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Defense Speak Interpreted: SWaPing Nanosatellites for Defense SystemsSaying ‘Yes’ to Additive Technology at Winonics
May 28, 2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
California-based PCB manufacturer Winonics has been on a journey to develop additive manufacturing technology that can go the distance. CEO Dennis Brown, Director of Technology Gary Abel, and VP of Operations Sidali Koulougli discuss the company’s history, acquisition strategy, and investment in new equipment, as well as highlight their R&D efforts in additive manufacturing. The team's commitment to quality, customer service, and flexibility as a smaller, nimbler company is part of what makes it a go-to PCB manufacturer for the projects that others turn away.
Marcy LaRont: Dennis, please start by sharing some history and context to Winonics, especially regarding your involvement in additive manufacturing technology.
Dennis Brown: Additive patents were the vehicle that started our direction. The investment group that we report to acquired a patent a number of years ago and then looked for a circuit board company to help exploit it, expand the technology, and develop some R&D to the point of production and marketability.
In 2019, knowing we needed our own fab, we came across Winonics Brea (Winonics), a 55,000-square-foot facility primarily focused on small, commercial work in rigid boards. It felt like a fit. We liked the property and the assets, even though they were a little dated. It was a good opportunity to get our foot in the door in terms of manufacturing PCBs and exploiting our patent in the additive realm. We acquired them in 2020. About a year later, we acquired Bench2Bench Technologies, an operation in Fullerton that does primarily flex. This acquisition added a 25,000-square-foot building to the Winonics portfolio. Now we have the operations, and from an investment standpoint, we also control the real estate.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the May 2024 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
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