2018 marked another year for Saturn’s production transformation. Just a few years back we were heavily reliant on the LED PCB market but as competition eroded margins and pulled work overseas, Saturn was caught a bit off guard. However, we excel at change management. Having grown with automotive just to see it all move overseas in 2001, we subsequently took a leadership position in the transition to lead-free in 2004 before surviving and actually thriving during the 2009 recession by helping to pioneer the LED PCB market. Basically we don’t let things get boring at Saturn.

Over the past two years we have been gradually transitioning the facility to target the high reliability multilayer market by adding automation, equipment, processes, and personnel on a continual basis as part of our multi-year plan. As a result, 70% of Saturn’s sales are for multilayer product using a variety of standard FR4, polyimide, and high-speed materials. 

Our HDI business has grown by high double digits and with project development currently underway we expect to see further exponential growth in the 3 to 4 digit range over the coming 18-24 months. To support this, we have installed both an HDI via fill and electrolytic soft, wire-bondable plating lines. As we see demand increasing, we have also issued the largest blanket PO in our history for high speed drills for blind via drilling to begin delivery in 2019.

Along with the cool stuff, we are also investing in refreshing standard processes, notably wet process lines, to enhance process control and process thinner materials in an automated fashion. 

While this has been a rough road for the past few years, we see a bright future for Saturn and all of our customers, suppliers, and employee partners as we are committed to investing the necessary resources for achieving success.

Anna Schmitt (SFS)

Program Manager

Anna arrived at Saturn Flex Systems in February 2017. While having no PCB or business experience at the onset, she has since taken over the following responsibilities at SFS: Customer Service, Quoting, Accounting, Technical Support Coordination, Sales & Marketing Assist and HR.

Eve Crain (SFS)

Quality Manager

Eve arrived at Saturn Flex Systems in February 2018. She has 23 years in the PCB Industry and 17 years of experience in Quality Engineering. She has strong knowledge of IPC and Military specifications. Eve is a Certified Advanced ISO Auditor and specializes in root cause and corrective actions. Her span of employment encompasses Merix Corp, ISU Petasys Corp, and Westak. Her main focus is getting Saturn Flex MIL-PRF -31032 certified.

Brian Jubie (SEC)

Engineering Manager

Brian arrived at Saturn in December 2017. He brings a solid and diverse background in a full range of PCB Manufacturing for the past 30+ years. Additionally, Brian has worked as a PCB New Product Manager and Technical Sales Support throughout the PCB Supply Chain (laminates, drills, and chemistries). Brian has worked for TTM, Advanced Circuits, and Ventec. His main focus at SEC has started with process technology development as well as heading the qualification of a large medical customer that could increase sales by over $12MM per year within the next 18-24 months. 

Longer term, Brian has been charged with eventually hiring 4-6 process technicians/engineers and begin a multi-year training process to develop them into PCB experts.

Sean Haggerty

National Sales Manager

Sean arrived at Saturn in April 2018. He comes to SEC from Nextronix Inc. (Michigan Rep Firm) where he handled some of our largest customers and helped them grow their business with Saturn. Sean’s background is in Sales and BDM, Consumer and Commercial Finance with Ford Credit. Prior to Ford, Sean managed Legal Collections Departments for Asset Acceptance Corp. Sean is tasked with managing our Sales Reps, targeting accounts to revitalize and to growing overall Sales to previous levels by enhancing the customer service experience.

To address tightening labor markets and increased aesthetic customer requirements we have embarked on a sweeping factory-wide equipment refreshening plan. We have been greatly aided by our alliance with GloryFaith, a Kingboard Company, by utilizing their contacts and assistance in identifying qualified overseas equipment and automated vendors. Taking advantage of their purchasing power allows Saturn to garner approximately 1.5x-2x in purchasing power over local vendors.

Pinner / De-Pinner

The new pinner machine is an automated machine, which eliminates the need to change pins and also eliminates the use of backup and entry material. The output of our stock making department has increased from 700 panels in an 8 hour day to 1000-1200 panels in an 8-hour day.

Schmoll drills

We’ve recently installed two Schmoll drilling machines. These were interim purchases to aid throughput while we await delivery on new machines that are on blanket purchase order.

 

Pluritec drills

The Pluritec drills will be able to output 8 to 10 jobs per day without an operator. We’ll use this machine for all of our double and single sided jobs, and free up the rest of the machines to use for multilayer jobs. This will increase capacity as well as output, as the Pluritecs are almost fully automated.

Single line V-Score machine

We’ve purchased and installed a single line V-Score machine to increase efficiency. The idea is to install one machine by each of our routers so that the routing operator can just load it up and let it run, which will open up our main scoring machines for multi-line scoring jobs and increase output.

 

New Loader / Unloader set

We’ve purchased new automated Loaders and Unloaders from an overseas vendor. This will increase efficiency, as well as greatly reduce mishandling-related quality issues. One set has been installed for evaluation and if they operate to our standards we will put a set on every machine that will support the same style loader/unloader.

 

IATF 16949

SEC was the first American PCB fabricator to achieve IATF 16949 Certification. IATF 16949:2016 is an ISO Technical Specification, which aligns existing U.S., German, French, Japanese, and Italian automotive quality system standards.

Overseas Sourcing with a Production Validate Supplier

As the overseas sourcing market becomes further saturated with "desk and a phone" brokers, we have seen overseas product pricing decline to almost unbelievable levels. Based on our travels and audits, we now know that overseas vendors not only have questionable certifications, but also have access to lower quality materials that could lead to latent failures. Rather than follow this dangerous path like blind lemming, Saturn has taken a different route.

First, we have taken on the task to educate customers by delivering technical seminars at SMTA functions in Guadalajara and the SMTA international show in Chicago. We discuss auditing techniques as well as list out pointed questions for auditors to ask to gain a quick understanding of risk levels associated with sourcing from a particular fabricator.

Next, instead of seeking out ever cheaper vendors, we have aligned ourselves with the 7th largest PCB fabricator group in the world - KingBoard PCB Group. Glory Faith, one of the companies within this group, is automotive oriented and offers competitive pricing the right way - through increased efficiencies, lower scrap rates, and enhanced purchasing power. It also doesn't hurt that their parent company is also the world's largest copper clad laminate manufacturer. In exchange for supporting Glory Faith's direct North American Automotive, Lighting, and Commercial customers, Saturn is used as a consolidation point for all medium volume customers that need overseas pricing, but desire high levels of quality and reliability. Normally, large fabricators like Glory Faith aren't a good fit for this type of purchasing level and mix, but Saturn bridges this gap by consolidating customer service and order management. True Value Added Sourcing!!

Reflections on the 2019 IPC APEX EXPO

 We had another busy year at the IPC / Apex show, culminating in more customer contacts than last year's record breaking numbers. The general takeaway was primarily on two-fronts:

Technology

Designers are faced with ever growing challenges with fitting functions into limited space. Any layer vias seem to be more prominently featured, making these designs a great fit for our new HDI Via Fill plating line and high speed drills. We will further buttress these capabilities by adding Direct Imaging and re-starting our laser drill operations this year.

Reliability

Primarily coming from the Defense and Aerospace segment, we had detailed conversations with multiple potential customers seeking to add certified, capable vendors.

Click here to see more pics from the show.

Game of Thrones Season 8 Teaser

Click here or on the image below to watch the teaser trailer for the upcoming season of GAME OF THRONES.

Bonus link for the kids:

FROZEN 2 teaser.

Parag's Indian Curry Chicken on Grill

Take chicken breasts and cut in half width wise. Then slice into medium-thick slices making incisions (slice up to ½ way through but not all the way) on both sides. Now, soak chicken in lemon and salt for 30 minutes.

While you wait, you can watch the end of S4E1 when The Hound and Arya go to the Tavern for some chicken.

As the chicken continues soaking, you can begin adding the Olive Oil, the Red Chili and Curry Powder and finally the chopped garlic. Let marinate over night.

This is the dish I'll be enjoying as I sit down to watch the Season Premiere of GAME OF THRONES.

The Hound would love my chicken.