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An American manufacturing company builds printed circuit boards in southeast Michigan. Saline Lectronics meets needs small and medium sized businesses.

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Filed under: Competing Globally | Manufacturing | Saline Lectronics | Saline, MI

As a leading manufacturer of Printed Circuit Board (PCB), Saline Lectronics provides their customers with a fully integrated system which gives customers flexibility and control throughout the entire production process.  This insurance comes with an involved testing process, quick and efficient manufacturing, prototypes to test validity of design, and finally a flexible inventory management system.  Addressing the needs of small and medium sized business, Saline Lectronics works with wide array of industries; ranging from medical to aerospace. 

A standout feature of Saline Lectronics is their quality of service.  Not only do they quality test along most points of the production process, they guarantee response to your assembly needs within 24 hours and offer instant job estimates online.  In a market segment that is often outsourced overseas, it is easy to see that in order to stay competitive Saline Lectronics offers a friendly, customer focus approach to their business strategy.

Saline Lectronics knows more then just PCB construction.  They also excel at electromechanical design, DFMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly), project engineering, and outsourcing.  All of this in pursuit to “Deliver the highest quality circuit board assemblies, on time, within budget, and providing the best customer service possible”. 

Michigan has a rich history in innovation. Many of which have made major changes all over the world, not to mention, the foundations of how we live our modern lives today. In this part, I start with the innovator, Henry Ford, who manufactured the Ford Model T automobile one hundred years ago in 1908!

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Filed under: Automotive | Henry Ford | Industries | Innovation | Manufacturing | People

The other day I was flipping through my AAA Living magazine, and came across a snippet about a discount for AAA members to the Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village and Ford Rouge Factory Tour.

This discount is to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the Ford Model T rolling “off the assembly line”. So as we drive to work in our modern cars, it is astonishing to think that it was only 100 years ago that the Model T was created. And it goes without saying that this invention made significant changes all over the world. This is one reason why Detroit, Michigan is called Motor City and Motown. 

I have been lucky enough to visit all these places, and people here in Michigan don’t seem to realize how fortunate we are to have these most unique and best museums in the world! And it all started in Michigan’s rich history of innovation.

In the next part of this series, I will bring up more innovators in Michigan’s history.

 

Every job now requires more training and education. Companies are more selective and are looking for more educated people with high tech skills. Additionally, we are competing globally in industries where jobs can be fulfilled overseas.

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Filed under: Industries | Manufacturing

Since we are in the midst of an Information Revolution, even rudimentary jobs have seized workers who think they escaped having to go to college, who still have to go through more training and education. Additionally, many college graduates in the workplace are learning that their education will continue through company training and professional development programs. All this education is now necessary to ensure that workers have the abilities to contribute to their companies accordingly.

With all these innovations, more is accomplished, all while plants now only require about half the workers than in the past. There have been a lot of changes, especially in standardization, where standard equipment requires “less manual labor” and maintenance. As a result, demands for labor have shifted to demands for more educated and knowledgeable workers. The “selection process” is tougher now, and workplaces everywhere are “purging people in business” to get more educated people with more high tech skills, such as programming. The transition in the labor force is mostly only allowing more educated people in the workplace. Additionally, in this global economy, jobs are sometimes fulfilled by workers overseas who will accept much lower wages.

With all these new innovations, processes and technologies, more is accomplished and less capital is invested. This is the overall goal of every organization.

As a result of the progress in technology, new expectations emerge from everywhere. Now companies are more focused on quality, as well as a more work friendly environment for employees.

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Filed under: Industries | Manufacturing

With higher efficiency, productivity, and technology across the board, this creates a new plethora of expectations. As a result, quality has become a central concern of every company that wants to keep up or surpass its competition. Customers are tougher to satisfy and are more intolerant of below standard products. So manufacturers have found ways to test, measure, and check all parts, whereas, in the past, only a certain ratio or percent of parts were inspected, such as one of one hundred, or 1%. Now quality is expressed in more precise terms and accurately represents all the parts. In order to keep up with these quality demands, companies have turned to technology. Among many other tools that measure quality quickly and more easily, there are robots that can measure just about anything if a company wants to invest a significant amount of capital in the latest in technology. Now there are even programs that can do a number of processes, from just a few clicks on a computer or push of a button.

In addition, the work place, even in manufacturing plants, has become more ergonomic. Providing more than just comfort, the ergonomic workplace helps reduce injuries and increase productivity.  Additionally, workers enjoy a more organized and cleaner environment than in the past. Not to mention more focus on safety, and regard for everyone, which improve morale and productivity.

Here is my interview with someone who works in manufacturing in Southeast Michigan. He shared the changes that have been taking place, as well as how automotive plants are adjusting to meet the needs of the market.

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Filed under: Industries | Manufacturing

Recently, I interviewed someone working in the manufacturing industry. I asked him about the future of the auto industry and manufacturing in the Michigan economy.

It is no secret to those working in the manufacturing industry how assembly lines have changed. However, these changes, especially in the processes, could be advantageous when shifting gears to meet the needs of the ever-changing market. For instance, in manufacturing plants, assembly lines have become multi-functional. In other words, machinery can be used to create a range of parts, rather than the older machines that could only make one part. So even though the auto industry in Michigan is slowing down, it will be less painless to use machinery in auto plants, for other products as well.

Additionally, now it is “easier to move stuff in and out” of a manufacturing plant since there is more flexibility and efficiency with machines that have multiple functions. “In the old days, manufacturing companies had to invest more in equipment and real estate” to house and maintain single purpose machines. As assembly lines become more versatile, it takes less money, time, land, equipment and labor to accomplish more. Even as little as ten years ago, comparing the output of machines from then to now; the results are astounding.