Assembly In Action: EMS Company Future-Proofs Operations

Current success has JJS Electronics Ltd. looking to the future. The UK-based electronics manufacturing services company has decided it’s time to accommodate recent growth with a print platform that is configurable and adaptable.

DEK’s Horizon 03i print platform features HawkEye print verification technology, which can be configured to assess 100% of printed boards. Photo courtesy DEK.

Following a comprehensive evaluation process and feasibility study, JJS selected the Horizon 03i print platform by DEK, primarily because it helps JJS meet those two critical challenges of modern manufacturing. The EMS specialist also likes the platform’s HawkEye print verification technology, which can be configured to assess 100 percent of printed circuit boards. The machine uses streamed images to quickly record pass-fail indications for each board, meaning faulty boards can be automatically isolated in real time.

JJS Electronics has manufacturing facilities in Lutterworth, England, and Chomutov, Czech Republic. Part of the Paragon Electronics Ltd. Group, JJS Electronics’ services include design for test and manufacturing, PCB assembly, mechanical assembly and system assembly. The company serves a wide range of industries, including communications, industrial controls, IT, medical and scientific instrumentation.

“We’ve worked with DEK for many years now, which is why we immediately considered them when looking to enhance our manufacturing capacity,” says JJS surface-mount production and planning manager Frazer Hayton. “The Horizon’s inherent flexibility was fundamental to our final decision since we were able to configure the machine precisely around our needs. Plus, we can upgrade it in line with our production challenges into the future.”

The Horizon 03i has a minimum core cycle time of 12 seconds, which is the maximum line beat rate for downstream processing. The platform has a process alignment capability of 2 Cpk. It accepts stencil frames as large as 29 by 29 inches, and it has an active printing area of 20 by 20 inches. The tooling table accepts a variety of board-support options.

“I’m extremely pleased with the performance of the platform,” says Hayton. “It’s living up to our expectations, and the service and support we have experienced have been great. I am confident that DEK will continue to support us into the future with evolving processes and technology advances.”

For more information about advanced materials deposition technologies, call 847-368-1155 or visit www.dek.com.

Jim was a senior editor of ASSEMBLY and has more than 30 years of editorial experience. Before joining ASSEMBLY, Camillo was the editor of PM Engineer, Association for Facilities Engineering Journal and Milling Journal. Jim has an English degree from DePaul University.

The ASSEMBLY Show South

ASSEMBLY is thrilled to return to the Music City Center in Nashville, TN for The ASSEMBLY Show SOUTH on May 1-2, 2024. This is a booming time for manufacturing and the U.S. South is right in the heart of the action. According to ASSEMBLY’s most recent annual capital spending survey, the South is projected to account for 31 percent of total spending this year, marking the fifth straight year this region has accounted for at least 30 percent of capital spending in the U.S.

In this session, manufacturers will learn how Quality function deployment (QFD) can transform consumers’ qualitative demands into quantitative parameters that will shape the design of their product and, ultimately, their manufacturing process.

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