Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories' Printed Circuit Board Facility Takes Shape, Team Receives Early Delivery of Specialized Equipment

The walls are up, the roofing is on and contractors are installing the mechanical and electrical systems at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories’ new printed circuit board facility in Moscow, Idaho. In addition, the company received the first shipment of manufacturing equipment to be used in the highly automated, high-tech facility.

In late September, 95 wall panels ranging from 30,000–100,000 pounds were poured on site, then lifted and secured into place. To date, the project has used more than 4,000 cubic yards of concrete. 

Over the past three months, 40 truckloads (500 tons) of steel construction components, including columns, beams, joists and decking, were delivered to the site. These components were installed to form the structure of the second floor and roof. To view timelapse videos of these construction milestones, visit www.selinc.com/Moscow.

Last week, the company received several pieces of manufacturing equipment for the new facility, including the latest technology available for automated optical inspection (AOI). The equipment will temporarily reside on the company’s Pullman campus, where the SEL Moscow team will use it for training until the new facility’s interior is completed early this summer. 

SEL prefers to source equipment and components for construction projects and manufacturing processes from suppliers located as close to its headquarters as possible. However, due to the complexity of the fabrication process and limited number of manufacturers, the company is looking globally for some equipment. 

“There are only two companies in the world that manufacture the type of AOI machines we’ll use in our operation,” said John Hendrickson, senior engineering manager. The machines that arrived last week were made in Germany and Israel. “It’s an interesting time to be sourcing equipment abroad, given current global supply chain challenges. But we’re working closely with our suppliers and have been able to stick to the timeline.” The move in and setup of the manufacturing operation will begin in July. The process is expected to take approximately six months. Production of printed circuit boards is scheduled to begin in January 2023.

The SEL Property team is serving as the contractor for the project but is working with a variety of companies local to the Pacific Northwest, including DIVCON, Spokane, Washington; American Steel, Billings, Montana; Tombari Structural Products, Spokane, Washington; and Bar A Construction, Chatteroy, Washington.

For more information on this project or to request a presentation from one of SEL’s manufacturing experts, visit selinc.com/Moscow.