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Fawn: New Plant Rises from the Ashes

Assembly line in new facility.

By Art Rutledge, President, Fawn Electronics Company, Timonium, MD
In December 2005, the team at Fawn Electronics Company received news no one wants to hear: the manufacturing facility had burned down and was a total loss. Worse, because Fawn was an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, the impact of a lost facility extended far beyond the company itself.

Two years later, the company has moved from the interim facility occupied immediately after the fire, into a newly completed facility, custom built to support the complex needs of an EMS provider. The interesting dynamic about this move was it gave company management the ability to literally redesign the business from the ground up.

Equipment selection choices were made immediately. Previously equipment choices had been made as the company grew, based on available technology, budget considerations and customer needs at the time. In recovering from the fire, instead of simply replicating the choices that had been made over a number of years, management chose to make choices based on a vision for an enhanced business model. Thus we went in a new direction with our plant layout, facility requirement definition and equipment acquisition.

Enhanced Processes
The new choices put strong emphasis on enhancing process flexibility, reducing changeover time and increasing placement capability. Equipment acquisition also was affected by changes in cleaning requirements driven by growing needs for IPC Class 3 assembly and increased conformal coating activity. The old facility was largely no clean while the new facility includes in-line cleaning to support these needs.

Some key considerations in SMT line selection were the ability to place smaller parts and an assumption that equipment platforms needed to support business growth and increased printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) complexity. The placement equipment selected is capable of placing 0.01005 components, even though is currently not needed by our present customer base. It's for the future; it maximizes flexibility and speed of changeover in a high mix, low-to-mid-volume production environment. Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) and BGA rework/repair capabilities were also enhanced. Ultra-low humidity storage capability to store moisture-sensitive components was increased, which is especially critical for RoHS-compliant assembly processes.

Building site selection and design also reflected some changes. Fawn Electronics' parent company, Fawn Industries, originally constructed the previous building in 1982 to house a tool shop supporting its plastics injection molding facilities. The area was not served by a public water line, but the local county government had future plans to add a water line capable of supporting a fire sprinkler system at the time the facility was built. The initial construction did not include a fire sprinkler system because there was inadequate water pressure to support it. The electronics operation was relocated to this facility in late 1982. While the county did make improvements over time including extending the sewer system to the facility, the water line was still in the planning phase at the time of the fire in 2005. A key criterion in site selection for the new facility was that the location needed to have adequate water infrastructure to support a fire sprinkler system. Additionally, issues such as economic development incentives, proximity to major highways and proximity to existing associate commute patterns were considered. The new facility was constructed at the Nashville Business Center in Nash County, North Carolina. It is located near Raleigh on a major interstate. When site selection was announced late in 2006, the Company's associates were transported from the interim facility in Wilson, NC to attend a groundbreaking ceremony. The trip also included a tour for the associates of nearby shopping and restaurant facilities as part of an orientation process designed to help ensure employee retention when relocation occurred.

Using What Works
In designing the new facility, the management team had the benefit of understanding what worked in the old facility, and also the learning curve of lessons learned in quick layout of the temporary facility. Facility design changes included changing the overall shape of the building because a major concern was establishing a footprint that allowed line configurations to easily change over time. The goal was to create an open, flexible production floor that was squarer in shape.

A front office area includes a reception lobby, offices, flexible office space, conference rooms, a training room and cafeteria. The new facility is also 10 percent larger than the previous facility. One of the biggest problems in the old building was its shape, which had a limited width. This created a constraining factor on the length of continuous flow lines. The new building is square, with a production area that offers maximum flexibility in production line layouts. The building exterior is also different. It is not a typical metal building, but instead uses pre-insulated metal panels that consist of steel inside and outside with an insulated core. The premium roof has a higher grade of insulation. Part of the rationale was to increase energy efficiency and part was to improve sound control. To further enhance environmental friendliness, any water used in production processes is continuously recycled. Only restroom water goes down the drain. There are also automated shutoffs in faucets and flush valves.

Another change was the inclusion of more clear space. The old building had columns on the floor every 25 feet. The new building has a wide bay structure that has support columns only every 50 feet. Adequate lighting is a major concern in the electronic assembly process. Task strip lighting was used in the old plant, which meant that any line move also required a lighting move. The company is now using T5 high efficiency fluorescent lighting, a relatively new option in lighting strategy. Installed at a height of 16 feet, it floods the entire area with light.

ESD Protection
ESD protection strategy was also changed. Previously a matting system had been used. The new building uses a conductive vinyl VCT tiling system on the entire production floor. While the flooring system added to the construction cycle time, increased the investment in the new facility and drove a requirement for air glide systems (hydrofoil-like air bag dollies) vs. forklifts on the equipment move-in, it offers greater flexibility and is easier to maintain. The shipping, receiving, bulk storage and central stocking areas use conductive wax vs. tile, to allow forklift traffic to support stockroom and warehouse activities.

Another change was a focus on minimizing power drops from the ceiling. Single power, air and vacuum line drops running under equipment lines are utilized. Air lines have quick disconnect fittings for maximum flexibility. A bar-joist roof system was used to support installation of some equipment in the ceiling. A data line strategy is also in place. In the older facility, data lines evolved as new technology came online. The new facility uses fiber optic hubs on the manufacturing floor to allow for growth and provide EDI/data exchange capability. Wireless networking is also employed.

In addition to constructing a larger facility, the site was prepared for future additions. An area allowing for a 50 percent increase in size adjacent to the building was graded during facility construction to enable rapid expansion in the future.

Wavesoldering system in new plant.

Associate and customer needs were also considered in building design. The cafeteria is bright and cheery with a glass area that opens to a sheltered outdoor dining area. The conference and training areas have windows, which view the production floor to make it easy for customers, managers and associates to view activity. Secured storage was increased for the stockroom to support customer requirements.

Some design elements and best practices didn't change. Materials had always been stocked near point-of-use and the strategy in the new facility continues this practice. Paced conveyor lines for drop load components and subassemblies were also kept. Continuous flow concepts are used in each production process. Additionally, the company continues to have a segregated production area strategy, which allocates factories within factories for each of three major processes. All though-hole and surface mount board level assembly operations are in one area with space allocated for growth. Additional areas are focused for electromechanical/wire assembly and final assembly/integration. There has also been a continuing effort to minimize non-value activity tied to movement of materials or work-in-process (WIP) between process areas.

The move-in was scheduled in phases to make it transparent to customers. The carefully coordinated move-in involved one phase per week. Equipment was taken down over weekends with a 1-2 day move-in of equipment and a processes validation phase during the rest of each week. Teams of key contractors supported the effort on literally a day-by-day basis. Air/power were pre-installed and then connected by the contractor support team as the equipment was set in place. Manufacturers' technicians were used for most sensitive equipment teardown and installation/calibration.

Plant layout diagrams were color-coded by phase of installation to make it easier for the support groups to plan their activities. Some finished goods inventory was built to cover move downtime. MRP was analyzed and material was scheduled in ahead of time. The move was also staged near the holidays because that has been a traditionally slower business time. Contractors who supported the move to the interim facility were selected wherever possible for the new facility.

In retrospect, one positive result of the 2005 fire is a more efficient manufacturing facility positioned for future growth. The management team seized the opportunity to rethink every aspect of the operation from the ground up. Many times in the past someone would remark, "If we had the chance to do this over we would sure do it differently." Fawn was given that opportunity. Throughout the rebuilding process the team sought ways to improve throughput, increase efficiency, decease total cost of manufacturing and provide best-in-class equipment and services.

The path to this point was not easy, and the credit for this positive recovery belongs to the company's associates, suppliers and customers who all worked together to turn a disaster into a giant leap forward.

For more information, contact: Fawn Electronics Company, 1920 Greenspring Drive, Ste. 140, Timonium, MD 21093

410-308-9239 fax: 410-308-9201 E-mail art@fawn-ind.com Web: http://www.fawnems.com