Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/844209
90 SMT Magazine • July 2017 requirements for that product have been met and followed. We need to ensure that we have full traceability of the supply chain, and the man- ufacturing process (including testing results). Las Marias: What does Sa- line Lectronics do differently to address these challenges or requirements? McDonnell: Beyond meet- ing the basic requirements to build these types of products, such as ITAR registration and AS9100 certification, we also have a full team of engineers, including electrical, mechanical, test and qual- ity engineers, who work to establish clear prod- uct realization processes (PRPs) for each specif- ic project and customer. These PRPs will include all the customer's requirements for a build and detail exactly what needs to be done at every step of the project. For traceability, we utilize Cogiscan's Track, Trace and Control system to provide full trace- ability of the circuit board assembly. With this system, we offer traceability to the reference designator. We also perform any ESS testing in-house and work closely with our custom- ers to guarantee that we're following their requirements perfectly. Additionally, we of- fer conformal coating and potting in-house, which is atypical for other EMS providers of our scale. Las Marias: Given the long period for de- veloping wins in military/aerospace electron- ics contracting, how does Saline Lectronics bal- ance that strategic business development effort in military/aerospace with more immediate op- portunities in non-military markets you serve like commercial, medical and telematics? McDonnell: While the sales cycle for aero- space/defense may be longer than other prod- uct lines, in general, it's not that much longer than other customer types. It takes a lot of trust and certainty to contract out the manufacturing of a circuit board assembly, which typi- cally leads to a longer sales cy- cle. In general, we see a sales cycle of about more than six months—which can vary de- pending on customer and project—to land a production order. Our sales team does an excellent job of keeping our customer base diverse. They intentionally target customers in a wide variety of industries to keep up our diversification spread. Las Marias: Component obsolescence continues to be a problem in military/aerospace markets. How do you ensure the availability of obsolete parts? McDonnell: Without control over the prod- uct's design, we're often at the whim of what's available in "broker land" to locate obsolete components. Luckily, many of our military/ aerospace customers know about the obsolete components and engage in a last time buy, and provide those components to us for the actu- al build. If that's not an option, we only work with certified brokers who can provide com- plete counterfeit testing to source any obsolete components. This is usually performed in con- junction with our customer. Any components from a broker that are needed for a military/ aerospace application pass rigorous testing and approval from the customer before we procure them. Las Marias: Counterfeit components are also a growing problem in military/aerospace supply chains. What are the things Saline Lec- tronics is doing to help mitigate the risk of re- ceiving or installing a counterfeit part? McDonnell: Saline Lectronics recognizes the risk associated with counterfeit parts and has the standard policy of always using franchised distributors unless directed by and approved by our customers. When an independent dis - MIL/AERO ASSEMBLY SUCCESS Davina McDonnell