APEC 2002

March 10-14, 2002
The Adam's Mark Hotel
Dallas, Texas

Rap Sessions

The APEC 2002 Rap Sessions were held Tuesday, March 12, starting at 6:30 PM.

Rap Session I
Contract Manufacturing: Cost or Benefit?

Moderator: Craig Johnston, Roundtable Innovations

Panelists:
Bill Hart, Ericsson
Pat Patel, Cherokee
Chris Stratas, Celestica

Houston Ballroom A

There is more and more pressure to reduce costs and increase profits while prices fall. One possible answer to this challenge is the shift to outsourced manufacturing, contract manufacturing! Is this the right answer? Will it ultimately save costs or create increased total supply chain costs as we now need to manage the contract manufacturer (CM) for all phases of our product cycles? What about New Product Introduction (NPI) issues? Component shortages? Back end test and quality assurance? We will address the pros and cons of outsourcing to CMs. Please join us for a discussion on whether this trend is or is not the best solution. What has your experience been? What pitfalls can others avoid?

Rap Session II
Acquiring an ASIC: Technical Triumph or Never-Ending Nightmare?

Moderator: Arnold Alderman, Anagenesis, Inc.

Panelists:
Kory Brown, ZMD
Kirk Peterson, AMI Semiconductor
Gerald Kennedy, PEI Technologies

Houston Ballroom B

This session will focus on the experiences that everyone has had in the journey to acquiring an Application Specific or customer specific IC. Come share yours. Was yours a success story, or was it a tormenting experience? We can learn from each other the do's and don't of taking the ASIC path.

Rap Session III
Does 42 V Really Have What it Takes for Future Automotive Electrical Systems?

Moderator: Tom Jahns, University Of Wisconsin, Madison

Panelists:
John Miller, Ford Research Labs
Randy Frank, International Rectifier
Kaushik Rajashekara, Delphi Automotive Systems
Jim Nagashima, General Motors Advanced Technology Vehicles

Houston Ballroom C

There is a lot of excitement in the automotive world about the impending transition from 14 V to 42 V electrical systems in future road vehicles. Since the 14 V system reigned supreme for nearly 50 years, many see this as a once-in-a-professional-lifetime leap in technology. However, others aren't nearly as enthused about this change. They see wide swings in the bus voltage that stretch the limits of the proposed 42 V PowerNet standard, making the system considerably more expensive to implement. Others see higher future electrical loads that exceed the practical capacity limits of a 42 V bus. Will 42 V become an enduring standard or a temporary stop on the way to something else? Please join us for a lively discussion of the strengths and shortcomings of 42 V in future automotive electrical systems.