Abstract: The goal of this presentation is to educate students on several topics around production of consumer electronics as it relates to engineering. We’ll discuss tradeoffs between product and test stations design. From early stages of the product design process known as design for manufacturing (DFM) to best practices around test station development. When producing a product, you look at things from a holistic view. Since any stage in the production process can cause a bottle neck and reduce throughput. Too much or too little testing can result in serious consequences for the business.

Bio: Michael Vargas is the Director of Hardware Engineering at Pocket Radar. He graduated from SSU with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 2018 and started working for Pocket Radar right after graduation. His first position was mainly focused on production engineering which transitioned to R&D engineering and then into management. Working at a small company you find yourself wearing several hats and for Michael this means it’s not uncommon for him to do design work on high priority projects while still performing functions relevant to his job title. Michael will be starting an MBA program at UC Davis in the fall with hopes to continue moving upward within the company. During his off time, he enjoys being outdoors as much as possible.