November was a month of practical upgrades — the kind that don’t always look flashy from the outside, but make a huge difference in throughput, consistency, and launch speed.
As we keep pushing toward a more software-like, system-driven factory, these improvements are about one thing:
removing friction from high-reliability manufacturing.
Here’s what changed last month and why it matters.
1. Shop Floor + Warehouse Re-Layout to Optimize Material Flow
High-mix manufacturing lives or dies on flow.
When material movement is inefficient, everything downstream slows down — not because the process is worse, but because the system is fighting itself.
So we re-laid out key parts of the shop with a specific focus on the warehouse and how material enters production.
What we optimized for:
- shorter travel paths from receiving → kitting → line-side
- less backtracking and fewer handoffs
- clearer staging zones (WIP doesn’t “float”)
- better visibility on what’s next and what’s blocked
Why this matters:
Every unnecessary touch is time, risk, and cost.
Reducing motion makes the whole operation faster and more reliable without adding headcount.
Customer impact:
- smoother NPIs
- faster turns through the early build stages
- fewer “where is it?” moments
- lower handling risk on sensitive assemblies
2. New Board Washing System: Same Throughput, Smaller Footprint
We added a new board washing system designed to keep output high while freeing up space.
What changed:
- smaller footprint (better fit in a high-mix environment)
- similar throughput to our previous system
- improved integration into the updated material flow
Why this matters:
Cleaning isn’t optional in high-reliability electronics — but it also can’t become a bottleneck or a layout anchor.
This upgrade gives us the same capacity with better flow flexibility, which is critical as product mix evolves.
Customer impact:
- consistent cleanliness standards
- less waiting between assembly and downstream processes
- more stable quality outcomes as volume shifts
3. Added Quality + Assembly Technicians to Increase Capacity
Systems matter — but people are still the force multipliers.
To support our 2026 pipeline and keep responsiveness high, we expanded the team.
New hires include:
- quality technicians to strengthen inspection and verification
- assembly technicians to increase build-stage capacity
Why this matters:
High-mix reliability doesn’t scale on machines alone.
It scales when process discipline and skilled execution grow together.
This hiring ensures we can keep lead times tight while maintaining the robustness our customers expect.
Customer impact:
- more throughput headroom
- fewer schedule constraints during launch windows
- stronger quality oversight across shifts and programs
The Throughline: Speed That Doesn’t Trade Off Reliability
These three updates fit the same theme we’ve been building all year:
- better flow reduces time and risk
- better cleaning capability protects reliability
- better capacity keeps responsiveness high
None of this is about doing more for the sake of more.
It’s about building a factory that behaves like a system — where quality and speed improve together.