See what we see

Working with a newspaper affords all sorts of interesting opportunities to see how businesses get their projects done. Ever wonder how corporation X makes those little pieces of electronics that rest inside your TV or microwave? Well it may be even more confusing than you thought.

As part of our ongoing series of business features, I've been getting tours of what's behind the curtain at various companies and I'm getting a better idea of how certain industries operate. This has been true of reporters for a long time, but the stories your read in the paper or online don't always translate the details. Video is changing all that.

My most recent adventure involved local Pennatronics Corp. While witnessing the construction of circuit boards for various products, I got a better idea of the kind of intricate detail that is required to run my computer, my phone, and even that little timer on my exercise bike.

Machines get built by other machines now, allowing minute tasks to be carried out at much faster rates than in the past. Every now and then, humans still interact with the device, mostly in the testing phase, but sometimes in the more fragile stages of construction; it turns out we still have an edge on machines when it comes to finesse. Still, it's a good idea to leave the handling of half-millimeter sized chips and the molten river of solder to the robots.

Thanks to video, the enlightening experience I have described above can be shared. Hearing me tell you about lightening fast machines and nearly microscopic components is one thing; seeing it yourself is another. Watch for Mike Bradwell's article on Pennatronics this coming Monday, accompanied by our video feature.