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12 The PCB Magazine • September 2014 facility they built was paid for with cash. Accord- ing to Heilman, being debt-free is by no means a mandate, but instead, a result of budgeting capital equipment and facility upgrades yearly in order to maintain a financially responsible model. That discipline has placed them in the catbird seat as they survey the industry for ad- ditional opportunities. They're certain that their business model will work in other PCB factories or in other industries, as well, and in turn, value the customer. Alliances Sunstone has a partnership with Scream - ing Circuits, an EMS partner that handles any assembly work that comes in. Located just 12 miles from Sunstone, Screaming Circuits, like Sunstone, is truly customer-focused, and their relationship is "very synergetic," says Heilman. When asked about vertically expanding their services, they were quite comfortable with their assembly partner as this point. While they do offer layout services for their customers, they are not in the design business. The Technology Sunstone does not pretend to build leading- edge PCBs, either; it's not their model. What they do is reliably deliver 2-, 4-, 6- or 8-layer, 5/5 mil lines and spaces boards, quickly, complete and on time, guaranteed. They can do up to 20 layers and tighter lines, but it's not their sweet spot. I do see a pretty compelling opportunity to climb the technology ladder a bit, which could open the door to more customers or significant - ly expand the volume of business they do with their current customers. Their business model does not focus on per- formance certifications, and as such, they aren't certified for mil/aero or medical, but I did notice an ITAR registration from a 2012 press release. They say their customers just don't need those certifications to prove out a circuit, and that the amount of business they lose doesn't justify the expense of qualifying and maintaining the certi - fications—not for the kind of work they do. Manufacturing Challenge Running at about 75% capacity, there is room to grow, but the facility is currently maxed in size due to land zoning restrictions. That size restriction is somewhat limiting and is requir- ing them to look at new equipment which can produce more product within the existing foot- print. The good news is that many of the new systems do just that. And, as long as they're as profitable as they say they are, buying the equip- ment necessary to add another 20–50% capac- ity is very doable. In addition, just about every- thing they buy will give Sunstone higher-tech capabilities, which could help them move up in technology offerings. Small Batches Optimized processes designed to utilize equipment efficiently translates into five or six 14"x16" panels making up the normal lot size running through the factory. Because of that, you see equipment sized to fit that manufacturing model. Panel utilization is maximized as like jobs are aggregated or nested with other like boards, while increasing throughput to keep costs down for the customer. I do believe Sunstone has an opportunity to accelerate their manufacturing even more, but that would probably require ad - ditional equipment and more factory floor space. But right now, if customers order a conforming PCB by 4 p.m. PST, they can be assured that their order will ship the next afternoon. In their shipping department, a five-foot high stack of FedEx and UPS boxes are staged and ready to meet the day's orders. What looks like a frenzy really isn't one at all. It's a well-oiled machine driven by tight systems and highly dedicated employees, although the department tends to get a bit harried as shipping times ap - proach, I was told. But most jobs fit nicely in the shipping boxes provided, which simplifies and speeds up the shipping process. Redundancy Quite honestly, redundancy was the weak link for me. Because of their factory size con - straints, they aren't able to add a lot of redun- dancy to their systems. Also, their location, although it's probably a great place to live, is somewhat isolated. However, according to Heil- man, that's where the years of experience come in. And as Nancy Viter, director of manufac- turing explained, when their photo processor THE FAMILy (SuN)STONE continues