FCT Assembly consists of three divisions: FCT Solder, Fine Line Stencil and A-Laser. FCT has numerous facilities in the United States manufacturing lead-free and leaded solder products, stencils and precision cut parts. Here we catch up with Tony Lentz, the company’s newest field application engineer, to find out about his promotion to Field Application Engineer.
PD&D: Tony, congratulations on your promotion to Field Application Engineer. What does this new role entail? How do customers benefit?
Tony: This role encompasses technical service as well as research and development (R&D) activities. I will be doing work with customers to help set up processes in order to run our products with success. I also will perform R&D work on our solder paste and stencil products in our solder paste testing laboratory. This work will involve researching new product formulations and improving existing formulations.
Additionally, I will fine tune process parameters for our products and do some troubleshooting in our lab. This will directly benefit our customers by finding and then providing solutions to problems and applying the solutions to their process. Our customers also will see improved performance from our products as we continue to develop and improve.
PD&D: How long have you been with FCT Assembly and what were your previous positions within the company? How did these positions prepare you for your new function within FCT?
Tony: I have been with FCT Companies since 1999. I started out as our only laboratory person and became the laboratory manager as we hired laboratory technicians. I have experience doing everything in our lab including quality control, customer service and R&D. Over the last year and a half, I have worked as the facility manager of our Greeley, CO manufacturing facility.
Early on, most of our focus was on wet chemical and solder products used to make bare printed circuit boards. We have since expanded our product lines and the industries that we serve to include waste water treatment and power plant chemistries (FCT Water) and solder paste, fluxes and stencils (FCT Assembly). Over the years I have done a significant amount of onsite technical service work with our customers. My background in chemistry, along with years of laboratory experience and technical service work, has prepared me to take on this new role.
PD&D: We understand that you have been part of the electronics industry since 1994. What type of experience do you have and how has this knowledge helped to strengthen FCT Assembly?
Tony: My initial work in the electronics industry was as a process engineer at a PWB manufacturer called NTI. NTI was later acquired and became part of DDI. I learned quite a bit about setting up processes and fine tuning parameters through hands-on engineering. I worked with our ISO 9001 quality system and became very familiar with it. That experience enabled me to bring additional process engineering and quality control systems to FCT Companies. This directly led to my role as laboratory manager at FCT Companies, which I mentioned previously.
PD&D: Thinking back to when you first entered the industry in 1994, what are some of the most significant changes you have noticed?
Tony: Technology definitely has improved since 1994. Electronic devices can do so much more today than they could at that time. This improvement in electronics has increased the complexity and the difficulty of building circuit boards. This has created a state of constant improvement for most electronics manufacturers.
Two of the most significant changes that are still in flux today are the implementation of RoHS and REACH requirements. Most of us still work with lead and the other restricted substances due to customer requirements or because of exemptions for certain products and industries. The changes brought about by RoHS and REACH likely will continue over many years.
PD&D: Based on what you know of the industry today, where do you think it is heading in the next five years?
Tony: If I was omniscient, then perhaps I could accurately answer this question. Alas, I am not; however, I will give you my view of the future. Electronic devices will get smaller and have greater functionality. This will drive manufacturers to improve processes and suppliers to improve materials. RoHS and REACH regulations and others like them will continue to expand their reach, causing a shift in the materials used. High-volume production will continue in Asia, and North American manufacturers will become more focused on quick-turn prototyping.
