Aluminum Extrusions
By Mark L. Casey | May 4, 2009
One of the most exciting aspects of my job at Baselodge Group is being able to expand my knowledge of different industries and manufacturing solutions. There is something energizing about learning. At the end of 2008 Baselodge Group signed on to represent Extrusion Technology (X-Tech) based in Randolph, MA.
X-Tech is a manufacturer of aluminum extrusions, with a strategic focus on producing aluminum faceplates and bezels that are used extensively in the telecom and datacom industries.
The concept of extruding aluminum is familiar to all of us who as kids extruded Play-Doh through a die into the shape of a star or a circle or any other profile. The extrusion press melts the aluminum alloy billet and conveys the molten metal through the extrusion barrel and into the die. The newly shaped aluminum begins cooling as it exits the die. The cooled and hardened extrusion is then cut to the desired length and undergoes post-processing.
Post-processing can include machining like punching, CNC milling, sanding, texturing, labeling, and surface finishing. Surface finishing of aluminum extrusions can include anodizing and powder coating. When the extrusion is a faceplate, the post-processing can include assembly steps like installing the latching and ejector pins, as well as other hardware.
One of the benefits of using an aluminum extrusion as an enclosure for electronics is the thermal properties of the aluminum. Aluminum is a good conductor of heat, and for this reason high temperature applications are often enclosed in an aluminum enclosure that has airfins or other features designed into the profile. To help facilitate the electronics, the internal features of the profile often include grooves or slots into which the circuit boards can slide for mounting. Aluminum is also relatively lightweight and looks great with any number of surface finishes.
As an alternative to a plastic enclosure, an aluminum extrusion has lower up-front costs in tooling. Whereas a steel tool to produce a plastic enclosure can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars, the tooling for an aluminum extrusion will often be $5,000 or less. The piece-part price of plastics is going to be a lot lower than aluminum though, so if your product is a high volume runner, it will not take long to reach the break even point on the cost of the tooling. In this case, a plastic enclosure will make more financial sense than an aluminum extrusion assuming the plastic satisfies all of your other criteria for thermal properties, weight, durability, and appearance.
If you are considering aluminum extrusion for a faceplate, bezel, or an enclosure, I recommend the X-Tech website as a great resource for learning more.
Topics: Aluminum, Contract Manufacturing, Embedded Systems, Metals, Services | 1 Comment »
Embedded Systems Q&A
By Jimmy Sheffield | February 20, 2009
1. What is an “embedded system”?
An embedded system is basically any device that has an internal computing architecture designed to handle a specific application. This applies to any type of processor and operating system, so can be anything from an ARM platform running Linux or an RTOS to a full x86 implementation running Windows. This contrasts with the more traditional motherboard/daughtercard systems where the processing power resides in the CPU module and specialized functions reside in expansion boards. Of course, advanced expansion cards like video accelerators blur these lines by containing their own co-processor to handle the dedicated functions of that card. However, in that case, the main processing of the computer is still handled by the main CPU on the motherboard.
So, an embedded system can be anything from a PDA to an intelligent router. More and more systems rely on local processing within a smaller, stand-alone device than on a central processing module. In addition, there are an increasing number of specialized, hand-held embedded system devices that are used for specialized applications. Global positioning systems, PDA’s, and even cell phones are technically embedded systems with more computing power than early personal computers!
2. What are the main components of an embedded system?
The basic building blocks of any computing system are necessary for a specialized embedded system.
From a hardware standpoint, the main components are:
- The processor
- RAM (either discrete chips, DIMM modules, or even internal to the processor)
- Non-volatile storage (anything from flash to a standard hard drive)
- The I/O features dictated by the specific application. This may mean only connectors for interface to external sensors, switches, or other devices, or a complete display with a full human interface (keyboard, mouse, etc.).
Just as important, and in many cases more so, are the main software components:
- Low-level firmware for applicable IC’s
- Operating system (Linux, Windows, RTOS, or even lower level boot code, depending on the system)
- Application software
3. What are the benefits of developing a custom embedded platform?
The most obvious benefits of a custom system are realized in reduced recurring costs. A customized design is typically smaller, and has fewer components than an off-the-shelf system. In addition, the designs utilize components that are optimized for the price and performance requirements of the device, further reducing the BOM costs of the product. Of course, these recurring costs must be weighed against the cost of developing a custom system. If significant production volumes are expected, this cost trade-off is typically quickly accommodated.
In addition to the obvious, there are potential benefits from the standpoint of having a dependable source. Owning the design means that end-of-life issues are much easier to anticipate. While component issues may still arise, the chance of a motherboard manufacturer changing a product or obsoleting the model that is specified into a system are drastically reduced.
One benefit that is much more difficult to quantify is the impact of having a custom product that reflects the image of the manufacturer to the user. There is a definite increase in customer confidence in a product that is developed specifically for an application than in an off-the-shelf system running custom software. Industrial design and corporate identity specialists can better describe the impact a well-planned product can have on a company’s image with their customers.
4. What are the largest challenges in developing an embedded system device?
Perhaps the biggest challenge and the most important part of the entire development process occurs in planning the architecture of the device and selecting the optimal components and software to deliver the best compromise between cost and performance. Understanding the application is critical to determining which processor to use and what operating system or other supporting applications must exist within the design. Developing a comprehensive list of features and performance requirements is an extremely important tool in deciding whether a $10 ARM-based processor running open source code will meet the needs of the system or whether a $200 multi-core x86 processor with a complete BIOS and the latest Microsoft OS will be required. That decision alone can change the scope of the development process from 2-3 months and tens of thousands of dollars to 6 months and hundreds of thousands of dollars in development and prototyping costs.
Topics: Design, Electronic Components, Electronics Manufacturing, Embedded Systems, Product Design, Products | 1 Comment »
The Joy of the Factory
By Mark L. Casey | February 12, 2009
This article is cross-posted in the Baselodge Blog.
Disclaimer: I am well aware of the historical and current conditions in some factories and that many factories have been and are places of injustice for workers. The impressions I share in this article are not intended to deny such problems or minimize them. The types of factories I am describing here are the ones run by the kinds of firms Baselodge Group represents and those I have personally toured.
I still remember the first time I stepped into a factory and went on a tour. While the workers who were “cranking widgets” may not have agreed, I thought it was the coolest workplace I had ever seen. My first factory visit was actually at a plastics injection molding facility. I visited on a cold winter day that seemed to accentuate the energy and warmth of the factory. The bright lighting and hum of molding presses dropping out newly formed parts testified that something important was happening.
Depending on your definition of a factory, I actually had already been in one many years before. My second job out of high school was working for a polyethylene facility in the Houston area. This was a large plant producing the plastic granules and pellets that were used in injection molding factories just like this “first” one I visited many years later. Having worked in a polyethylene plant, there was a nice completion to visiting the injection molding facility and seeing those pellets being vacuum filled into the top of the molding presses and then feeding into the augers for melting and injecting into the injection tools.
Since that first visit to the injection molding facility, I have had the privilege of being in many factories. I have toured printed circuit board factories where bare boards were produced. My office for a time was basically in the IBM Austin board house which was purchased by Multek. I have also been in many circuit board assembly factories both in the the US and Mexico. Many of these factories also do complete product builds. I have also had the privilege of touring a die casting factory and a very high end medical equipment facility where the products being manufactured were around $500,000 each. One of the most interesting facilities for me was a pharmaceutical factory that I visited along with our VP Dr. Sam Lockwood.
So what is it about “the factory” that impresses me so much? Why is there what I call the joy of the factory?
Organization
Some factories are better organized than others, but every factory has to have some level of organization in order to produce goods. When I tour a new factory, I always enjoy listening to the managers and employees discuss the layout of the machines, the number and type of shifts, and the changes that have recently occurred. The opposite of organization is chaos. Chaos inhibits productivity while organization enables productivity.
Industry
What I mean by this is that factories are places where humans are industrious, and I usually come away energized myself. Now, I have been in factories where there was not enough work, where the machines were idle, and the people were scarce. There was little noise and little industry. Those types of factories are sad because the artifacts of better times are everywhere, but the lack of activity reveals that things have gone wrong. Active working factories, though, are encouraging and exciting.
Documentation
Facilities that are ISO certified (or that hold other certifications) have to be very meticulous about their documentation and their processes. Many factories have automated extensively while others are still primarily using paper, file cabinets, and white boards. Documentation is vital not only to producing quality products but also to tracking problems and resolving quality issues.
Technology
As with documentation, some factories are more technologically advanced than others. I always enjoy watching the technology in action. Whether it is a high speed drill system drilling thousands of holes per minute in circuit boards or robotics in a plastics plant, the technology employed can give a factory an edge and really improve productivity.
The Dignity of Work
This is a bit philosophical, but there is a certain dignity that I find in the factory. Most people agree there can be dignity in any kind of work. In the factory I see men and women contributing to the production of something tangible that has a use in the world. I have been in factories that manufacture plastics and electronics for toys. It is true that those toys will make money for the factory that produces them, the distributor that moves them, and the retailer that sells them. Those are all good things, but the toys produced sell because they are wanted. They are wanted because they have the ability to make children happy and possibly to help in their development. The same thing can be said about most products that are produced in the factory — they have a purpose. The lowest paid line worker has a hand in producing these valuable products, and there is dignity in that.
In his book Maverick, Ricardo Semler retells an old business parable:
“Three stone cutters were asked about their jobs. The first said he was paid to cut stones. The second replied that he used special techniques to shape stones in an exceptional way, and proceeded to demonstrate his skills. The third stone cutter just smiled and said: ‘I build cathedrals.’”
Some people in factories are just going through the motions I suspect, but I get the sense that most of them find dignity in building cathedrals.
Teamwork
No finished product is created from raw materials without a lot of teamwork. Much of the teamwork is outside of the factory itself. It includes the electric power plant, the water treatment facility, and other utilities that are contracted for by the factory. It also involves the truckers who transport raw materials to the factory and the suppliers that make up the supply chain of equipment and raw materials. The financiers, investors, and entrepreneurs who provide the working capital are critical. The janitors, the managers, the engineers, the machinists, the carpenters, the operators, and everyone else that works in the factory is part of a large team working together to make something happen.
Conclusion
When I visit the factory, I am usually with a prospective customer that is considering contracting with that factory to have their product contract manufactured. As I walk the factory with the prospective client, the plant manager, and engineers, I often wonder what the line workers think about us and what they think we think about them. I am not sure what they think about me/us, but I view their work with the understanding that I am part of their team. If it were not for them doing what they do and offering a valuable service to the customer, I would have nothing to sell. I admire the work they do and am grateful to be able to win business for them to help them continue doing their part for the team.
I am a fan of the factory, and it is my hope that in the years ahead our factories will grow and prosper as they produce the goods required by our economy. As that happens, more and more people will be able to find dignified work that will allow them to take care of their families and buy the goods and services that everyone else produces for them.
Topics: Contract Manufacturing, Electronics Manufacturing, Human Resources, PCB Fabrication, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Raw Materials | 1 Comment »
Moving Beyond My Planner to GTD
By Mark L. Casey | January 8, 2009
Cross-posted in Baselodge blog.
I have been as devoted a user of the Franklin-Covey planner system as anyone could have been since 1996. It has been a loyal companion of mine for over twelve years now. In fact, my term of endearment for my planner is “my brain.” When I dropped it few days ago I exclaimed, “Oh no, I dropped my brain!”
As technology has progressed, so have the inputs of information into my work life and personal life. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, my Outlook inbox had gotten out of control and had become a metaphor for the barrage of information that I was not handling efficiently. Thanks to Merlin Mann at 43folders.com, I got on the right track with the inbox zero approach. I am happy to report that I continue to process email, and I am maintaining a zero inbox. It feels good.
The next step for me was to read David Allen’s book Getting Things Done. The system he describes in the book is a workflow system that has developed a cult-like following. Its practitioners refer to it simply as GTD. A quick web search of that acronym will tell you all you need to know about how the system has caught on. Merlin’s inbox zero approach grew out of GTD.
I recently finished David’s book and implemented the system. It feels really good and makes sense to me. The biggest dilemma I faced in implementing GTD was how to use all of my current tools in an efficient way. David is clear that the GTD system can be implemented in a variety of ways. Some people use only paper. Others use only digital tools. Others use some combination of the two. In my case I had the following tools:
1. Franklin-Covey Planner
2. iPhone 3G
3. Microsoft Outlook on laptop PC
4. Act! (salesforce automation)
5. X-Mind (open-source mindmapping software)
I was really happy to read in the book that David is a proponent of mindmapping and that he is a user of Act!, the sales force database that I use. This validated that there is a way to use these tools in the GTD system. I also knew from Merlin’s stuff that Outlook works well in GTD. My iPhone already synchronized with Outlook for calendar and contacts. It did not, however, sychronize Outlook tasks.
A few years ago I got to know a great company in Indianapolis called Escient. They have one of the best slogans I had ever heard: “We make technology behave.” What I needed was a way to make all of these tools behave and work together. After some research and experimentation, I have a good solution that works for me. Unfortunatley, it appears as though the paper planner is about to be replaced. That makes me a little sad. The only role left for the planner in my workflow system would be as a notebook in which to take notes at meetings and on calls. I don’t need a robust planner for that. A simple journal will do for that purpose.
I purchased two very nice iPhone applications to allow me to sychronize both my task list (or Next Actions in GTD parlance) and my mindmaps. I realize that my particular implementation of GTD is constrained by my toolset. If you do not have an iPhone you will have to find the proper tools for your equipment and system. If there are any iPhone users out there that would like to know my specific implementation, I will be glad to share it. Drop me a line at mark@artfulsourcing.com.
The bottom line is that because of GTD I am already experiencing a rise in productivity and a decrease in stress. Those two facts alone make this system worth sharing.
Topics: Entrepreneurs, Inventors/Inventions, Productivity | 2 Comments »
Inbox Zero
By Mark L. Casey | December 23, 2008
It’s the night before the night before Christmas. New Year’s resolutions are starting to dance in my head. This time of year always allows me to review the year that is coming to a close and to look for ways to improve the way I work. A few days ago my wife’s cousin, Chris, recommended that I consider going to an “inbox zero” approach to email. I have already implemented some version of this concept. Here is the excellent Merlin Mann (of 43folders.com) video he pointed me to as a way to get started:
The first thing I did to implement Merlin’s approach was to create a .DMZ folder in Outlook. I then moved all of my huge backlog of emails from the inbox into that folder. Just like that I was at a zero inbox. Staying there requires that I stop just “checking” email and start “processing” email, as Merlin explains. I am also going to be using Outlook’s Task features a lot more in the new year.
As Merlin states many times, this approach to email is an outgrowth of the Getting Things Done book by David Allen. That book is on the top of my “to read” list for the new year.
Merlin Mann’s website on this topic is www.43folders.com/izero
The more I learn about Merlin Mann, the more I am impressed.
I wish all of our readers, customers, suppliers, and friends happy holidays and a prosperous 2009!
Topics: Productivity | No Comments »