In this episode of The D Code Podcast, hosts Sean Kincaid, Daniel Stanphill, and Elias Malfavon Jr. interview John Burke, a veteran of the electronics manufacturing industry with decades of hands-on experience in SMT, reliability, and high-stakes applications like Formula 1 and surgical robotics.

John shares insight into how manufacturing has changed over the years, why low-volume high-mix production is more complex than people think, and how technologies like laser soldering are reshaping what's possible.

What we cover:

Surface Mount Technology: from early days to modern lines

Six Sigma and how it's actually used in factories

High mix / low volume production and the unique challenges it brings

Design for Manufacturing: not optional if you care about yield

Real-world examples from F1, SSDs, and precision medical builds

Laser soldering and its expanding role in production environments