July 22, 2021 – Z-AXIS, Inc. (www.zaxis.net) has added an Ersa VersaFlow 3/45 selective soldering system at its electronics design and contract manufacturing center near Rochester, NY. The latest investment in manufacturing automation increases the company’s capacity and quality for mixed-technology printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies that are made in the USA.

The high-end selective soldering system, valued at more than $1 million, features three stages for board heating, fluxing, and mini-wave or multi-wave soldering. This allows for nine PCBs in process at one time for high throughput and high-volume applications. Offline programming and rapid change-over support Z-AXIS’ high-mix manufacturing business.

“The addition of the new selective solder machine is just a recent example of how Z-AXIS continues to evolve its supply chain management approach in response to the ever-changing global business environments and its customers’ evolving product life cycles,” said David Colangelo, Sales Manager at Z-AXIS. “Some of our customers feed their products into supply chains in new markets that require us to be flexible enough to respond to wide fluctuations in demand, we also have customers that deliver their products in fully gestated, stable markets where low-cost delivery from us is one of their highest priorities. Investing in automation is one of the ways that we maintain our responsiveness to the wide variety of customer needs we satisfy through the evolution of our supply chain. Higher profit achievement and reduced risk are goals we understand and share with our customers.”

DALLAS, TX ― July 2021 ― XDry Corp., a leading supplier of humidity-controlled storage cabinets for manufacturing, laboratories and preservation, today announced its association with Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN).

When the world’s leader in next-generation sequencing is using its technology to help the world track transmission, conduct surveillance, develop therapies and vaccines, and protect the vulnerable from COVID-19, the work needs to be perfect, leaving no room for error. Thus, it is essential that every piece of equipment it uses be of the highest caliber.

At Illumina, the goal is to apply innovative technologies to the analysis of genetic variation and function, making studies possible that were not even imaginable just a few years ago. It is mission critical to deliver innovative, flexible and scalable solutions to meet customer needs. As a global company that highly values collaborative interactions, rapid delivery of solutions and providing the highest level of quality, it strives to meet this challenge. Illumina innovative sequencing and array technologies are fueling groundbreaking advancements in life science research, translational and consumer genomics, and molecular diagnostics.

When Illumina needed to improve its staging of material by having perfect humidity control, high-resolution, overall low achievable %RH and fast recovery, it went to XDry.

“XDry has been integral to Illumina’s process for years,” commented Jose Romero, Process Development Engineer, Illumina. “Kevin and the XDry team have been great and easy to work with. Any questions I had, he would respond promptly and diligently. Purchasing equipment and setting up have been straightforward and easy thanks to the XDry team.”

XDry cabinets are the perfect solution for printed circuit board and moisture-sensitive component storage. XDry humidity-controlled storage cabinets are self-contained, low maintenance storage systems. There is no need for nitrogen or compressed air, just plug into the wall and they are ready to go. XDry storage cabinets satisfy standards such as IPC/JEDEC J-STD-033 and IPC/JEDEC J-STD-020. The cabinet environment can be maintained from ambient to 1% RH, providing constant, stable storage at precisely the RH level desired.

For more information, visit www.XDry.com.

About XDry Corp.

XDry has more than 15 years of experience manufacturing dry cabinet storage systems. Founder Kevin McCarten was an early pioneer in the design of humidity-controlled storage – also known as auto-electronic desiccator storage cabinets. XDry offers a wide selection of dry storage cabinets to choose from, including storage for printed circuit boards, moisture sensitive devices (MSD), optics, laboratory equipment, industrial equipment, collectables, media and more. For more information, visit www.XDry.com.

Mek (Marantz Electronics), a leading provider of Automatic Optical Inspection solutions and Solder Paste Inspection systems, has appointed Austin Jones as their new Sales Engineer for the North American geographic region.

In his new position Austin will be based in Florida, report directly to MEK Europe and work side by side with the sales rep network. He will assume an array of responsibilities that will facilitate sales growth and extend customer support for Mek AOI in the USA. Acting as the primary customer point of contact he will be answering technical enquiries and demonstrating the impressive capabilities of Mek products helping to grow the brand and establish MEK as a leader in AOI systems.

After receiving a Bachelors in Geographic Information Systems with a minor in Business Administration in 2016 from the University of Florida, where he specialized in satellite imagery analysis, Austin began his career in the defence industry with Leidos Corporation, performing satellite imagery analysis for a group of United States intelligence agencies. From Leidos he moved into the world of Aerial LiDAR, where he wore multiple hats: calibrating and troubleshooting plane sensor equipment, analysing and processing raw 3D LiDAR data, and managing flight operations.

His most recent role was as Senior Associate, Production Operations for the F-35 Program at L3Harris Technologies Corporation where he managed the manufacturing of high-performance electronics for the F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, leading assembly technicians and engineers to meet production goals.

Henk Biemans, Managing Director of Marantz Electronics, commented “Austin joining the Mek team will be highly beneficial as his boundless enthusiasm and experience in demand creation and engineering solutions sales will be instrumental in the continued growth of our key markets in North America.”

www.marantz-electronics.com

About Mek (Marantz Electronics Ltd)

A former division of Marantz well known for its high quality Audio/Video products, Mek Japan (Marantz Electronics Kabushiki Kaisha), developed its first AOI system in 1994. Developed to inspect PCB assemblies for correct component placement and soldering, the company’s original AOI system was designed for use in Marantz factories. Proving to be a highly successful, cost-effective alternative to traditional human inspection, Mek developed its first generation commercial system in 1996. With a steadily growing installed base, MEK Japan and its European/American headquarters, Mek, have sold over 8000 units worldwide to date. Well established as a leading force in AOI technologies and 5D post-print SPI systems, the company now also manufactures Conformal Coating Inspection systems drawing on the proven technology.

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (July 20, 2021) – ADCO Circuits’ culture of excellence is reflected in its continuous capital investments that provide customers with unmatched quality, on-time delivery, and a culture of precision and accuracy. ADCO’s most recent investment is three brand-new, world-class Yamaha YSM20R surface mount machines. With the world’s fastest mounting speed in its class, the machines feature a new wide-scan camera with improved component adaptability.

ADCO’s three flexible high-speed production lines feature top-of-the-line equipment that incorporates solder paste inspection (SPI) and automated optical inspection (AOI). These technologies allow customers to optimize boards, which minimizes defects and maximizes accuracy.

Before the current capital improvements in the SMT line, ADCO’s entire equipment list experienced upgrades. ADCO has an impressive suite of equipment, including Koh-Young SPI, Yamaha pick and place machines, Yamaha post reflow 3-D AOI, and X-Ray for fine pitch SMT and BGA components. ADCO also offers through-hole soldering via two Ersa select-wave lines and one Electrovert wave line.

“This capital investment allows us to keep abreast of the continuing miniaturization and complexity of electronic components,” says Marc Damman, ADCO’s Vice President of Sales. “The complex industries we serve, like aerospace, medical device, and defense, rely on our consistency, accuracy, and precision. Our continued investments in equipment, people, and processes allow us to stay ahead with quick handling of today’s component challenges.”

ADCO’s pristine 53,000 sq. ft. facility and its advanced equipment set it apart from other leading high-performance manufacturers and assemblers. Automation throughout the plant includes component storage, paperless documentation, and robotics.

Of particular note are the six automated vertical storage units that span 18.5 feet high and create enormous material handling and data management efficiencies. In addition, automated reel counters and bar code labeling support WIP inventory counts. ADCO’s fully automated warehouse capabilities benefit customers by ensuring superior levels of accuracy and efficiency with every order.

About ADCO Circuits

ADCO Circuits, Inc., established in 1981 in Rochester Hills, Michigan, provides electronic circuit board assembly and module services to a wide range of companies in the industrial, medical, automotive, telecommunications, and aerospace/military equipment markets. As a full-service turnkey supplier of custom electronics, ADCO provides support from design and prototyping to new product introduction and full-rate production. Its state-of-the-art, 53,000-square-foot facility handles low- to medium-volume assembly and test. Advanced capabilities include an automated stockroom, automated selective soldering, and Flex-SMT lines with STI and AOT and off-line X-Ray. ADCO Circuits is IS0 9001, AS9100, and IATFI6949 certified, and ITAR and GIDEP registered.