Dan’s Biz Bookshelf ‘House of Huawei'
Happy’s Tech Talk #41: Sustainability and Circularity for Electronics Manufacturing
Facing the Future: Challenges and Opportunities in Reshoring PCB Manufacturing
GreenSource: Good for the Industry, Good for the World
April 19, 2018 | I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
Whelen Engineering has recently spun off their new printed circuit manufacturing facility to service the merchant market as a new business entity, GreenSource Fabrication LLC. Because of this strategic move, their collaboration with Atotech regarding production automation and green PCB manufacturing is getting serious attention. Our I-Connect007 editorial team recently conducted a teleconference with Alex Stepinski, vice president and general manager of GreenSource, and Atotech’s team, including North America Business Director Moody Dreiza; Gerhard Kruse, sales manager at the equipment plant in Feucht, Germany; and Daniel Schmidt, who oversees global marketing for Atotech’s electronics business unit. We discussed the foundation of this partnership, the technical challenges of building green, fully automated fabrication facilities, and GreenSource’s plans for the future. Patty Goldman: Welcome, gentlemen. Gerhard and Daniel, let’s begin with you. Can you tell me how you entered this project?
Gerhard Kruse: I was involved in this project during the sales process, so I was brought in at the very beginning, before I handed it over to our project management.
Daniel Schmidt: In Q3 2016, when we heard about Alex’s plan to build a full-fledged automated and green PCB production facility in North America for GreenSource, which was Whelen at that time, we invited him to meet our chemistry and equipment expert group in Berlin and Feucht to talk about the available Atotech processes and equipment solutions, as well as possible challenges on his way to realizing the project. As part of the process, we opened our doors to our global technical centers in Berlin, Yokohama (Japan) and Jangan (S. Korea) and showcased our equipment in a production environment. Today, I am very happy to look at the status of the project and the amazing work by Alex and the Atotech team.
Goldman: Alex, why don’t you give our readers an overview of what’s going on with GreenSource.
To read the full version of this article which appeared in the March 2018 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
Automated Production Equipment and Manncorp Announce Strategic Partnership to Expand SMT Solutions for U.S. Electronics Manufacturers
08/06/2025 | Automated Production EquipmentAutomated Production Equipment (APE), a trusted supplier of high-performance soldering and rework systems, proudly announces a strategic partnership with Manncorp, a leading provider of Surface Mount Technology (SMT) production equipment. This collaboration brings together two industry leaders to deliver expanded, end-to-end SMT solutions to electronics manufacturers across North America.
The Chemical Connection: Sales Organization from a Capital Equipment Perspective
07/22/2025 | Don Ball -- Column: The Chemical ConnectionThe sales organization for a capital equipment supplier to the PCB industry tends to differ slightly from a supplier that manufactures and sells circuit boards to their customers. After all, our sales depend on the printed circuit board manufacturer’s sales. If business falls off, you tend to delay or reconsider the need for new or upgraded capital equipment, and then our sales fall off. If your sales go up and you need to increase capacity or replace old equipment, our sales also trend upwards.
IPC-CFX, 2.0: How to Use the QPL Effectively
07/02/2025 | Chris Jorgensen, Global Electronics AssociationIn part one of this series, we discussed the new features in CFX Version 2.0 and their implications for improved inter-machine communication. But what about bringing this new functionality to the shop floor? The IPC-CFX-2591 QPL is a powerful technical resource for manufacturers seeking CFX-enabled equipment. The Qualified Product List (QPL) helps streamline equipment selection by listing models verified for CFX compliance through a robust third-party virtual qualification process.
Technica USA Announces New Strategic Partnership with I.T.C. Intercircuit Production GmbH
06/24/2025 | Technica USATechnica USA is pleased to announce a new distribution and representative agreement with I.T.C. Intercircuit Production GmbH, a globally recognized manufacturer of advanced equipment for the PCB manufacturing industry.
Smart Automation: The Power of Data Integration in Electronics Manufacturing
06/24/2025 | Josh Casper -- Column: Smart AutomationAs EMS companies adopt automation, machine data collection and integration are among the biggest challenges. It’s now commonplace for equipment to collect and output vast amounts of data, sometimes more than a manufacturer knows what to do with. While many OEM equipment vendors offer full-line solutions, most EMS companies still take a vendor-agnostic approach, selecting the equipment companies that best serve their needs rather than a single-vendor solution.