Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1538540
36 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2025 shops over the years. You come back six months later, and they're gone. They never seemed to stick, so I was very skeptical. We visited a board facility that was using automated visual inspec- tion equipment in production with full access to the facility. We took the machine through its paces and asked many questions. We felt that our concerns were well understood, and it gave us a path for- ward. We worked through all4-PCB to develop that communication and relationship with Machvision. We're one of the first to bring their technology to the U.S. We had several things we wanted changed and they were very responsive in making those changes even before the machine was installed. There has been a lot of good collaboration. You have the final inspection machine, but don't you also have their inline AOI to replace some offline AOI systems? Hendrickson: We needed to add capacity. We reevaluated what was out there, and since we were already looking at the automated final inspection, we looked at their AOI and decided it was worth the investment. It's adding a lot of value to the floor. If we add redundancy, we'll probably put more of them inline with the DES and eliminate that extra handling as well. Sustainability is obviously a priority. Is there a sustainability metric your suppliers need to meet? Hall: We want a fit with our values. If you're looking at good business and quality practices, those will inherently lead to sustainability. Show us how you're dealing with quality. Let us see what your manufac- turing processes look like. How do our values align? That's where the sustainability piece stems from. While there isn't a detailed playbook, we've devel- oped a solid understanding of how to operate it effectively. Managing the etchant requires careful attention to specific conditions—particularly acid- ity—and consistent day-to-day maintenance to address evaporation losses and maintain chemical balance. It took some time to reach a steady state, but the process has become much more stable. We've also learned the importance of selecting durable components, as the etchant environment can be tough on sensors and controllers. With the right hardware choices, we've significantly improved long-term reliability. Choosing the Right Partners What advice would you give to suppliers who want to work with SEL? Hall: It's important for those suppliers to under- stand who we are and for them to share who they are and make sure that we're a good fit as a cus- tomer, as well as the other way around. It's also about our values: Have integrity, be cus- tomer-focused, commit and deliver. Communicate, communicate, communicate, and then communi- cate some more. Hendrickson: Be as open as possible. We strug- gled when there wasn't open communication, especially when it comes to trust or lack of trans- parency. Eventually, that creates cracks in the rela- tionship. Just be as open and honest as possible. We're not immune to feedback. We can always improve in how we do business and what we're asking for. Regarding your zero-discharge system, you've said you didn't pencil in or plan for the spikes, but they're there so now you are working through this with the suppliers. Hendrickson: The water recycling system is more about understanding the system's capabilities and how we can impact the operation, and then driv- ing that back to us to own. It's not fair to ask our supplier to own something that's outside of a spec. When we talk of lessons learned in this factory, probably one of my biggest is that it doesn't hurt to overdesign some things. The more unknown, the more risk. Design in that additional buffer. If you're looking at good business and quality practices, those will inherently lead to sustainability. " " On the sustainability front, you're utilizing the Sigma Mecer copper plate-out system now. How's it working? Hendrickson: Overall, the system performs well.