Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
they would ultimately be revealed as lemons, needing repair after repair to remain func-
tional, but they have been keeping up with demand for years now. With these lower-cost
alternatives to the top-of-the-line equipment that was available at that time, SparkFun
gained machines that were great at teaching the finer nuances of machine operation that
are realized only when you actually get your hands on the technology. As the demand for
SparkFun-built circuit boards grew, so did the experience levels of the production team.
When the time came to invest in additional equipment that would scale up SparkFun's
production capacity
,
the subsequent equipment purchases were made with clearer ideas of
what would be needed to help in meeting that growing demand.
By the time that the MaKey MaKey collaboration came along, SparkFun's equipment
lineup was set up nicely for managing almost all demands placed on its assembly opera-
tions. Every machine in use had been selected and introduced based on current needs and
the best possible forecast of its future needs. In early 2012, those operations regularly in-
volved two shifts that ran two pick-and-place machines and one reflow oven. A single
shift was required to operate the
printed circuit assembly
(PCA) batch washer and the
automated optical inspection (AOI) machine. The same primary shift assembly staff was
also responsible for programming and testing the circuit boards and used custom-designed
and built test fixtures for doing so. (Circuit board testing is discussed in greater detail
later.) SparkFun's production floor, circa 2012, is pictured in
Figure 12.3
.
