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American Standard Circuits Taking Business to New Heights
November 3, 2015 | Patty Goldman, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Vardya: The other thing that we've also recently implemented is a software package called TrueChem to control all our lab chemistries. We now have a dashboard that anybody can go to. They can know exactly where we are on our analyses, if we're falling a little behind, or if somebody hasn't made the adds.
All of that information is very visible, and we're also able to control chart all of our chemistries now, so we've seen much better control of our processes. We've also seen, whenever we have any kind of a technical issue, or a scrap issue, they're quickly able to go back to what tanks in the process may have a problem and look at what state of affairs the chemistries were in. We’ve got better traceability.
Goldman: That's the byword for many of your customers, too, I'm sure. They all want traceability.
Vardya: Correct. We've also made some pretty significant investments in terms of capital equipment. Earlier this year, we had a bought an AccuScore machine to improve our scoring capabilities. Recently, we've also invested in what I would call a high aspect ratio hole cleaner. It cleans up the debris that's inside the holes after drilling. It's very high pressure, it's meant for high aspect ratios, and it's a custom-designed machine where we're working with someone to do that. It's a combination wet and dry process; it’s a blow-off, and followed by a very high pressure rinse.
We've upgraded our inkjet printer to the latest Orbotech Sprint 120. We've also invested in a Pluritec X-ray drill machine. We already have X-ray drill capability, but this is adding capacity, and also getting us the latest in drilling technology. Our current X-ray is dated, so it's only so good. This has much better capabilities, especially for the higher layer counts, and the mixed materials that we're pursuing.
Then, our largest investment this year has been an Orbotech LDI machine that actually just came into our facility today. It's been a very busy year for us at American Standard.
Goldman: A really exciting year. You must be very busy and that's great to hear. A lot of positive stuff coming out, and a lot of growth-related stuff, so that's all good news. I presume your customers love this.
Vardya: Yes, it's great news for us. But to be honest with you, we are just starting to tell our customers the whole story of what we're doing, but they're absolutely going to be very happy with us, given the investments we're making.
Goldman: Yes, because you keep up with them. They put out new designs, and nothing gets simpler, it always gets more complicated, and you are keeping up with all of that. That's fantastic. Anaya, thanks so much for spending some time with me today.
Vardya: Thank you, Patty.
Page 3 of 3Suggested Items
The Evolution of Picosecond Laser Drilling
06/19/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIs it hard to imagine a single laser pulse reduced not only from nanoseconds to picoseconds in its pulse duration, but even to femtoseconds? Well, buckle up because it seems we are there. In this interview, Dr. Stefan Rung, technical director of laser machines at Schmoll Maschinen GmbH, traces the technology trajectory of the laser drill from the CO2 laser to cutting-edge picosecond and hybrid laser drilling systems, highlighting the benefits and limitations of each method, and demonstrating how laser innovations are shaping the future of PCB fabrication.
Day 2: More Cutting-edge Insights at the EIPC Summer Conference
06/18/2025 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007The European Institute for the PCB Community (EIPC) summer conference took place this year in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 3-4. This is the third of three articles on the conference. The other two cover Day 1’s sessions and the opening keynote speech. Below is a recap of the second day’s sessions.
Day 1: Cutting Edge Insights at the EIPC Summer Conference
06/17/2025 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007The European Institute for the PCB Community (EIPC) Summer Conference took place this year in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 3-4. This is the second of three articles on the conference. The other two cover the keynote speeches and Day 2 of the technical conference. Below is a recap of the first day’s sessions.
Preventing Surface Prep Defects and Ensuring Reliability
06/10/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIn printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication, surface preparation is a critical process that ensures strong adhesion, reliable plating, and long-term product performance. Without proper surface treatment, manufacturers may encounter defects such as delamination, poor solder mask adhesion, and plating failures. This article examines key surface preparation techniques, common defects resulting from improper processes, and real-world case studies that illustrate best practices.
RF PCB Design Tips and Tricks
05/08/2025 | Cherie Litson, EPTAC MIT CID/CID+There are many great books, videos, and information online about designing PCBs for RF circuits. A few of my favorite RF sources are Hans Rosenberg, Stephen Chavez, and Rick Hartley, but there are many more. These PCB design engineers have a very good perspective on what it takes to take an RF design from schematic concept to PCB layout.