-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueComing to Terms With AI
In this issue, we examine the profound effect artificial intelligence and machine learning are having on manufacturing and business processes. We follow technology, innovation, and money as automation becomes the new key indicator of growth in our industry.
Box Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
EMS Providers Jaltek, Zollner, and Zurvahn Expand Services, Facilities
September 1, 2009 |Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Zurvahn expanded its Zurvahn Technology Center (ZTC) to provide engineering design services and quick-turn prototyping; Zollner Elektronik and EIT partnered to maximize U.S.-based offerings and global manufacturing; and Jaltek IDMS invested in new SMT, reflow, and inspection equipment for more flexibility in prototyping.
Zurvahn LLC expanded its Zurvahn Technology Center (ZTC) to provide OEMs with engineering design services and quick-turn prototyping. Zurvahn states that OEMs in North America have cut their work forces to survive the economic downturn, even including the engineering department that is responsible for the new design of products. The Zurvahn Technology Center offers outsource engineering. Read about this trend in Low-volume/High-mix: EMS Jobs in North America, by John Buckley, Zurvahn. Zurvahn expanded capacity in its technology center to help more OEMs design their new products and get them to market faster. Engineering design services, including printed circuit board (PCB) layout, design for excellence (DfX), design for manufacturing and test (DfM and DfT), component engineering, system architecture, product integrity, design validation, in-circuit test (ICT), and functional test engineering and development. Additional services include specific electrical, mechanical, and software design; mechanical design services; and software design services. Through the ZTC, Zurvahn provides local quick-turn engineering prototypes and full turnkey material handling for these prototypes through its proprietary Inovision Material Handling System (MHS). www.zurvahn.com.
Zollner Elektronik AG (Zandt, Germany) and EIT Inc. (Sterling, VA) will jointly expand the EMS provider's offerings, facilities, and sharing of resources. This agreement expands Zollner's resources in North America while providing EIT access to a global network of manufacturing & engineering capabilities designed for both organizations to better serve long-term customers and attract future growth throughout North America. The offices of Zollner Electronics Inc., the USA expansion of the Zollner Group, will be co-located within the corporate offices of EIT in northern Virginia, near Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). The facility will serve Zollner's U.S-based customers and introduce their portfolio of services and capabilities to OEMs based throughout North America. EIT's northern and southside Virginia-based manufacturing and engineering operations will support Zollner's customers new product introduction (NPI) and production needs domestically. Additionally, EIT expands its manufacturing footprint with access to Zollner's 15 worldwide manufacturing locations to support its customers. Read more about Zollner in this traceability case study, Consistent PCB Traceability with Data Matrix Symbols. www.zollner-electronics.com and www.eit.com.
U.K.-based end-to-end electronics design and manufacturing company Jaltek IDMS made significant investments in new equipment to support continued business growth. Jaltek IDMS installed several new systems at its Luton-based manufacturing facilities. These include a new vapor phase reflow system (Exmore VS500). Providing consistent repeatability and reproducibility, this system makes it possible to solder such disparate items as a 0.5-mm-thick PCB and an 18-layer circuit board simultaneously, suiting low-volume, high-complexity prototyping. It's ideal for highly complex boards using small BGAs, CGAs, chip on board (COB), and flip chips (FC) that can't go through a standard infrared (IR) reflow oven with the same degree of control and repeatability. This system is more environmentally friendly, using much less power and exhibiting low gas loss. A new five-axis X-ray inspection system (XTEC Revolution) was purchased to conduct 100% BGA and micro-BGA, multilayer board, and PCB solder joint inspection. Also recently implemented is an additional SMT line (MyData My19) dedicated to producing prototypes. This line is flexible, enabling fast change-over and placement of passive components to size 01005 and 0.3-mm BGA and 0.1-mm ball size. This line also allows the production of prototypes using strips and tubes of components rather than reels, resulting in a more cost-effective materials solution. The installation of a new stores carousel (Megamat) has also provided more compact storage space and has been essential in freeing up more space to meet the needs of business growth in "box build" manufacturing and assembly. These investments are part of an ongoing investment program being undertaken over the coming year and are all being funded from operational cash flow. www.jaktek.com.