Making a Positive Difference Through Electronics

Q:  So, DISHER does electronics too?
A:  “Absolutely, and our team is growing! Our specialists have a broad range of experience and educational backgrounds that enable us to provide a variety of tailored electronics solutions for our customers. From schematic capture and PCB layouts to embedded software and mobile apps, we have deep engineering talent ready to come alongside and provide innovative solutions that keep our customers on the cutting edge of technology.”

Q:  What would you like potential customers and future employees/graduates to know about DISHER Electronics?
A:  “First of all, vetting possible solutions to an electronics challenge isn’t easy. Our skilled engineers have the capability to not only help frame a multitude of possible solutions but create proof of concepts for those ideas as well. Secondly, we have fun doing what we do and enjoy tackling even the smallest of challenges. We learn. We grow. We make a positive difference.”

Q:  In a broad sense, what types of electronics projects does DISHER do?
A:  “A few examples include:  software and firmware development; embedded software design; small and large scale schematic/PCB development; mechanical packaging and trim integration; mobile phone app development; on-site program management; IoT module concepts and integration; mechatronics; dual-control systems; lighting development and more. Lots of exciting, hi-tech stuff!”

Q:  Can you provide some specific examples of recent project-based and product-based activities for customers?
A:  “Some of our latest projects include:

+ Creation of LED lighting and control boards from design and PCB layout through prototyping

+ Development of a GUI interface and Android app that interacted with a Wi-Fi based central hub that commanded and controlled a variety of user inputs

+ Design of a fast-charge USB charger

+ Development of a wireless charger for a specific handheld application

+ Engineering of a variety of door open/close controllers, desk/table controllers, and test boxes

+ A themed Christmas-lighting project

+ Creation of a proof of concept device that used GPS and a 3G cellular network to do a variety of functions. We were part of a cross-functional DISHER design team on this project— it was really cool collaborating with a variety of engineers and specialists!”

Q:  What industries have these projects come from?
A:  “The recent projects primarily came from automotive, consumer product, and office furniture customers. But we also provide services for several other industries including healthcare, marine, agriculture, and aerospace.”

Q:  What would you say your strengths are?
A:  “Our primary strength is our years of experience in electronics, mechatronics, and lighting. Our team also has a unique set of checks and balances created by the entrepreneurial spirit from our younger engineers. Combining new technologies, ideas, and approaches with proven product development capabilities is very powerful.”

Q:  Can you explain your “product development capabilities”?
A:  “Sure. At a high level, our capabilities fit within three distinct phases: Discovery, Design/Engineering, and Manufacturing/Launch. For example, creating a proof of concept or researching and applying next-gen technologies fits within the Discovery Phase. EMC mitigation during schematic capture and PCB layout is an example of work completed in the Design/Engineering phase. Final Functional testers, data acquisition systems, and verification testers are a few examples in the Manufacturing/Launch phase. In all of these examples showing our product development capabilities, we use a combination of our own lab equipment and outsourcing lab partners to verify our designs. We know that we don’t have ALL the answers, but this group surely enjoys solving challenging electronics problems!”

Q:  What are your aspirations for the DISHER Electronics team?
A:  “First of all, these are not my aspirations, they’re the goals of the entire DISHER team! DISHER has been known for making a positive difference with customers for many years. By providing electronics solutions—we can serve our customers better. Period. Our customers gain one more capability to help them solve their unique challenge. For example, a DISHER customer may come to us with a mechanical engineering project that may also have an electronic component. This customer can now use the same DISHER team instead of subcontracting various elements of a project out. It’s a holistic, streamlined approach to meeting their needs. Secondly, our hope is to continue to grow our team and our offerings by simply hiring blessed engineers in terms of education and stewardship to the communities we serve.”

Q:  Final thoughts?
A:  “A customer doesn’t get just one DISHER engineer, they get ALL of us! We could be working on an electronics product design for a customer and then learn they have a mechanical challenge elsewhere. Having access to the entire DISHER pool of engineers, it’s quite possible we could help find a solution for their mechanical problem too. That’s the beauty of DISHER –it’s a team of exceptional resources ready to make a positive difference in the life of our customers. Let us know how we can serve you on your next project.”

Written By: Tod Grams, Team Lead – Electronics |
Tod has a BS degree in Electronics Engineering and an MS degree in Engineering Management with over 19 years of Electronics industry experience. He volunteers as President of the Greater Holland Bowling Association and loves competitive bowling.