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44 SMT007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2024 Feature Interview by Barry Matties I-CONNECT007 You've just sold your phar- maceutical business and have a lot of extra cash. Where would you spend it? "On a new 45,000-square-foot fac- tor y to manufacture high- tech printed circuit boards," said one man. Meet Prashant Patel, one of the industry's newest PCB fabr icator s. Pr a shant wa s a pharmacist for his entire career and did very well. Surrounded by friends with decades of PCB industry experience who will- ingly shared their outlook on the industry, Prashant decided to acquire Alpha Circuit in Elmhurst, Illinois, in 2021. Alpha Circuit was established in 1981, where the primary focus had been on low-tech. at has all changed. Prashant and his team broke ground on a new 45,000-square-foot building in Schaum- burg, Illinois—meaning this factory was being built from the ground up. Keep in mind that Prashant had no experience in PCB fabrica- tion and had to learn everything, literally, from the ground up. Aer spending a few hours with him, it's easy to see he is a good student. e following interview highlights Prashant's PCB journey. Barry Matties: We're here at Alpha Circuit's brand-new facility, a project that has taken three and a half years. Prashant, tell us about the journey of setting up this new facility. Why did you undertake it this way, and how was the pro- cess of bringing it together? Prashant Patel: I wanted to do something in the manufactur- ing industry, where I have an extensive network of friends and family. We purchased this building, and everything other than the four walls is brand new, including the flooring, lights, HVAC, roof, and equip- ment. We did the factory floor lay- out and sourcing of equipment ourselves. With over 25 years of experience and expertise in the industry, our engineering team knew what they were looking for. You have to know the right questions to ask for each process. If it's a wet process, how do we want the nozzles? How do we want the angles? How do we want the brushes? ey are the experts, so I let them define exactly what we wanted and needed. My part was to find the manufacturers that could give us the best equipment that met all our requirements, including what kind of service they would offer. How soon can a technician get to you if something is not working? Service was the second most important consideration. Aer those two variables, it was lead time. When could we get the equipment? What can we live with, and what can't we live with? SMT007 Continue reading this article, which appears in the July 2024 issue of PCB007 Magazine. From Concept to Reality: Building Alpha Circuit Prashant Patel