Pick and place machines expand EMS provider

Electronics manufacturing solutions provider Mara Technologies has bought another four Assembleon pick and place machines as a base for its latest expansion.

Mara moved into a new building in May, and has a company philosophy of adding capacity before reaching a crisis point in growth to keep its customers happy with no interruptions in delivery or quality.

Mara Technologies focuses on both consigned and full turnkey operations and, in addition, provides a wide range of value added solutions for it's customers including test, design, supply chain, rapid prototype, metal fabrication, enclosures and a wide range of mechanical assembly.

The current focus is on low- to mid-volume high-complexity assembly for customers across North America.

The current operation is split approximately 50/50 between leaded and lead-free soldering processes.

Mara is well known for its high-complexity manufacturing capabilities as well as its dedication to customer service and support.

Mara took the decision on which equipment to buy at this year's Apex exhibition at Las Vegas in the USA.

The company ordered an Assembleon A-Series AX-501 and two M-series, MG-8R (ITF).

On top of the pick and place SMT equipment, Mara also purchased two Assembleon high-speed screen printers.

That made the exhibition a particularly successful one for Assembleon, expanding a successful relationship with an established customer.

Mara Technologies was incorporated in early October 2003 by Jack Vincken (President) and Frank Lam (VP of Operations), both well known in the contract assembly business.

They have been partners foraround 20 years, and have used equipment from a wide variety of different pick and place machine manufacturers over the years.

They found a suitable building in the Markham area and, after completely renovating it, bought their production equipment that included a new SMT line from Assembleon.

Production started in February 2004 with a high-mix/medium-volume SMT line consisting of Assembleon's Topaz Xi-II and Emerald Xi-II with tray sequencer - and a range of sequencing, axial, radial and DIP machines.

As soon as production started, there was so much interest from various customers that the two owners went off to the 2004 Apex show in California to look for more equipment.

In April, a new line was installed which more than tripled the placement capacity.

The first machine was at the time a new concept in high-speed placement - the Assembleon AX-501.

It uses multiple heads and simultaneously places over 100,000 components per hour (with size up to 18 x 18mm on tape) on a continuous flow of boards.

It was, according to Frank Lam, the first of its kind in Canada.

The second machine in this line was an Emerald Xi-II fine pitch machine with another tray sequencer.

Following further significant growth, in July 2007 a third line was purchased from Assembleon.

This line also consisted of AX501 with an Emerald Xi-II fine pitch machine and in line tray sequencer.

The current three surface-mount lines are in line with a Speedline MPM automated solder paste printer, and the two new lines purchased in Las Vegas will use the new Assembleon YGP screen printers.

Mara will be replacing the seven-zone reflow ovens currently in place with five new 10-zone Vitronix reflow ovens once the two new lines are installed in the new facility June 2008.

Mara has now grown to a mid-sise assembly house, specialising in complex PCBs.

Mara Technologies offers a full BGA service with a high-voltage X-ray machine and a semi-automated rework station for fine-pitch and BGA components.

To help achieve zero defect process capability, the company also uses a fully automatic optical inspection system.

Mara is an ISO9001-2000 registered company.

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