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Altus Supports Garner Osborne in Enhancing Component Management with Scienscope X-Ray Component Counter
April 8, 2025 | Altus GroupEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Altus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment in the UK and Ireland, has supported Contract Electronics Manufacturer, Garner Osborne Circuits to further strengthen its component management capabilities with the installation of the Scienscope AXC-800 III X-ray Component Counter, strengthening the company’s inventory control capabilities.
Having maintained a strong partnership with Altus for many years, Garner Osborne consulted with the company to identify the optimal solution for enhancing their component management system. As a specialist in high-mix, low-medium volume manufacturing, the CEM identified specific operational challenge to address including unexpected stock level discrepancies, time-intensive manual counting processes, and the need for more accurate vendor component verification.
Altus facilitated an on-site trial of the Scienscope AXC-800 III, allowing the Garner Osborne team to evaluate its performance under real production conditions. Steve Honeybun, CEM Operations Director at Garner Osborne, said: “It was invaluable to have Altus provide a unit for on-site testing. This hands-on experience gave us confidence that we were selecting the best system for our needs. Given our long-standing relationship with Altus, we knew their support would be a major advantage compared to lower-cost alternatives.”
The Scienscope AXC-800 III offers rapid counting of up to four reels in less than 25 seconds, automated label reading and printing via an integrated smart camera, and exceptional accuracy for counting strips and partial reels. With a pre-installed database covering a vast range of components, the system ensures consistency and reliability in inventory tracking. Its advanced X-ray technology and AI-driven algorithms enable an exceptional accuracy rate of 99.99%, even for the smallest components.
Joe Booth, CEO of Altus Group, said: “Scienscope had a record year in the UK, and we were delighted to support Garner Osborne in this investment. The AXC-800 III has the largest component library available, and seeing it deliver results in a high-mix production environment reaffirms its value. Garner Osborne has made a series of smart investments, and it’s been rewarding to support them in optimising their processes.”
Following a successful trial, Garner Osborne invested in the Scienscope AXC-800 III. The implementation has already delivered tangible benefits, including improved inventory accuracy, reduced line stoppages, and a more streamlined counting process, strengthening their position as a leader in the UK electronics manufacturing sector.
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Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/08/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007This week, I’ve selected some outstanding interviews that you’ll want to take note of. First, is a roundtable discussion featuring three dynamic industry cybersecurity experts. Please watch this important discussion that affects us all. Following that, I spotlight the IPC-2581 Consortium, which explains why IPC-2581 is the standard to replace Gerber data for manufacturing. Next, I am including my interview with PCBAA and AAM, who collaborated to release a short documentary on U.S. PCB manufacturing.
A Necessary Shift From Gerber to IPC-2581
05/07/2026 | Tracy Riggan, Global Electronics AssociationIPC-2581 is an open, vendor-neutral data exchange standard developed by the Global Electronics Association to streamline the exchange of PCB design information across fabrication, assembly, and test. It replaces multiple legacy formats—including industry standards, Gerber, and ODB++—with a single, comprehensive, XML-based dataset that captures all manufacturing details.
ViaSat-3 F3 Satellite Successfully Launches from Kennedy Space Center
05/04/2026 | BoeingBoeing mission controllers confirmed that the ViaSat-3 F3 (VS-3 F3) satellite is healthy in orbit following its successful launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at 10:13 a.m. ET from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.
Microchip Expands Post-Quantum Root of Trust Controllers
04/29/2026 | MicrochipAs the industry embarks on the transition to post‑quantum cryptography (PQC), Microchip Technology is expanding its portfolio of Trust Shield, PQC‑ready devices with the TS1800 Platform Root of Trust controller and the TS50x secure boot controller.
Is China Plus One Still Happening in the PCB Industry?
04/28/2026 | Manfred Huschka, Manfred Huschka Management Consulting (Shenzhen) Ltd.For much of the past five years, China Plus One has been shorthand for supply-chain diversification: reducing dependency on mainland China by adding manufacturing capacity elsewhere in Asia. In the PCB industry, however, in early 2026, it is more nuanced. It looks less like a clean geographic shift and more like a layered, capital-intensive rebalancing of global capacity, one that still leaves China deeply embedded at the center.