BLOGS

In the world of aviation, every ounce of weight and every minute of downtime matters. For years, bulky handheld POS terminals were the standard for in-flight sales. However, a major industry shift is underway. Airlines are moving away from dedicated hardware in favor of "Tap on Phone" (SoftPOS) technology.

Here is why the airline industry is abandoning traditional terminals—and why your business should consider doing the same.

Operating electronic devices at 35,000 feet comes with strict safety regulations. Traditional POS terminals rely on large lithium-ion batteries which are sensitive to cabin pressure and temperature fluctuations. By switching to Tap on Phone, airlines can utilize the enterprise-grade tablets or smartphones they already use for flight manifests, reducing the number of high-capacity batteries stored in the cabin and simplifying FAA/EASA safety compliance.

Flight attendants have a demanding job. In the rush of a quick turnaround, a dedicated POS terminal is often forgotten on the charging dock or left in a galley drawer. However, flight attendants—like all of us—never forget to charge their primary work devices (tablets or smartphones). Moving the payment software to the device they are already holding ensures the "checkout" is always ready when the passenger is.

Payment requirements (PCI, EMV, Contactless) evolve every 18–24 months. For an airline, upgrading a fleet of 10,000 hardware devices is a logistical nightmare and a massive capital expense. With a Software-based Solution, updates happen via the Cloud. When the standards change, the software updates automatically, keeping the airline compliant without ever touching a screwdriver.

In the world of electronics manufacturing, the cost of a mistake grows exponentially the later it is discovered. Many companies lose millions of dollars annually because their testing protocols are an afterthought rather than a core strategy.

At Semiteck, we believe that Lean Manufacturing isn’t just about speed—it’s about precision. Here is why rigorous PCB testing is the most critical investment you can make in your production cycle.

A common industry pitfall is waiting until the final product is fully assembled to perform testing. This is a catastrophic mistake for two reasons:

1. Sunk Labor Costs: If a PCB is faulty, every minute spent assembling the rest of the device around it is wasted money.
2. High Scrap Rates: Attempting to de-solder or repair a board inside a finished housing often leads to damaged components and high scrap rates.

By the time a defect is found at the final stage, the cost to fix it is often 10 times higher than if it had been caught at the component level.

We don’t just test; we integrate quality into the production DNA. Semiteck’s "Think Ahead" strategy focuses on catching inconsistencies at the earliest possible stages:

• SMT-Level Inspection: We implement automated optical and electrical testing immediately after the Surface Mount Technology (SMT) process. If a joint is weak or a component is misaligned, we stop the line there.
• In-Circuit Testing (ICT): We verify the individual functionality of the board before it ever moves to final assembly.
• Integrated Quality Gateways: By placing testing checkpoints throughout the lifecycle, we prevent "high-failure" batches and ensure that your labor is only spent on boards that are 100% functional.

Lean manufacturing is defined by the elimination of waste. A robust PCB testing process eliminates:

• Wasted Labor on defective units.
• Wasted Materials through reduced scrap.
• Wasted Time by avoiding mass recalls or re-work.