When customers ask me how Multiline Technology continually develops new products I always respond by saying “we are good listeners”. Our customers know what they need to be successful and it is presumptuous to assume that we know what to build without their input and direction.

When we manufactured the first innerlayer punch back in 1977, it was at the request of a board manufacturer new to the multilayer business. They did not want to burn dry film out of drilled tooling holes, which was the common production method at that time. A self contained free standing punch, the Acculine, was designed and built which was small enough and clean enough to put in the yellow room. In 1984 when we introduced the first Post Etch Punch to the circuit board industry, it was requested by a flex circuit manufacturer who could not cope with the movement of thin materials after etching. Punching after etching helped control that movement and it quickly became evident that this would also benefit multilayer manufacters. I can go on and on with stories of product development through partnering with our customers. This mutually rewarding practice is becoming more challenging as the industry changes.

Only a few years ago the printed circuit board industry was made up of many relatively small independent manufacturers and a large group of OEMs. These companies were often willing to push the envelope and work with their suppliers in developing new products.

Product development today is somewhat different, it is more of a product evolution. With the exception of a few new processes like direct laser imaging, most of what you see at trade shows today are enhancements of existing technologies. I believe one of the reasons for this is that board manufacturers are under constraints of space, production capability and available engineering time. Large public board shops are concerned about each quarter’s performance. When a new machine is ordered it is to fill an immediate need leaving little time for testing, development and tweaking in the field. The machine has to hit the floor running at optimal performance. To accomplish this an equipment supplier like Multiline Technology relies on feedback from its service department, sales department, representatives and even competitors to glean out how we can enhance or redesign the product to best fit the customers needs, however the most important feedback still comes from you.

I am asking for your input. What are the features you like on our (your) machines? What would you like to see changed? How is the equipment performing? What new products or product developments would you like to see in the future? How can we help you build a better product and make your company more productive? Talk to our sales department or service department or our representatives or call me or e-mail directly at mangelo@multiline.com.

This year alone we have made major technological enhancements to the vision systems of our X-ray product line and have changed the operating system on all our machines to Windows NT. Two totally new products have been developed which we introduced at EIPC and will be displayed at IPC.

Sincerely,

Michael Angelo
President

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