IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Kurt Palmer on the Formation of Schmoll America

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

There’s exciting news for Schmoll Maschinen as Kurt Palmer leaves his role as president of Burkle North America to lead the new Schmoll America. In this interview, Kurt discusses his collaboration with Burkle North America, what it means for his new Schmoll teams, and the many machines and processes he’ll have on display at his busy booth at IPC APEX EXPO 2024.

Barry Matties: Kurt, tell me about the formation of Schmoll America.

Kurt Palmer: It’s very exciting news for both Burkle North America (BNA) and Schmoll. The two companies have agreed to an amicable separation and are pursuing their individual paths in supplying equipment to the PCB industry. In doing so, Schmoll is forming Schmoll America (SAM). In the deal, all the Schmoll technicians at BNA will move over to SAM, and so will the sales team.

Matties: What was the impetus for this?

Palmer: Over the past 20 years, we've been partnered together, and the business has grown dramatically. Now, over 400 Schmoll machines are placed in North America, including drills, lasers, and direct imaging equipment. Not long ago, Thomas Kunz, the owner of Schmoll and managing director, approached us and said, “You have done a great job for us in the last 20 years and have built the business together in a big way. It’s now time for Schmoll to get even closer to the market and work directly with our customers.” It's been a great relationship, but we understood Mr. Kunz’s position. In the end, it worked out well for both parties.

Matties: When you say they want a more direct connection with their customer, what does that look like? Will they have an active role in America, or how will that work?

Palmer: SAM will definitely have a more active role in America. That will include a bigger presence of the Schmoll product managers, engineering, and sales team, all working with the SAM team to drive service and innovation in the market. In addition, we’ll be going to different regions to set up “solution seminars,” inviting the operations and engineering teams from our customers to discuss the latest innovations, technology, and challenges. The seminars are an occasion to be all in one place, talking about common issues and opportunities.

Matties: Regarding the educational sessions, will that be exclusively for customers?

Palmer: Generally, yes. For example, the first solution seminar will be on our laser products. We will have seminars in the East and West regions in April for customers that already have our machines. We'll invite engineers from several PCB companies pushing the envelope with our machines, and we'll talk about their issues and new developments in laser technology. It’s hoped to be a collaboration where everyone benefits.

Matties: That sounds like a big win for the existing customers right away.

Palmer: It will be, and that is why we think it’s a good idea.

Matties: We’re just days away from IPC APEX EXPO. What changes should we expect to see there from Schmoll?

Palmer: Schmoll America will be exhibiting with Burkle North America at booth #4432.

On the Burkle side of the booth, you'll see multi-lam presses for high production and a display of our work cells for medium-volume production. We'll have experts on hand to demonstrate each of these machines. On the Schmoll America side of our booth, we will have three machines set up and running. We’ll have our Schmoll MDI direct imaging machine, which will be connected to automation from Technosystems, as well as a Schmoll Combi Laser drill. Finally, we will have our Impex CMM machine, where we can demonstrate our high-speed scanning and touch probe features. We expect a lot of traffic at the booth this year.

Matties: Absolutely sounds like it. Are lasers and direct imaging still the hot items as we move into UHDI?

Palmer: Yes, they are. We're seeing a big drive toward fine-line resolution, down to five microns, as we get into UHDI. We’re seeing more automation as we get deeper into finer resolutions as well. That’s why we’ve added the automation to our MDI machine at the show.

Matties: I recall seeing your direct imaging at the new SEL Moscow, Idaho facility, which was fully automated.

Palmer: Yes, they have our automated machines in that facility. It demonstrates that we can put the automation internally in the machine in the big box where it all happens inside, or you can have a machine like we will have this year at APEX EXPO with robots from the outside. So, it's quite adaptable to the different automation options.

Matties: Is automation now at the forefront of the purchase of this type of equipment in North America? Is it a requirement or just an option people are considering?

Palmer: Of our last 10 direct imaging pieces of equipment we’ve placed, I'd say three or four included automation. It's similar on the laser side: Automation is not cheap, so people get a little sticker shock with that. When they start to think about labor consistency vs. the cost, some still want that standalone machine with an operator next to it.

Matties: Do you find that surprising?

Palmer: Change takes time. Everybody talks a big game regarding automation, and they talk about the problems of finding good operators. However, when it comes down to the price, it can add around 30% to your machine, and the payback for some is too long. Sometimes, people step back and say, “Not yet.”

Matties: What about AI? Is it a conversation your customers are having with you?

Palmer: Yes, we’re talking more about process traceability and preventative maintenance, which can all be improved by effectively applying AI. Customers want to be able to predict when a machine will fail, identify bottlenecks, or identify defects in real-time to automate their quality control. 

Matties: I have always found Thomas Kunz to be forward-thinking regarding development. I’ll check back after APEX EXPO to see whether those conversations on automation and AI arrived at the show. Is there anything that we haven't talked about that you still want to share with the industry?

Palmer: One thing I haven’t mentioned is the number of attendees we’ll have at the show. With the organizational changes we have, we have several new people to introduce to the industry. As I will be leaving Burkle North America to join Schmoll America, Burkle will have a new president, Andy Turner. In addition, Walker Orr joins BNA as PCB account manager. Having these new people is exciting, and I'm really looking forward to introducing them to our PCB customers.

Matties: Tell me about the new Burkle North American president replacing you.

Palmer: Andy is coming from the woodworking industry which is another key industry that Burkle serves. Burkle participates in five or six industries, with printed circuit board presses a key focus. I know Andy is excited to meet the people and learn about the PCB industry, so I’m hoping we have a great showing at our booth as we bring him on board.

Matties: Well, we look forward to seeing you at the show. This is great news.

Palmer: Thank you, Barry. We will see you there.