We all can probably remember this sudden but fleeting phenomenon, the just recent and sometimes-dubious pleasure we had hearing the announcements of apparently never-ending success stories from virtually every side in our business. Sure, we all love that „good“ news. Not even a small cloud on this bright and undisturbed sky has thrown even a bit of a shadow onto this well-etched picture of an endless stream of electronic products from manufacturing lines to customers. (Has a cloud really shown up on the horizon?) I’m not quite sure, seems we had forgotten to look for uncomfortable, odd-shaped signs of disliked changes. For example, the new-economy hype (the dot-coms) was already slowly turning into a dot-gone-game. Anyhow, nobody wants to be reminded of the futility and transitoriness of our efforts amidst the atmosphere of seemingly triumphant successes.
So, the high time of euphoria in the manufacturing arena was dominated by mantra-like references to EMS (electronic manufacturing services), telecom, Bluetooth, China and other buzzwords just en vogue. I got the impression that almost every piece of electronics must be a telecom appliance produced by an EMS company in China, Mexico or another country where the environment and its protection is nothing else than a necessary evil. I got also the impression that in the area of electronics manufacturing, Europe will not longer be present, just a fifth wheel on the car. Well, seems that this fashion of misconstruction has made room for a more realistic perception, revealing again the strenght of European players. But the trend to low-wages and other low-cost opportunities-promising regions is still unbroken.
But it’s always darkest before the dawn. The beginning of this year has been the deepest point of trade and economy in our business for a long time. Now, looking towards the future, we can sense some minute signs trending away to revitalization from this dark valley-like scenario. But a big breakthrough doesn’t yet seem at hand; just a gradual, almost invisible development of some relief. Moreover, the common economical situation in Western Europe isn’t totally encouraging, moving along a track lined with frustration on the consumer side, coupled again with minimized incomes. Unfortunately, the recent introduction of the common currency system (the hated, adored or in other ways estimated euro) has lead to a rise of prices. This now has a negative impact on the consumption of more expensive goods (containing a considerable amount of electronics) such as cars, dishwashers, friges and consumer electronics of all kinds.
Based on the insight that every crisis also offers the opportunity for consolidation, for regrouping of resources and activities in business areas which have more prospective, we can look forward, provided we are working hard on the pressing issues. Sorry to say, common sense reveals that relief will become visible only when the cataclysm is over. We inevitably have to pass through this first.
So, take for example this issue of EPPE Europe. We have focused here on the highly topical inspection technology in manufacturing, providing our readership with a wealth of information on AOI, AXI and scanning methods as well as automated, semi-automated and manually operated equipment. And, don’t forget this: valuable user experience from the field. This is part of our contribution to your task of supplying the most efficient solution on the manufacturing test floor. You have to define the gear confronting you with the lowest possible cost of ownership. And, at the same time, offering the highest possible coverage of defects, and providing the means of continually monitoring production and its real-time tendency or quality, using SPC technique. So read this editorial special with special care, and hopefully you will find some ideas worth being considered in your production and QA environment. In tightly linked and good-skilled Europe, we have to master the current challenge together.
Gerhard B. Wolski
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