TOKYO — Saki Corporation, an innovator in the field of automated optical and X-ray inspection equipment, today announced the promotion of Craig Brown to General Manager of the company's US-subsidiary Saki America Inc. With over 25 years’ technical sales and leadership experience in the SMT industry, Craig will assume responsibilities as General Manager immediately and will lead the expansion of Saki’s business in the North American region.

Craig joined Saki in May 2022 as Sales Manager USA & Canada from his previous role of Sales Director at a global manufacturer and supplier of SMT equipment, where he managed sales teams and representatives both nationally and internationally in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, etc. Prior to that he acted as Sales Manager for North and South America at a screen-printing solutions provider.

"Craig's appointment strengthens our proposition both in the USA and internationally," said Norihiro Koike, President and CEO of Saki Corporation. "With his deep expertise in the SMT industry, an excellent track record in electronics manufacturing and sales & revenue operations and his proven experience in cultivating and growing territories, he will empower Saki to reach its full potential as a leading inspection solutions provider in North America. Offering the best AOI, AXI and SPI solutions in order to better serve our customers is a priority for Saki, and I'm excited to see what the future holds for our US-based operations with Craig leading the charge."

For more information about Saki visit www.sakicorp.com/en/ 

SINGAPORE — Novo Tellus, a leading private equity fund focused on building industrial and technology companies, has completed an investment in SP Manufacturing.

Headquartered in Singapore, SP Manufacturing is an Electronics Manufacturing Services provider for total manufacturing solutions from design concepts to full production. Focused on high-mix, high-performance mission critical electronics, SP has 6 locations strategically located across the globe in Southeast Asia, Europe, and China, with more than 60 years of manufacturing experience under its belt.

SP has grown considerably over the years due to its laser focus on customer service and innovative manufacturing techniques as a Reliable Solutions Partner. SP believes that the customer is at the heart of all that they do, and prides itself as being an extended manufacturing arm for all the key customers whom they serve.

With the investment from Novo Tellus, SP seeks to embark on the next chapter of the company's journey through active expansion, to meet the customers' needs and drive results through supply chain efficiencies. SP also intends to leverage upon NT's expert network and portfolio of companies, which would serve to open doors to new business opportunities and technological capabilities.

"We're indeed very pleased to partner with Novo Tellus to build the future of SP", noted Philip Ong, CEO of SP. "Having spent significant time with Novo Tellus, I feel that they deeply understand the many pressure points of operating a manufacturing business. Specifically, like us, they see the importance of adopting a long-term view on business relations, as well as customer centricity. Also, we've been most impressed with Novo Tellus' track record of growing industrial companies globally, and we are very excited to accelerate growth for our customers and to chart SP's future together.'

"We've been impressed with SP's specialised approach to building long-lived partnerships with global customers," said Keith Toh and Peishan Wong at Novo Tellus. "As a result, SP has grown 2 to 3 times faster than the global electronics manufacturing for over a decade now. We believe SP's ability to serve customers closely onshore in Europe and the United States, but also provide engineering and manufacturing services offshore in Southeast Asia and China, reflect the best strengths of where the modern global production network is evolving in the coming decade."

With the investment, Novo Tellus would acquire a controlling stake in SP, with the Company's family owners retaining a meaningful and active stake in the business.

To discover how SP Manufacturing can advance your mission critical electronics production and engineering, visit sp-manufacturing.com or contact SP directly below:

sales@sp-manufacturing.com 

TORRANCE, CA — California Manufacturing Technology Consulting® (CMTC) recently provided Additive Manufacturing training to Mini Micro Stencil to help the company increase their in-house Additive Manufacturing capabilities, enabling them to improve productivity and reduce their lead time on 3D designs.

Mini Micro Stencil was started in 1994 by Gary Miller and is a veteran-owned, small operation. The company provides printed circuit board (PCB) and surface mount technology (SMT) tools as well as contract rework services for the military, aerospace, medical, commercial electronics, and transportation industries. Mini Micro Stencil’s contract rework is a major portion of the company’s revenues and is growing due to increasing military contracts.

Mini Micro Stencil had a strong expertise in 2D Computer Aided Design (CAD) work, allowing them to perform some design work in-house. However, for 3D design work, Gary and his team sought outside resources. Unfortunately, the lead time for outside contractors to perform this work was several days; and Gary had no control over the timing or quality of the work. Gary realized an opportunity to increase profitability and quality control as well as reduce customer lead times by improving his team’s internal 3D design expertise, allowing them to expand their Additive Manufacturing proficiency for producing tooling needed for their rework services.

In April 2022, Mini Micro Stencil engaged CMTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Services (AMTS) Program to help its employees become more proficient in using 3D design software and Additive Manufacturing. CMTC instructors provided classroom instruction on the use of the OnShape program and ensured practical applications of the software by offering opportunities for students to design fixtures. In addition, CMTC provided Design for Additive Manufacturing training to help Mini Micro Stencil understand how to utilize Advanced Manufacturing tools such as 3D printing to produce tooling and products in-house in less time than traditional manufacturing or outsourced manufacturing. Finally, CMTC provided an evaluation of the financial impact and improvement opportunities by incorporating Advanced Manufacturing into the company’s operations.

As a result of the project, Mini Micro Stencil purchased a new CAD station for use of the OnShape 3D software for $2,000 and an updated 3D printer to produce jigs, fixtures, and other tools for contract rework services for $700. Mini Micro Stencil also expects to purchase a $5,000 MakerBot in the next 12 months to increase their in-house Additive Manufacturing capabilities. With the expertise and training provided by CMTC, Mini Micro Stencil is able to deliver 3D designs in house, reducing each design’s lead time by one week. The increased productivity and shorter lead times offered to Mini Micro Stencil’s customers is expected to increase their revenue by $10,000 in the next 12 months and allow them to retain $10,000 in business that may have otherwise been lost to competitors with shorter lead times. Mini Micro Stencil estimates they will save approximately $10,000 in contracted services and purchased goods due to the increased in-house capabilities to produce and design products. Mini Micro Stencil expects to invest $10,000 in new products and processes, $2,000 in additional workforce development, and $2,500 in other areas of their business to capitalize on their expanded Advanced Manufacturing capabilities. If sales increases are realized, Gary expects to be able to hire one new employee, growing his team of four to a team of five.

For more information about CMTC’s services, contact Rachel Miller at rmiller@cmtc.com or 310-984-0096.

DULUTH, GA — Viscom Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Viscom AG, Germany, has announced the appointment of Juan C. Briceño as Vice President of Sales – Americas. In his new role, Briceño will continue to drive sales of Viscom's broad range of high- end inspection systems, develop new business opportunities, and coordinate customer support.

Most recently, Briceño’s position at Viscom was that of General Sales Manager – Americas, including key account management responsibilities. Until June 2018, he served as Viscom's Regional Manager for Latin America, overseeing sales activities throughout the region. Technical oversight of the regional offices and leading a team of software and service engineers were key tasks in his previous roles at Viscom.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Juan for nearly 19 years. He has always succeeded, and his diverse background will serve him well in his new position,” stated Ed Moll, President, Viscom Inc. The promotion of Juan C. Briceño to the role of Vice President of Sales – Americas is effective as of January 2, 2023.

Briceño earned an associate degree in Electronics Engineering Technology from the ITT Technical Institute and holds a bachelor’s degree in Technical Management from DeVry University. He has over 27 years of experience in the manufacturing industry. Starting his career in sales at Bose Corporation, Briceño progressed later through various positions at Siemens, including international assignments. In 2004, he joined Viscom as Engineering Manager.