Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/871322
16 The PCB Magazine • September 2017 by Happy Holden The main priority for process engineers is keeping things running. Meeting delivery times and customer satisfaction is always number one, and then behind that is the continuous im- provement of whatever you're doing, whether it's less chemicals, simpler operations for people or eliminating the confusion or the complexity of what is happening. Then, implementing new customers and customers' new products and/or new processes is always important for expand- ing the business. As Figure 1 shows, implement- ing new technology is an S-shaped curve. Lastly, a process engineer supports a strategic plan that the owners or president has in terms of what the long-term goal is that you can constantly be working on. My Background I started out in process engineering 45 years ago as Hewlett-Packard's first chemical engi- neer, when their printed circuit manufactur- ing was run mainly by electrical engineers and mechanical engineers. I actually started in in- tegrated circuit process engineering since that was my major. Hewlett-Packard made its own semiconductor devices and thin film and high- frequency devices. I was at top of the hill in Palo Alto, and the PC shop was down the hill. They called me into the office one day and said, "We need you to go down the hill to help out our printed circuit FEATURE Figure 1: Adoption and innovation of new products and processes provide the opportunity for growth and rapid profit creation. The PCB contributes to this end.