In a post last year, we discussed the trend of reshoring (or onshoring) the manufacturing of Printed Circuit Boards.

Organizations like the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) are supporting reshoring efforts and track key statistics related to trends in manufacturing. Looking at the facts related to manufacturing jobs in California, it’s easy to question whether progress is being made.

But we believe the outlook for California manufacturing and specifically Silicon Valley manufacturing, is positive. Fremont-located companies such as Boston Scientific, Lam Research, Seagate, Tesla and ThermoFisher Scientific are responding to customer demand to reshore products by making investments in facilities and equipment. And, the City of Fremont has been working hard to facilitate a business-friendly environment for advanced manufacturing, clean tech, life sciences and startup ventures.

One national event that has been gaining momentum is Manufacturing Day which takes place on Friday, October 2nd, 2015. Manufacturing Day is meant to celebrate modern manufacturing and inspire the next generation of manufacturers, and is a great opportunity for those interested to visit and tour some of Silicon Valley’s best manufacturing companies.

Bay Area Circuits will participate in Manufacturing Day once again and those interested in attending our event are able to view details and register here. Our event will include an overview of the company and our printed circuit board (PCB) design tools and manufacturing process and of course, a tour of our PCB manufacturing facility.

This year’s tour will highlight recent equipment acquired in 2015 including:

Excellon 136L Intelli-Drill System

The Intell-Drill’s camera system provides capabilities such as post lamination tooling optimization, drilling/routing relative to surface targets and features ensuring high accuracy and precise hole placement.

Camtek Gryphon SL 3D Functional Inkjet Technology System

The Gryphon SL is a 3D functional inkjet system used to apply the solder mask and legend (silkscreen) layers while providing full compatibility with the board surface topography. It delivers enhanced performance and shorter cycle time in a ‘green’ technology.

Seica Rapid 270 Flying Probe Tester

The Seica Rapid 270 Flying Probe bare board tester has eight independent measurement probes which provide high speed electrical testing for full PCB panels.

Orbotek Paragon 8000 Laser Direct Imaging System

Laser Direct Imaging (LDI) eliminates the need for using traditional film and exposure techniques. The Paragon delivers a combination of high LDI throughput and registration accuracy for superior imagin results for even the most challenging PCB applications.

 

Whether you plan to become the next great manufacturer of solar energy or simply enjoy watching How It’s Made on the Discovery Science channel, Manufacturing Day is a great opportunity to mix it up with local manufacturers. So get out there and take advantage of this rare invitation to see firsthand how it’s really made!

Click Here for More Info on Bay Area Circuit’s Manufacturing Day Event