Dan's Biz Bookshelf: 'Revenge of the Tipping Point'
Marcy's Musings: Engineering Economics
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Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
A Conversation with... PNC Technologies' Sam Sangani
Sangani: Our vision was quite extensive. Foremost, our goal was to increase the bare board business by attending trade shows and tabletop shows which got our brand in front of the market. We increased our representation and sales department nationally to cover the Midwest and West Coast since a majority of our customer base was concentrated in the Northeast. We set out to build a national sales force.Our second goal was to add value-added services to the existing bare board business. We started a SMT stencil division and purchased a laser for cutting stencils in 1997. At that time the majority of our customers were OEMs. By adding the stencil division, we now were more attractive to contract manufacturers since we could manufacture the bare boards and supply the stencils under one purchase order.
By the 90s we were offering design services as well. We decided to make the effort to promote the advantages of that service. We wanted to help customers by analyzing their current products, making them more efficient, adding new features, or developing new designs, from concept to final product. Our promotion consisted of three areas: Layout services, new designs from concept, and evaluation of existing designs. Today we are one of the few PCB companies also offering design services.
Our next vision was to expand our one-stop shop theme to our customer base throughout the U.S. and to educate them on the advantages. This could only be accomplished by streamlining our operation though atomization, new technology, and a qualified, trained work force. We wanted to take PNC to a level where we could successfully compete with the rest of the world. We take enormous pride in our “Made In USA” distinction.
Beaulieu: Let’s talk about your capabilities. What can you do at PNC?
Sangani: Our capabilities are very extensive. We are capable of producing 3-mil trace/space on 0.5-ounce copper, impedance control using single-ended and differential transmission lines, high layer count with blind and buried vias, via-fill with conductive, and non-conductive and plate over.
Beaulieu: What technology is the most needed right now in North America and why?
Sangani: Two areas of technology trending now are LED and conductive via fill. LED seems to be the prominent leader. LED applications need to be manufactured with thermal management in mind, thus using aluminum substrate instead of the common FR-4 materials. We've instituted the processing of aluminum into our manufacturing process along with HIPOT testing. Conductive via fill and plating over is also on the rise. With board real estate diminishing, we are seeing more and more via in pad. By placing the via in pad, you create more room for component placement.
Beaulieu: Where do you rate PNC in terms of technology?
Sangani: From a scale of 1 to 10, PNC would be 8 to 8.5. With the addition of a new plating line, vacuum chamber via fill/planarizing, LDI, controlled depth routing, and laser drilling, we would be a solid 10.
Beaulieu: Let’s talk about quality. What qualifications, certifications, and registrations you do have?
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