Courtesy US-Tech: By Michael L. Martel, Contributing Editor
Electronics technology is changing rap- idly, especially with advances in quan- tum computing and aerospace, so it’s
no wonder that today’s engineers sometimes have difficulty keeping ahead of such changes, many occurring on quite literally a daily basis. For American technology to re- main competitive, the “brain trust” in elec- tronics engineering must constantly be re- freshed with skilled and sharp younger minds as the natural attrition of retiring pro- fessionals creates new openings. Leading companies in electronics technology have long known this, and as a result, these lead- ing companies have instituted training and apprenticeship programs to help aspiring young engineers get real, practical, hands-on experience with the various facets of elec- tronics engineering quite literally on the manufacturing shop floor. They aren’t going to obtain such valuable and current informa- tion solely in a classroom or lecture hall; but rather by working with seasoned engineers in a practical, live production setting.
Internship Program
Engineering Student J Covert (L) with HYREL Technologies Co-Founder Scott Baker
That’s the case with HYREL Technologies™ in Peoria, Arizona, now be- ginning their 10th class with three new local students, all fresh out of high school, and their newest intern program graduate, James Covert, a graduate of nearby Liberty High School who wants to go on to gain expe- rience with field-relevant software and hard- ware and to explore his interest in additive manufacturing.
Brian Watson, Founder of HYREL, is immensely proud of these intern program kids; they will all become assets to the com- panies where they eventually end up, he says, with great confidence. “We’ve got three kids coming in January, and so we have five high schools in our area that we are pulling from…they are super bright. You know, one of them will be going to M.I.T. One of them wants to be a nuclear engineer, and the oth- er one’s a jazz drummer. So he wins!” Brian chuckles.
HYREL is a worldwide provider of high quality, quick turn semiconductor modifica- tion solutions serving the military, space, au- tomotive, energy and commercial markets to companies seeking to improve product relia- bility. HYREL services include robotic hot solder component tinning, component solder ball removal and replacement, component tape and reel packaging services, component bake and dry pack services, and more.
Custom Facility HYREL co-founder Scott Baker adds, “We have built a custom facility for the ex- press purpose of leveraging and improving the component modification process; for example, our team has over 80 years of re-ball and tin- ning expertise, allowing us to provide excep- tional value, precision, and delivery services.
HYREL was established with the idea that ordering, qualifying, and using fast, affordable preci- sion component modification services should be straightfor- ward. Brian stresses that capabil- ity and prompt turn-around in as short a lead time as possible are company values taught to student interns at HYREL.
When reflecting back on his experience as an intern for HYREL, James Covert reflects, “I have been involved with a variety of projects; some were familiar, while others were entirely new to me. I started off in familiar terri- tory, working on projects for the 3D printers. The biggest challenge in this area was printer mainte- nance. Some issues were easy to fix, for example, clearing a clogged nozzle or recalibrating the printer. At the same time, other problems proved particularly troublesome. It was those troublesome problems where I learned the most, as I had to dive into parts of the 3D printer that I had never worked with before.”
“Software that HYREL uses was similar to what I had worked with previously, but it was not entirely the same. One of my favorite projects I worked on when using this software was an in- stance where Scott needed a new component tray, as the parts he had didn’t fit into any existing trays. After working to design and manufacture a new one, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing that my new tray worked out so well.”
“HYREL also taught me skills I never would have looked into had I not been their intern. I was asked to design a mobile app to track resistance values on various surfaces around the shop for ESD compliance. I had some basic knowledge of coding, but I had never created an app before. It started off challenging, but as I researched and learned more, I eventually ended up creating something that worked. This new skill and knowledge that I learned will be helpful as I pursue a career in the engineering field.”
“Our program is something that separates us from probably 99.5% of everybody else,” Brian says. “Most of them are looking at doing internships or apprentice- ships, right? Or those pathways from the community college, right into the university; but we are still the only semiconductor com- pany in the Phoenix Valley with all the real semiconductor activity going on. We’re working directly with the high schools and giving kids hands-on experience.”
HyRel is a worldwide provider of high quality, quick turn semiconductor modification solutions serving the military, space, automotive, energy and commercial markets to companies seeking to improve product reliability. HyRel provides robotic hot solder component tinning, component solder ball removal and replacement, component tape and reel packaging services and component bake and dry pack services to customers worldwide. HyRel is also developing proprietary micorobotic innovations to elevate the speed, reliability, and safety of standard semiconductor processes. For more information contact HyRel Technologies.
