b'Fine-Tuning ProductionIn 2002, CMI ceramic products were reaching full maturity, and cost reduction became a focus for the team, particularly with extruded tubular ceramics.CMI hired brilliant ceramics engineer, Gary Collier, to develop a more efficient ceramic manufacturing process that wouldreducecosts.UnderColliersexpertdirection,CMIinstalled newpressingequipmentwhichwouldincreaseuniformityofthe tubularceramicsandvirtuallyeliminatewaste.Hisplansand processes helped CMI to reduce production cost by 50%.Automation was the key to the next wave of improvements on CMIs Ceramic Tubular Capacitors. There are two basic types of Ceramic Tubular Capacitors: the C type and the Pi type. The Pi type has an inner band separating the tube into two separate capacitors.Historically,aninkbandwasmanuallyappliedtoeachtube.Tim Abbott and Walt Woodward went to work on automating this banding process.In2005,theycompletedthedesignanddevelopedthe equipment to accomplish the task. In 2007, the automation process was patented, and CMI had now reduced production cost of each Ceramic Pi tube by another 15 cents. 5'