In the last three days of January, Team Creative Electron seized their opportunity to make a big impression on those that visited APEX at the San Diego Convention Center. An all new AXI system on the CFX line, a larger booth than ever before on the main aisle, a second booth upstairs, and appearances on various panels and chat shows, were just a few of the highlights.

Coming off the end of another record fourth quarter for sales, Creative Electron was excited to be playing such a large role in APEX. CEO, Dr. Bill Cardoso, said “APEX is always an important show for us. It is very close to our San Marcos facility and is a great way to kick start our year”. Adding that, “this year we’ve achieved more than ever at the show, launching a new system and connecting it to the CFX line.”

Designed for the high mix SMT environment, the TruView™ Fusion AXI (Automatic X-ray Inspection) has a “one-button” program interface and a fully automated operation and is intuitive and easy to use so the user will not need to become x-ray experts. CTO, Anh Nguyen explained “it’s exciting to bring a brand-new product to a trade show, especially when it plays a pivotal role on the line. Connecting the TruView™ Fusion AXI to CFX was easier than expected and showed just how quick and simple the installation of both CFX and our own systems can be”.

The CFX, or connected factory exchange, line was one of two lines making actual products at the show with demonstrations to hundreds of visitors at the top of every hour throughout the three days. The second line was running the CFX and Hermes standards. Many see CFX as a flagship success for IPC, bringing together the whole value chain of electronic manufacturing to achieve a viable standard for the smart factory of the future.

As well as the information booth upstairs alongside the CFX lines, Creative Electron has their largest booth ever on the main aisle of the show, welcoming visitors to discuss their z-ray and inspection needs as well as the use of the data and intelligence derived from those machines. Creative Electron’s expert team were kept busy on the show floor demonstrating their TruView™ Prime benchtop x-ray and their TruView™ Parts Counter AI, the first parts counter on the market using artificial intelligence to generate more accurate information and detect counterfeit components.

As if that wasn’t enough to keep the team busy, both Anh Nguyen and Dr. Bill Cardoso, now seen as industry experts, found themselves as guests on several panels and chat shows. Anh Nguyen took part in the SCOOPstudio Roundtable on AI in Manufacturing. Along with Joel Scutchfield of Koh Young and Michael Ford of Aegis Software, Anh debated the role the role and application of AI in an SMT environment. Dr. Bill Cardoso was invited to be guest on ‘The Keith Bryant Show’ filmed on the Global SMT & Packaging studio, where he discussed CFX and the role and AI, as well as being a guest on the inaugural episode of ‘The Eric Miscoll Show’, affectionately known as ‘The EMS’. Eric hosted a free-flowing chat show where Bill, along with other guests Phil Zarrow and Philip Stoten, shared their views on all things manufacturing.

Dr. Cardoso also took part in three roundtables on the SCOOPstudio entitled, ‘Is Inspection Data the Currency of the Smart Factory?’, ‘Smarter Materials Management’, and ‘Counterfeit & Conflict Materials’, three topics close to Bill’s heart.

Wrapping up, Dr. Bill Cardoso said, “we couldn’t be happier with the event, we were able to show our deep domain expertise as well as our knowledge of the wider manufacturing environment and the need to connect and collaborate up and down the line.” It was an honor to meet so many customers and prospects, and to be invited to participate in panels and chat shows to share our vision for the future of the industry. We’re excited to get back to work and realize this future with our customers.