Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1538540
assembly. Sometimes, it's not even a quality issue or the PCB itself, but we can resolve it a lot faster because our manufacturing team is just eight miles away. Someone will alert Roy Edwards, one of our engineering managers, and he will drive over to see what's going on. Given his experience and back- ground in PCB assembly, we're able to resolve it and get folks back into production a lot faster. Building on the Floor What's the highest-tech product you're building right now? Hendrickson: We're running six- and eight-layer boards. By the end of the year, we expect to launch a 12-layer product: 8-mil finished vias, 2.5- mil traces, 3-mil spaces, the whole package. Why wait until year-end? Are you still dialing in other processes? Hendrickson: Our plan has always been to be doing 12 layers by the end of the year. We started with two layers, moved to four layers, and we're gradually adding complexity. Most of our volume sits in the four-to-six-layer range, so it made sense to perfect those first. Jumping straight into the deep end would have amplified every line-tuning issue we've faced. Proving repeatable performance at each step keeps the ramp smooth. Right now, our 300-foot Atotech plating line is the most consistent, reliable line in the entire factory, outperforming everything else. We run it with just two operators per shift, yet the throughput is remarkable, and the uptime is stellar. Our equipment- GreenSource Engineering (GSE) is proud to have contributed to the first successful reshoring of a PCB facility on a greenfield site in the United States. While we are honored to have played a key role, full credit for this achievement goes to SEL for its vision, commitment, and professionalism. GSE had the privilege of familiarizing SEL's team with PCB production, helping them design a factory Automation Meets Sustainability by R i c k N i c h o l s , Te c h n i c a l M a r ket i n g D i re cto r G re e n S o u rc e E n g i n e e r i n g layout, and facilitating connections with leading suppliers in the PCB industry during the project's early stages. These collaborative efforts ultimately led to a viable and successful onshoring initiative in the U.S. These contributions by GreenSource ensured that onshoring remains viable in the U.S.: • Supplying robust and specialized automation to mitigate the impact of labor cost, while simultaneously improving quality by reduc- ing handling. GSE supplied the majority of the automation at the SEL facility in Moscow, Idaho. Some of this automation is also specif- ically designed to perform specialized tasks. An example of this is a cooling buffer. This tool collects panels and cools them prior to release for further processing. • GSE supplied a state-of-the-art, patented closed-loop, zero liquid discharge (ZLD) water recycling system called ARK™, which can reliably supply the volume of water at the quality required to the Idaho fab. This action has also firmly positioned GSE on the right side of the LAW (Lab and Water). 28 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2025