The PC Systems Blog

I am very adamant here in the office that if you want something back in one piece, whether it is a sample, finished part or your son’s new toy, don’t leave it on my desk.  My curiosity often gets the best of me and my reassembly skills are often not as good as my destructive abilities.  I have just about everyone trained, but I still manage to get myself into some trouble occasionally.  Last Friday was one example.

Here at PCS, we continue to look for Lead free connectors for Automotive glass that will stand up to the SAE/USCAR-40 testing requirements.  We are confident that we have found a braided solution, but we are now focusing on finding a solder alloy that can be used on a solid Copper footprint and be robust enough to withstand the CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion) mismatch between the Copper and glass.

Kevin and I completed some testing on Friday using an alloy that we thought held promise.  We were attempting to test a couple different application techniques.  We found that the bond between the solder and the glass proved to be a little better than expected which resulted in some excitement.

The glass shattered on the third pull and the peak tensile force was measured at 80.5 lbf.  This is rather impressive considering the specification is 10.0 lbf.  Unfortunately, the other clips on the panel could not be pull tested due to the fracturing of the glass.  On the other hand,   some days we need reminded that work can be fun, and this was one of those times.  We are working on soldering clips to a new panel this week, with a slightly different testing technique which should help us preserve the panel.

I stopped in at a local used car (Rogo’s Auto Sales http://www.rogosauto.com/) to talk to the owner (Tim) about a set of keys that he was going to order from me.  A quick conversation with them gave me an idea for a blog post, so I thought I would share it with you.

I bought my first vehicle from this dealer about 6 months ago and I was absolutely amazed by their customer service.  They are small, they know me by name, and they can justify their pricing.  Notice that I didn’t say that they had the lowest price around.  When I had a problem with the new truck, they gave me a loaner and took the truck to the OEM dealership to get it fixed for me.  They didn’t have to do that, but Tim said that was how he wanted to make it right.  That is just one example of the customer service they provided.

I want our customers to feel the same satisfaction after working with PC Systems that I felt after working with Rogo’s.  I have to admit, one of the reasons I stopped in today was to ask about some new vehicles for my wife.  I want to buy from them again.

This morning, I overheard Tim and Kenny talking about how to look up my VIN number.  Kenny told Tim to look under “deals” in their computer database.  I pressed Tim on that a little bit.  I thought it was interesting that they call it “deals" instead of “sales”.  Tim joked and said that he hopes everyone thinks they got a deal there.

I don’t expect that anyone sat down and really thought out what they were going to call “sales” in their database.  Only employees look at it, so there isn’t any incentive or marketing gold to be had by calling it “deals”.  Rather, I feel this is just a reflection of the culture at the dealership, which is what had me excited in the first place.

Using terminology that frames up the customer satisfaction internally will obviously translate into using the same terminology while speaking with the customer.  This is always going to have an effect on the buying experience.  I don’t know if that was intentional at Rogo’s or not, but I thought it was worth writing about.  I’ll have to think about how we do that here at PC Systems (if we do) or how we can start doing it.  How about you?  Can you think of any way you use vocabulary that takes into consideration the customer’s point of view rather than the company’s?

An excellent post from our friends at P80 on their blog yesterday titled “Knowledge Sharing as Inbound Marketing”. 

http://blog.protocol80.com/2011/07/knowledge-sharing-as-inbound-marketing/

We see knowledge sharing as a means to propel both our business and our customer’s business forward.  While we don’t use it specifically for inbound marketing, there are obvious fringe benefits of sharing knowledge with both partners and competitors.  We share information with our colleagues in many ways, and I will give examples of three below:

We use professional organizations that already have an assembly of our peers.  One such organization is WHMA (Wire Harness Manufacturers Association) which provides a listserv allowing members to discuss hard to find inventory, software suggestions, and tooling inquiries as examples.  If you are building wire harnesses or are connected to the industry in any way, you should be part of this organization in my opinion (it is not limited to a listserv).

Another example of knowledge sharing is online forums and blogs.  I think it is important to have a dialogue with our customers and colleagues, so I actively participate in forums such as CR4, groups on LinkedIn, and blogs like The Drucker Exchange.  Many “old school” types are afraid that asking questions will show potential customers weakness in your organization.  After all, we are supposed to know everything there is to know about the business we are in right?  My defense is that the smartest man I have ever been in contact with, Ted Krellner, never stopped asking questions.  When he had a question that needed an answer, he would ask anyone who would listen, from the boy delivering the paper outside to the CEO of the organization.  There is always more for us to know.  Also, by asking these questions (and more importantly answering others) we create a dialogue that can help show PC Systems’ expertise in the interconnect world. 

Finally, we reach out to direct competitors on a regular basis who provide a complimentary product line to ours.  At PC Systems, it is our goal to be a solutions provider rather than sell commodities (sounds cliché I know).  We realize that there are others who can do certain jobs better than us, so we don’t try and reinvent the wheel.  We will either point our customers in the direction of the best supplier or if they don’t want to add a supplier to their list, provide the parts on a buy/resell basis.  We would prefer that our customers use PC Systems as their one-stop shop for wire harnesses, electrical connections, and overmolded connectors rather than a Google search.  Most of the time we can service them directly, but if we can’t, we know someone who can.  We have found that working with our competitors in Europe is extremely effective, because it provides our competitor (or partner depending on how you look at it) exposure here in the US, while also opening another channel for our product in Europe.

Although I have had just a taste of what PC Systems is all about in my limited time with the company, it is evident that a great deal of work is executed to ensure customer satisfaction, and it is amongst the company’s top priorities.  There is an ongoing effort to improve every existing product, process, and idea in order to meet and surpass customer expectation.  In order to secure customer satisfaction, it is necessary to take the appropriate steps internally to better every aspect of the company.  On Thursday, April 21, I attended a LEAN training class with a focus on SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Dies).

SMED is an important aspect in reducing manufacturing waste, much like all other LEAN tools.  It focuses on the reduction of product lot sizes by simplifying and organizing changeover techniques.  “Single Minute” implies that improvement steps can be taken to shorten changeover time to under ten minutes.  Although many of the SMED ideas can be regarded as common sense, as my boss (Engr. manager Kalen Fitch) will tell you: “Common sense isn’t always very common.”

Howard Wilson, of NWIRC, led the one day “Quick Changeover/Setup Reduction” training course at the Community Education Council in St. Marys.  A quote from the course lecture: “SMED ideas can be viewed as being pretty simple, but if applied properly, can make a complex difference.”

The course introduced the material sufficiently via PowerPoint slides, as well as by integrating a few activities.  The first activity was conducted to demonstrate all non-value added steps that may be taken during a common changeover.  The second involved splitting the group in half, and having a contest to see which team can best streamline the changeover process of the first activity.  I took a great deal of good information away from this course, and would highly recommend it.

By implementing many of the ideas illustrated in this course, I expect a great deal of overall production improvement.  Here at PC Systems, I will use my newly acquired skills to benefit the company in many ways.  I will improve mold tooling by standardizing and simplifying general design to expedite changeover time.  I plan on developing a changeover process that can allow for operators to easily change high running tooling by themselves without confusion.  Other organizational practices and strategies will be incorporated into this process improvement in accordance with SMED principles.

In a recent interview that featured PC Systems in Wire Harness News, I made the comment that PC Systems was dedicated to providing solutions for customers rather than commodity product.  This answer was a response to a question from the interviewer in which he asked me why I was trying to come up with a Lead Free solution for window glass connectors, rather than their R&D teams finding the proper alloy and specifying it for us. 

As evidence of that commitment to providing solutions, I would like to introduce Kevin Genevro, an Engineer, who is the latest addition to our Engineering staff.

Here is a link to Kevin’s LinkedIn profile:

http://tinyurl.com/3czcegv

A Mechanical Engineer by training, Kevin has been with us for about 3 months so far and is already making major contributions to our team.  His primary responsibilities at PC Systems will include a wide range of activities, including new product introduction, tooling design, raw material acquisition, back-up Quality Auditor, LEAN facilitator and recipient of mild hazing, to just name a few.  All jokes aside, we are very proud to welcome this local Engineer to our team and we hope that you have the good fortune or working with him on a future project with us. 

Here in Pennsylvania, the winter months often provide plenty of opportunity for our local drivers to test their mettle and ability to travel on snow-covered roadways.  Just the other evening, we received a fresh 4” of snow which I had to drive my pregnant wife home through.  A couple inches of fresh snow isn’t too big of a deal here, assuming you have access to some good all season tires and put a proverbial egg under your pedal. 

As I was driving home through the slushy “mess” at about 45mph (in a 55mph zone) I was passed by another smaller vehicle.  I thought to myself, “Wow, that is risky.”  I then thought, “I won’t be surprised to see him upside down in the ditch up the road a little further.”

This got me thinking a little bit about risk with regards to my role at PC Systems, Inc.  Unfortunately, when building cable assemblies or wire harnesses, prints and specifications aren’t always complete.  Just as I throttled down when the roads got a little dicey when driving my wife home, I also have the tendency to “slow down” projects at PCS when the requirements are incomplete.  This is because as an Engineer I have a very low appetite for risk.  As our President likes to say, “When we ship parts, we don’t want those parts back.”.  This can be incredibly frustrating for other employees at PCS as well as our customers sometimes.  Whether we are requesting clarification on a print, signoff on a proposed specification, or holding parts in Quality, we are always doing it with our customers’ best interest in mind.  Although it may seem trivial or maybe even annoying, when we request for additional information or sign-offs, it is because this information is required to make sure our parts are functionally correct and not over or under specified.

We understand that many of our customers’ have very complex assemblies and the electrical leads used are typically an afterthought, which is why we do everything we can to understand the application and ask important questions as soon as we start reviewing the inquiry. 

So going back to the original metaphor, the gentleman who passed me the other evening did not end up in a ditch. I presume he made it home safe and sound without issue.  Perhaps I was being too cautious and could have afforded to speed up a little bit.  Here at PCS we have a myriad of personalities, which provides a nice check and balance system for risk assessment and mitigation.  You can be sure that both your timing and quality are both balanced and very important in the minds of every employee at PCS. 

I like the ring of that blog title, rock climbing and manufacturing.  What do they have in common (other than being two things I really enjoy) and more importantly, why have I chosen to blog about them?

I am going to make an assumption that in your everyday business life, you draw parallels to things you enjoy doing in your free time?  I do this all the time, which maybe helps me get through the mundane moments in my professional career.  Either way, I often find myself comparing manufacturing to rock climbing.  I am a recreational rock climber at best, but it is an activity I very much enjoy.  The two areas that I think make the most sense to focus on are Efficiency and Trust.

Efficiency – I weigh 250 lbs and have been climbing for 2 years.  I climb with a partner that is 170 lbs dripping wet and has been climbing for 20 years.  He can get away with being a little inefficient and still be effective.  If I am not efficient in my movements, I quickly burn out and peel off the rock.

In manufacturing, I am the waste-laden process that could really use some improvement.  This is the new process with many unknowns.  Any rework or inefficiencies will likely eliminate any profit on the product.  If I am this line, I can’t afford to make mistakes, but I will. 

My partner is the process that has been the focus of multiple LEAN activities and is a mature product line.  This line could likely accommodate some rework time without missing a beat, but it won’t likely happen.  In addition, this process is slowed by the inefficient process (me), so it can easily keep up with Takt time.

When my partner and I look at a blank rock face, it is clear to him that there is a defined route to be climbed that will use the least amount of moves.  I look at the rock face, dumbfounded, and decide to “wing it”.  The results typically aren’t great.  As in manufacturing, a clear strategy for success will always result in better performance. 

I could keep going with this metaphor.  For example, if we are not efficient with exchanging gear in between pitches, we may never get up the rock face in a day.  Sleeping in a harness overnight is extremely uncomfortable and dangerous.  I compare this to a customer recall.  You must do everything in your power to avoid this costly mistake.

Trust – When climbing, your life is literally in your partner’s hands.  You can build as many redundant systems as you want, but if your partner is day-dreaming and you take a fall, you die.  Isn’t that sobering?  This is why choosing a partner and developing a relationship is so important in climbing.  This is an activity that is never taken lightly.

In manufacturing, thankfully the stakes are not as high.  Although there are opportunities for accidents that may result in injury or death, they are not likely.  Another difference is that you likely do not get to choose your partner(s) here, but the elements of trust and teamwork are still very important.  For example, without good cross functional teamwork, a well designed process cannot be implemented. 

In production of electrical connectors, many different hands touch the product.  We have to be able to trust the operator before us did their job and built conforming product.  As an Engineer, I can help improve the process via poka-yokes and error-proofing so that there is less opportunity for failure in the system.  For the rock climbers out there, I liken this to using a belay device rather than the traditional body belay.  I can provide tools to make it less likely that a lapse in judgment will turn into a catastrophe. 

At PCS, we feel that the internal relationships that we share are one of our best assets.  Many of the employees here have been with the company since it was bought and moved to Ridgway, PA 10 years ago.  I feel our ability to trust each other and confidence that the job was done right, regardless of who did it, is something that sets us apart from our competitors. 

Hopefully you feel the same way about PC Systems and have some of your own metaphors.  I would love to hear some of them if you are willing to share.  If not, I hope the metaphor I used was effective in explaining how I view a couple different aspects of manufacturing.   

In an earlier post, I introduced Scott Sangillo of Amphenol Sincere.

http://blog.pcsridgway.com/post/A-Conversation-with-a-flex-e2809cexperte2809d.aspx

I thought it would be beneficial for our web customers, specifically those with design control, to have a better understanding of what is required to design a flexible circuit for application.  A flexible circuit is a great design option combining the neatness and smaller package size of a flat cable, with the design flexibility of a wiring harness.  PC Systems and our supply base can do it for you at a great price and with great quality by using suppliers like Amphenol Sincere.

Below is a Q&A email that Scott and I had that I would like to share:

KF – When designing a “flex circuit” and requesting a quote, what are the critical specifications that are needed? 

SS – These are two very different situations. 

When designing a flex, I assume you are referring to laying out a flex from scratch.  In this scenario, you need to take all aspects of the application into consideration such as the pinout, electrical requirements of the traces, the termination styles, temperature, UL requirements, RoHS requirements, etc. 

When determining cost, the two largest drivers are size and layer count.  This will get you in “the ballpark” and then further clarifications will bring you closer to the products final cost.

This is important for you to know as a customer, especially when asking for “ballpark” pricing or budgetary quotes.

KF – With regards to flexible circuits to be used in Automotive glass, there is often concern that they will be able to withstand the Autoclave temperature and pressures.  For example, 285°F (140°C) and 185PSI.  What type of construction would you recommend for these type of applications?

SS – Any standard flex construction should be able to withstand the above autoclave profile.  Although the standard materials are rated for 105 degrees C continuous operation, they can withstand higher temperatures for short durations. 

KF – When designing for a current maximum of 15 amps, what would your recommended trace be?  How about 30 amps? 

SS – This will depend on the copper weight selected.  If you are using a 3 oz copper (.0042), the recommended trace width for 15 A would .280 min and for 30 A would be .735 min.

KF – What is the most common and cost effective thickness and width to use?

SS – The most common thicknesses of copper used are 1 oz and 2 oz, however there is not a big increase for 3 oz.  Given the amperage requirements and use of your applications, I would recommend 3 oz copper.

KF – In the simplest analysis, maximum current capacity would be a function of cross sectional thickness.  Based on some background research, it also evident that form plays an important role as well.  Can you elaborate?  (Temperature Rise in PCB Traces by Douglas Brooks, UltraCAD Design, Inc. http://www.ultracad.com/article_temperature.htm) 

SS- A thin wide conductor will dissipate heat better than a thicker narrower trace carrying the same amperage due to the larger surface area that it has.

KF – Many of our customers are more comfortable describing their traces as a thickness described in mm or inches although the PCB and “flex” industry prefers to use oz/ft^2. Can you provide the conversions?

SS -  One ounce of copper weight equals .0014 inch thickness.

Now an opportunity for a pitch since Scott took his time to answer some of these questions.

KF – How does Amphenol Sincere Flex differentiate itself from the many other “flexible circuit suppliers”? 

SS – Amphenol Sincere produces high quality/high technology value added flex circuits at Asia pricing using a high mix, low to moderate volume model.  Some specific technology differentiators are heavy copper processing, up to 15 layer rigid-flex, bookbinder technology, impedance controlled circuitry, and full in house assembly to name a few.  We have stateside design, technical support, sales, and customer service to support our customer base so that we are the liaison to the factory with no communication or time zone barriers.

If you are experienced with flexible circuits, many of these questions and answers may seem trivial to you.  If you have more detailed inquires, I would strongly recommend you contact us at PC Systems Engineering so that we can find a solution for you.  In the next post, I hope to talk a little more about how we at PCS are using “flex” today and where we expect to use it in the future!

Over the next couple of posts, I am going to share a conversation that I have had with an individual who is highly regarded in the flexible circuit industry. 

Scott Sangillo is the North American Marketing Manager from Amphenol Sincere.  Quite literally, I had a distributor who shares the acquaintance refer to Scott as “The Flex Circuit Guru”.  If you are unaware of who Amphenol Sincere is, they specialize in electronic integration, custom electronic packaging, and value add flexible printed circuits.  Specifically, they fit very well with PC Systems, Inc because they specialize in high mix, low to moderate volume model with low cost region manufacturing while maintaining a very knowledgeable technical team to assist customers.  Here is a link to their website:

http://www.amphenol-gasf.com/en/AmphenolGZ.html

My goal of the conversation was to identify the critical details that need to be included in customer RFQs and design proposals that will allow our supply base to identify accurate costing and design to meet customer needs.  For those of us who come from an automotive background, the concepts of oz/ft^3, layering, and internal/external traces is somewhat unfamiliar.  My hope is that the next couple posts help “translate” some of these concepts into terminology we are more comfortable with. 

Using this type of connector is already very popular in the industrial, medical and some automotive markets.  We expect that the domestic automotive market will start adopting this technology even more as platforms are started to be shared globally.  PCS already produces parts using flexible circuits and we are ready to support you with your specific application.

If you are interested in this technology, check back often as we update this blog with additional information, some Q&A, and also draw some parallels to the ever popular automotive glass connection preferred in Europe (foil).

We recently had a visit from an agency who has money available for training that they need to disburse and wanted to see if we would be a good fit for the receiving those funds. 

While walking through the plant I found myself talking in all the common “buzz” words for LEAN manufacturing and Accounting, which typically leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  I am sure most of you have led this dog and pony show at least once in your life?  It became even more clear how important the simple concepts from Eli Goldratt’s book “The Goal” were.

If you are increasing throughput, decreasing inventory or decreasing operational expense you are most likely improving.  I think that sometimes it is good to remind ourselves of that. 

Ultimately, if we are successful at the above objectives, you will purchasing from a supplier who has a healthy business (we aren’t going anywhere) and as we grow, our expenses and burden will be shared my more products, reducing or maintaining your pricing.  Sounds good right?

I should add that we anxiously await our assessment from the funding agency and welcome any criticisms or suggestions for improvement.  An outside set of eyes often uncover simple yet effective solutions.   I hope the week is going well for everyone and quietly hope to see some more comments.