Pick-and-Place Machine Boosts Flexibility of EMS Provider
Telecom-industry leaders Nokia Corp. and Alcatel-Lucent know the importance of quality work and long-term relationships. So it is no surprise that both have been regular customers of well-known electronic manufacturing services (EMS) provider Kyrel Oy for more than a decade.
Based in Kyroskoski, Finland, Kyrel Oy is a division of Kyrel, which was founded in 1978 as a manufacturer of electronic appliances. The EMS division began in September 2003 when Kyrel acquired the manufacturing equipment and materials from nearby Flextronics International Ltd. and negotiated to continue manufacturing for local customers.
EMS-related services include surface-mount-device assembly, through-hole assembly, reflow and wave soldering, electronics repair and selective conformal coating application. Kyrel’s other divisions perform wire and cable harness assembly, logistics and IT, mechanical assembly, testing and electromechanical assembly.
Besides telecommunications companies, Kyrel Oy’s customer base includes Finnish and global companies in industrial, consumer, medical and military electronics. In addition, the company serves automotive and LED lighting companies.
This past spring, Kyrel redesigned its 75,000-square-foot production facility so it better suited the company’s increasingly higher-mix production schedule. It also focused on finding a new platform for PCB manufacturing.
“With an ever-increasing mix of products, it was time to improve on the limited capabilities of our existing equipment,” explains Simo Parhankangas, managing director of Kyrel. “The equipment was achieving only a fraction of its specified throughput as our needs became more diverse. We needed a solution that would build a full range of applications, maximize our overall equipment effectiveness, and provide us peace of mind by leveraging mature technologies.”
Parhankangas says Kyrel was most impressed with the Fuzion platform made by Universal Instruments Corp. and installed two models: the XC2-37 and XC2-60. Both platforms have improved the company’s equipment utilization and output. Equally important, the platforms’ software suite allows Kyrel to quickly setup or change manufacturing programs.
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“The Fuzion platform is ideal for us,” says Parhankangas. “It combines a flexible architecture, built on a proven positioning system, with software tools that let us efficiently serve our customers today and into the future.”
The XC2-37 has a maximum throughput of 43,000 chips per hour. It features 272 8-millimeter-wide feeder inputs and accepts several types of inputs including strip, tape, tube, odd-form and tray. The platform handles 150-millimeter connectors and parts up to 25 millimeters high. It also is equipped with an upward-looking vision system.
The XC2-60 has a maximum throughput of 66,500 chips per hour. It features 264 8-millimeter-wide feeder inputs and can handle components up to 30-by-30-by-6 millimeters.
Both models accommodate boards up to 1,300 by 610 millimeters. The platforms use 5 kilograms of force to place standard chips, odd-form components and 01005 passive components.
For more information on PCB manufacturing platforms, call 800-432-2607 or visit www.uic.com.
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