ACDi Expands Capacity and Capabilities at North Carolina Electronics Manufacturing Plant

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ACDi, a leading electronics manufacturing services provider, expands manufacturing capabilities and capacity at its Nashville, North Carolina location with the purchase of a fully equipped high-speed Juki surface mount technology (SMT) production line. The new SMT line includes Simplimatic Magazine Loader and Conveying, MPM Momentum Screen Printer, Koh Young KY8030-3 3D Solder Paste Inspection, Juki FX-3L and KE-3020L Placement Systems, Heller 1913 MKIII Reflow Oven, and Koh Young Zenith Alpha 3D Automated Optical Inspection system.

The purchase of the newly acquired high-speed Juki SMT line was in response to current customer increasing demand, as well expanded capacity for future business development. “Of huge advantage with this SMT equipment acquisition is the added capability for high-speed placement while still offering the significant flexibility needed as a contract electronics manufacturing services provider,” commented Kim Boykin, ACDi NC Plant Manager.

“Maintaining consistency with the Juki platform leverages commonality between new and existing placement systems minimizing the learning curve for programming, setup, and operation, as well as feeder compatibility and production interchangeability between SMT lines.”

These procurements reflect ACDi’s ongoing commitment to strive for continual improvement in processes, capabilities, and performance to meet customer requirements and exceed their expectations.

The new Juki FX-3L high-speed mounter incorporating a 4 gantry/placement-head configuration, with 6 vacuum nozzles per head, is rated up to 90,000 cph with 240-8mm feeder capacity. The KE-3020 Flex placement system, with a single head and 6 vacuum nozzles, is rated up to 17,100 cph with a capacity for 160-8mm feeders. Both systems are capable of placing surface mount diodes down to 01005, while the largest component is 33.5mm x 33.5mm and 74mm x 74mm for the FX-3L and KE-3020L, respectively. Juki Advanced Network System (JaNets) operating system software will be incorporated integrating programming, setup, and operation across all SMT platforms.

Of added advantage is increased printed circuit board (PCB) length capability given built-in placement system indexing. The FX-3L can process PCBs up to 800 mm x 360 mm and the KE-3020L up to 1010 mm x 360 mm. This offers ACDi NC the ability to populate long boards used by most LED board designers. 

In addition to the new SMT line, ACDi purchased a Dage Assure X-ray Component Counter. To supplement expanded SMT production processing, the Dage X-ray counter increases current component count throughput by 6X, while ensuring a count accuracy of 99.9%. Thus, offering reduced indirect cost with increased productivity while avoiding downtime resulting from unanticipated part shortages.