Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/712650
20 The PCB Magazine • August 2016 Dale Paulin Marketing Manager ESI, USA What I really like about the industry is… …the excitement. The industry is never stat- ic, it is always moving, and it presents a new challenge every day. From the initial spark of insight, to the continual drive for innovation and the creative problem solving that gets ap- plied at every step in the value chain, this in- dustry keeps moving forward and delivering breakthrough products to market in shorter time frames. It's exciting to see customers meet new production challenges head on and con- tinue to deliver products that add value to our lives. Kirsten Smit-Westenberg Executive Director EIPC, EUROPE What I really like about the industry/ my company is... …working in an international environment on a daily basis. We from the European Institute of Printed Circuits try to create networking plat- forms all over Europe. All different countries have different values and norms, but we try to work together with all of them. My favorite tip or trick to share is... …to finish what you start; if you don't, your success rate will always be zero. Pete Starkey Technical Editor I-CONNECT007, UK Reflections of a Superannuated PCB Technologist At the age of 70, several years having passed since I had any significant hands-on involve- ment in PCB manufacturing, I can only reflect upon my time in an industry that gave me a good living, made me a lot of friends and al- lowed me the scope to make a few innovations. The battle scars fade with time, but memories of happy days remain. I grew up in an age when the industry was still feeling its way—PCB manufacture was mi- grating from captive OEM shops to the free market and, besides a handful of large and professionally organised factories, hundreds of small entrepreneurs saw circuit boards as their route to a fortune. Very few of them re- ally knew what they were doing, and they re- lied heavily on the technical support of their suppliers, who priced their products accord- ingly! But those PCB manufacturers could af- ford to pay—they charged what the market would stand, and there was so much potential profit to be made that a job could be scrapped three times, delivered weeks late, and still not at a loss. At the most basic level, manufacture was not capital-intensive—a functional set-up could cost as little as £20,000 if second-hand kit was used. And, with a bit of ingenuity, quite complex product could be realised—even if yields were not spectacular, as already men - tioned. We had great fun pushing the technol- ogy along and achieved a lot as the industry grew up around us. The strongest survived; more than a few fell by the wayside. How times have changed! Huge invest- ment is required to enter the game (would it be better spent elsewhere, brewing craft beer or baking artisan bread, for example?), the tech- nology is challenging, materials and consum- X X X VOICES OF THE INDUSTRY