The Chemical Connection: Sales Organization from a Capital Equipment Perspective
Marcy’s Musings: From Pitch to PO—The Sales Stack
It’s Only Common Sense: Knowing When to Walk Away
Unimicron Germany Rises from the Ashes with New Smart Factory
April 30, 2018 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007 and Michael Weinhold, EIPCEstimated reading time: 9 minutes
Figure 10: Robot loading AOI machine.
Figure 11: AOI verification station.
Figure 12: Lay-up station with pin-less registration.
Prepreg was stored in a fully-automated clean-room at 6°C to maximise its shelf-life and avoid wastage. The material management system drew the required material from cold storage 24 hours in advance, to allow it to condition to ambient temperature before lay-up, and again all the handling was by robot. The whole lay-up operation was carried out in Class 1000 cleanroom enclosures.
Housed in their own enclosure were eight laminating presses—five heating and three cooling. One of the hot presses was capable of 400°C operation to enable fusion bonding of PTFE when required.
Figure 13: Press area.
From the automated breakdown stations, the press plates returned through a surface-brushing machine for re-use, and the bonded panels proceeded to a trimming and edge-dressing station. This machine attracted a lot of spectators as its robot presented each panel four times to the trimming guillotine, once for each edge, then placed it on a table and swivelled to present a milling head that polished the edges and rounded the corners—fun to watch!
Figure 14: Robot panel trimming and edge dressing.
Page 3 of 6
Share on:
Testimonial
"Our marketing partnership with I-Connect007 is already delivering. Just a day after our press release went live, we received a direct inquiry about our updated products!"
Rachael Temple - AlltematedSuggested Items
Designers Notebook: Basic PCB Planning Criteria—Establishing Design Constraints
07/22/2025 | Vern Solberg -- Column: Designer's NotebookPrinted circuit board development flows more smoothly when all critical issues are predefined and understood from the start. As a basic planning strategy, the designer must first consider the product performance criteria, then determine the specific industry standards or specifications that the product must meet. Planning also includes a review of all significant issues that may affect the product’s manufacture, performance, reliability, overall quality, and safety.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
07/18/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007It may be the middle of the summer, but the news doesn’t quit, and there’s plenty to talk about this week, whether you’re talking technical or on a global scale. When I have to choose six items instead of my regular five, you know it’s good. I start by highlighting my interview with Martyn Gaudion on his latest book, share some concerning tariff news, follow that up with some promising (and not-so-promising) investments, and feature a paper from last January’s inaugural Pan-European Design Conference.
Elephantech Launches World’s Smallest-Class Copper Nanofiller
07/17/2025 | ElephantechJapanese deep-tech startup Elephantech has launched its cutting-edge 15 nm class copper nanofiller – the smallest class available globally. This breakthrough makes Elephantech one of the first companies in the world to provide such advanced material for commercial use.
Copper Price Surge Raises Alarms for Electronics
07/15/2025 | Global Electronics Association Advocacy and Government Relations TeamThe copper market is experiencing major turbulence in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 50% tariff on imported copper effective Aug. 1. Recent news reports, including from the New York Times, sent U.S. copper futures soaring to record highs, climbing nearly 13% in a single day as manufacturers braced for supply shocks and surging costs.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
07/11/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineThis week, we have quite a variety of news items and articles for you. News continues to stream out of Washington, D.C., with tariffs rearing their controversial head again. Because these tariffs are targeted at overseas copper manufacturers, this news has a direct effect on our industry.I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week