Karin Nicefaro, our longest-serving employee! This Zurich native has been working in Microdul’s production department for 40 years.
After Karin had to give up her hairdressing apprenticeship due to an allergy, she entered the microelectronics industry in 1985. She had applied for a job opening at Faselec AG—which would later become Microdul AG in 1991. From her home at the time in Zurich Wiedikon, it was just a stone’s throw to Zurich Binz, where she began working in the “Measurement” department, inspecting integrated circuits (ICs).
Shortly after, Karin moved to the assembly department. There, over the course of more than 3 years, she learned a wide variety of precision tasks. She quickly realized that, thanks to her fine motor skills, she was well-suited for the manual assembly of the smallest electronic modules. At that time, SMD components (Surface-Mounted Devices) were still mounted individually and largely by hand onto printed circuit boards (PCBs)—automated SMD assembly didn’t become common until later.
By 1991, when Microdul AG was spun off from Faselec, Karin had already been with the company for 6 years. Over the decades, this record-holder for years of service has witnessed a number of changes: circuit diagrams were replaced by computerized production instructions, and production was continuously modernized in step with technological advancements. Meanwhile, the workforce remained remarkably stable: The mother of 2 adult sons has been working alongside some of her colleagues for more than 20 years.
Karin’s routine includes applying phenolic resin to and around electronic components to protect them mechanically and insulate them electrically, or using the CAM (Contact Assembly Method) to insert pins into circuit boards—sometimes followed by soldering. “It’s a wide range of assembly tasks,” says the assembly specialist, “which also include coding, separating, dispensing, and impregnating PCBs.”
When asked why she has stayed so long, Karin replies, “I’ve always enjoyed the work, and I’ve had the chance to learn new things regularly.” As has often been the case throughout her career, she has just mastered a new process: “Under the microscope, I now also solder mini-PCBAs, for example for hearing implants”—a task that requires great dexterity.
With the exception of 2 maternity leaves, Karin Nicefaro has been working at Microdul for 40 years without interruption. The entire team extends its warmest congratulations to her on this milestone!