Automate Front End Engineering Processes with Kent Balius

| Created: February 23, 2021

Automate Front End Engineering Processes with Kent Balius

How can we become more efficient as an industry? Kent Balius is here with us to discuss the importance of automating Front End Engineering processes. His company EPIC Front End Engineering promotes intelligent processing by reducing human interactions and eliminating labor-intensive administrative processes.

This episode is all about smart engineering. Learn how an automated process can help increase your profits and revenues.

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Show Highlights:

About Kent Balius:
- 35 years of front-end engineering at PCB fabricators
- Viasystems/TTM, Global standardization plant-to-plant Data Package Collaboration between OEM designs and Fabricators (Seamless Global Transfer)
- EPIC Turn unstructured Data and convert it to Intelligent Data-Driven Processes
- IPC-2581 Adoption and drive automation
What are the current challenges in the Industry: archaic, manual, intensive administrative process
Dumb-data: Gerbers
Effects on Revenues and Profitability: cost and time implications
Design for Manufacturing (DFM): Reduce human interaction and error. Increase reliability!
Move toward digitization, IPC-2581, EPIC Front End Engineering

Links and Resources:

EPIC Website
Column in PCD&F Magazine (coming soon)
IPC-2581 Consortium Webpage
TTM Julie’s Ellis podcast: Seamless Global Transfer

Altium 365: Where the World Designs Electronics

About Author

Judy Warner has held a unique variety of roles in the electronics industry for over 25 years. She has a background in PCB Manufacturing, RF and Microwave PCBs and Contract Manufacturing, focusing on Mil/Aero applications.

She has also been a writer, blogger, and journalist for several industry publications such as Microwave Journal, PCB007 Magazine, PCB Design007, PCD&F, and IEEE Microwave Magazine, and an active board member for PCEA (Printed Circuit Engineering Association). In 2017, Warner joined Altium as the Director of Community Engagement. In addition to hosting the OnTrack Podcast and creating the OnTrack Newsletter, she launched Altium's annual user conference, AltiumLive. Warner's passion is to provide resources, support, and advocate for PCB Design Engineers worldwide.