michael Gallegos, the program's lead mechanical engineer, is hopeful the lab space will continue to lead to innovative ideas to reduce lead times. "We want to provide design engineers the opportunity to test new ideas and think creatively without waiting months for hard- ware," Michael said. "Our goal is to offer as many cycles of learning for Product Realization teams as pos- sible." (Source: Sandia University) In-House Advanced Manufacturing Techniques Help Meet Mission Needs