-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueBox Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
Boost Your Sales
Every part of your business can be evaluated as a process, including your sales funnel. Optimizing your selling process requires a coordinated effort between marketing and sales. In this issue, industry experts in marketing and sales offer their best advice on how to boost your sales efforts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Nate Ramanathan on Choosing a Prototype Partner and Production Supplier
March 12, 2019 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Nate Ramanathan is the VP of operations at AEye, a developer of perception systems for autonomous vehicles. AEye has transitioned from initial engineering development into the final design for production and manufacturing of very large quantities. Because the boards will be particularly complex once assembled and must withstand extremes in temperature and humidity, AEye's designs must be robust and high yield.
As I spoke with Ramanathan, AEye is in the sweet spot where the PCB manufacturers like to come onboard with a startup—beyond prototyping, just finishing designs, and holding a forecast for product sales. As such, Ramanathan’s criteria and perspective on selecting vendors speak for the general trends in the industry. In other words, his thinking is similar to most every prospective new customer that a CM will encounter. I found Ramanathan’s perspective to be specific and creative.
Nolan Johnson: As we start this conversation, can you tell us about your role at AEye and what AEye does?
Nate Ramanathan: Sure. As the VP of operations at AEye, I cover manufacturing, pilot, supply chain sourcing, procurement, facilities, quality, regulatory, and everything else. AEye is a perception company—robotic perception in particular—focused on iDAR, or intelligent detection and ranging. Our system uses solid-state agile LiDAR fused and boresighted with a low-light HD camera and embedded. And all of it is software definable, allowing customizable data collected based on the customer’s needs. Our differentiator is our architecture.
Johnson: Before this interview, we were talking about where AEye is in your go-to-market plan. You’re a startup and also moving from prototype to preparing your components for volume manufacturing. What are the immediate types of challenges you’re facing as you transition to optimizing for production and selecting manufacturing sources?
Ramanathan: This industry is going through the early stages of an 'ah-ha' moment—the next big thing. Everybody wants to go there, but the proof is, 'Can you do the volumes?' Not just volumes, but at automotive quality. One or two pieces for prototyping is great because you can tinker with it and fine tune it. But when you go to the 100,000, 200,000 units, or a million units and you have a small flaw, it just blows up the market. So, how do we get this technology over to that level, like everyday use, where everybody gets in and out of an autonomous vehicle and feels confident.
When I came on board, the very first question when I talked to AEye was, 'Are you going to manufacture in-house?' They said, 'No, we don’t have that core competency.' 'Thank you. I'm on board.' That's all it took me because I've dealt with a lot of manufacturers. I have been on both sides of the aisle. I was with a large medical company—$80 billion—being a customer to most CMs. Then, I switched places and came over to CM for four years, and I saw on both sides there is a communication gap. When I came on board with AEye, I said the first thing is design for manufacturability (DFM), design for cost (DFC), design for supply chain efficiency, and design for quality (DFQ). Everything starts at the design. If you are going to make it in the millions, think and act like that.
For CMs, play the game early. If you do not know the technology and are not keeping up to speed with what is needed in your manufacturing, you won’t have the setup to attract companies like us. When I talk to any CM right now, I tell them the same message: “I’ll give you the list. There is no hide and seek. I want the supply chain to become large enough that we can achieve cost efficiency.” If it’s micro and there are only very few players, we don’t get the cost efficiency. The message is, “If you want to play this game, invest some time in the technology and follow us.”
Johnson: It sounds a little bit like, “Build it, and they will come.”
Ramanathan: It’s not build anything, and they will come, but build what is needed. They will come. I’ve already opened the door to some of the CMs and told them, “If you are interested in earning the business, here is what you need to have for capabilities, and then we’ll talk.” I’m not going to wait for you to build a factory after I am ready with a product; it will be too late. Walk with me from the beginning. This is the technology that is growing by the day. I want somebody to be ready when I’m showing these things as concepts. I show the timeline and the brick wall. It’s just 11 months out, that’s it, and they look at me like, “Oh my gosh.” It is aggressive, and we know it. If you want to play this game, you have to be ready. That means you cannot have that, “We will wait for them to give me an RFI, RFP, or RFQ, and then I will shop for equipment.” No, these are technologies you have to have in-house. Some understand better than others, and some are going to learn when they miss the boat.
Every time I meet with a CM or a potential supplier, I say, “These are the few things you need to look at. I’m not going to spell it out; it’s not rocket science.” What is this LiDAR technology? There is laser, and there are optics, cameras, and boards. Like most technology products, the size is going to get smaller and smaller. In addition, what kind of certifications do you need to have? That’s most of the questions. They have to sit down and have a task team and ask these questions. Some CMs have started thinking, “We have to get in the game!”
To read the full article, which appeared in the February 2019 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
04/19/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineFor my must-read picks of the week, I’m highlighting Parker Capers, a young professional seeking employment, solid counsel from Dan Beaulieu on what your post-show plan should look like, more information and insight on “chiplets” and the need for secure data transfer standards from columnist Preeya Kuray, as well as Matt Stevenson’s design for reality wisdom. It’s a reminder to download one of our newest books (there are several) you don't want to miss if you are an assembler.
Absolute EMS Champions Collaboration Between Humans and Robots in Modern Manufacturing
04/19/2024 | Absolute EMS, Inc.Absolute EMS, Inc., an award-winning EMS provider of turnkey contract manufacturing services, offers a perfect factory environment that seamlessly blends robotic automation with human expertise.
ZESTRON Welcomes Whitlock Associates as New Addition to their Existing Rep Team in Florida
04/19/2024 | ZESTRONZESTRON, the leading global provider of high-precision cleaning products, services, and training solutions in the electronics manufacturing and semiconductor industries, is thrilled to announce the addition of Whitlock Associates to its esteemed network of sales representatives.
SEMI Applauds U.S. Chips Act Award for Samsung Electronics Facilities to Strengthen Domestic Semiconductor Supply Chain
04/17/2024 | SEMISEMI, the industry association serving the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, applauded the United States Department of Commerce’s announcement of a Preliminary Memorandum of Terms for an award under the CHIPS and Science Act to support the expansion of Samsung Electronics’ presence in Texas and the company’s development and production of leading-edge chips.
Ark Electronics Expands Global Manufacturing Factory Network in North America and Europe
04/17/2024 | PRNewswireElectronic Manufacturing Company Ark Electronics recently announced the expansion of its Global Factory Network with the addition of Electronics Manufacturing Service (EMS) capabilities in Mexico and Europe.