Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1532533
FEBRUARY 2025 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 103 thing important for the next machine to han- dle the board, will be transferred with Hermes. It allows you to put a PCB at the beginning of the line and tell the first machine about the product that is being built and any other important information. en, the machine talks to the MES system to identify the proper program. Each machine hands over to the next machine, one aer the other, with each machine getting what information it needs to do its part in the process automatically. Thomas, what do you hope is accomplished this year? As we look at digital credential exchange, one missing piece is the ability to connect all this to customers and governments. I also see that we still have much work to do around sustain- ability, which is becoming more important. ese two pieces are missing today. We have plans to address them over the next two years. Still, the most important thing is to continue pushing for the adoption of standards. Com- panies need to be open and cooperate so that the discussion of whether you do or don't build to this or that standard becomes unnecessary. e answer should be, "Of course I support it." at will open the door for completely new solutions and will also enable more AI solu- tions, and ones that are not just propriety. Do you feel like we're getting there? Coopera- tion has always been difficult for our industry. Yes. Much has changed over the past two to three years, and many machine and soware vendors are now offering CFX. is makes it easier to avoid the hen and egg problem of "Why should I implement CFX on my machine?" e minimum standards to comply with are Hermes and CFX. is is a standard requirement specification for large companies when asking for quotes on capital equipment. It is a must to sup- port these standards so this will grow. Absolutely. Thomas, thank you so much for your time. I look forward to seeing you at IPC APEX EXPO. ank you, Marcy. PCB007