Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/819981
May 2017 • The PCB Magazine 71 it's all about getting the quote to the customer the fastest. Making sure that everything is fol- lowed to spec on their print, even if they re- quire stateside manufacturing and they want offshore pricing with it, you've got to work with them on it. It's important to figure out ways to make it work with your customer. Technolo- gy-wise, I'm seeing more and more higher lay- er PCBs come across, more condensed. You still see some single- and double-sided work that usually goes overseas. Goldman: For the larger volumes. Hammesfahr: Yeah, but what I've seen with my customer base is that they want quotes the fastest. If you can be on time with your orders, that's a huge help. Especially when you're doing quick turns of three days, two days, 24 hours. It's not always the easiest thing to do in the circuit board industry, because there are so many little things that one little process change, one little turn of the knob, so to speak, could change the outcome of the board. There are many differ- ent processes involved, depending on the tech- nology. Goldman: I suppose you've gotten involved with a few of those processes? Hammesfahr: I have. I have an LED customer that needed a fairly bright white solder mask, and they asked us, "Is there any way we can improve on it?" So I've been working with our wet process engineer, who's new to the com- pany—a very smart guy who does an excellent job. He's worked in some of the most high-tech circuit board shops in the area for a long time. He's been working with me in our soldering surface finish department to try and figure out how to get this solder mask to come out with a whiter finish instead of having it fade. Because once you put it through too many heat cycles it starts to yellow. So far, it's been a trial and er- ror to figure it out, but we have been able to narrow down the cause and were able to im- prove it. Goldman: I suppose your supplier is helping on that too. Hammesfahr: Yeah. The vendor has been good help. That's the nice thing about being in the Elk Grove area, all these vendors are right in the same region, so I see them every day. It's also nice for material too, because a lot of the mate- rial vendors are also in the area. Goldman: One thing I occasionally hear from other shops is that their suppliers are not nearby, which can be very frustrating. You've got the local supply and that makes it get to your place a lot faster and makes your turn-around work a lot better. Hammesfahr: Yes, that's correct. Goldman: Tell me a little bit more about yourself. Where did you go to school? Hammesfahr: I went to Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois. A small school with about 1,500 kids. Goldman: Did any classmates go into this kind of industry, in engineering, for example? That's why I asked earlier if you were an electrical engineer, be- cause that's what we always expect will come into the industry. Hammesfahr: I understand. They're all over the spectrum. Many of my friends have either gone into the medical industry, sales, or the banking industry. A couple of them work in the Elk Grove area, selling sandblasting equip- ment and other industrial products. Other than that, most of them tend to be farmers, because they're from Central Illinois. Goldman: What are your expectations at Ami- tron? I hear you're doing well in sales. Hammesfahr: I believe Amitron will continue to grow. It is much easier to sell for a good com- pany. I have enjoyed building up my account base from where I started to where I am now. I couldn't be more pleased, but I could always improve and that is my motivation. Goldman: Well I guess that's true, and presuming that you will grow with the company, do you see yourself moving up? A CONVERSATION WITH AN INDUSTRY TWENTY-SOMETHING