Engineering

The state of engineering at Checon is good! We have customer oriented ‘Value Engineering’ projects moving rapidly through the system, we have material development efforts nearing conclusion, and we have re-invented a core piece of Checon’s manufacturing technology, developing a process twice as fast and with significantly improved process monitoring. I’d say the state of engineering at Checon is indeed very good!

Our major focus has been on the development of our new Silver Tin Oxide materials. While the development effort is being led by the trio of Gary Haupt, John Vaz and Dennis Nixon; that effort is being shared and contributed to by the whole Checon team – with the machine shop developing billets, fixtures and tooling; the production departments assisting in processing of the materials and the electrical guys in conjunction with the quality staff developing our new electrical testing capability.

Three grades of AgSnO2 with 6, 9 and 12% metal oxide content are expected to be ready for initial production quantities at the end of 2008. These materials will be geared towards meeting the electrical demands of the industrial controls market and allowing construction via the Toplay process – the highest quality contact assembly method available. Naming of the new materials is an interesting process – we’ll keep you posted!

Our sales team is anxiously awaiting the new materials – since interest is high among many of our customers as they consider the move to a non Cadmium containing contact system.