News Release from: Gateway Design
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 25 August 2005

German equipment finds new Gateway to UK market

Gateway Design has recently signed an exclusive representative agreement with the German automated equipment manufacturer ACI-ecotec.

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Gateway Design has recently signed an exclusive representative agreement with the German automated equipment manufacturer ACI-ecotec. The deal covers both process equipment - including semi-automatic and fully automatic selective soldering machines (ecoSolder) - and assembly equipment - including micro-assembly and electronics assembly cells and production lines. 'We are looking forward to offering only the best quality German engineering to the UK industry', says Michael Gadd CEng of Gateway Design.

'Together with ACI-ecotec we always look forward to new challenges that such a dynamic industry constantly faces'.

Process equipment from ACI-ecotec is designed to overcome many of the problems by today's electronics manufacturers.

During PCB manufacture some components have strange geometries or are heat sensitive and therefore cannot be processed through conventional SMT wave soldering systems and reflow ovens.

This mixed PCB population can benefit from a programmable selective soldering machine that can provide automated soldering of PCB assemblies.

Depending on throughput requirements these systems can either be configured as a semi-automatic tool (using a twin drawer loading system to keep the 'wheels turning'), or alternatively can be configured as a fully automatic tool using conveyor systems to transfer and load the work in progress.

Fully automated solutions can also be used for integration into existing production lines.

All conveyor and production line systems should of course comply to the SMEMA 1.2 standards (Surface Mount Equipment Manufacturers Association - Mechanical Interface Standard) providing modularity assurance for integration into existing lines or for adding to at a later date.

ACI-ecotec has recently completed an installation of a selective soldering production line for Schrader Electronics producing the Smart Valve - a tyre pressure monitoring system used by some leading motor car manufacturers.

Selective soldering systems on offer include programmable point-to-point soldering cells and a compact tabletop system.

Compact systems and soldering heads (soldering end-effectors) are also offered as OEM solutions for system integrators.

Where underside selective soldering on PCBs demands a minimal amount of heat transfer that cannot be provided through a conventional wave system, a mini-wave solder bath can help.

Where low batch numbers are not cost effective for high-speed high-throughput systems mini-wave can offer a more cost effective solution.

For selective soldering of ribbon cables and flexible tracks onto PCBs, connecting parts, ceramic substrates and flexible circuits, there would clearly be a benefit to solder all contacts in a single process step, thereby increasing throughput and minimising heat transferred to the assembly.

Furthermore, if each step of the soldering-iron could provide a clean/virgin iron surface, this would provide a second clear benefit in quality.

A unique thermo-bracket protection system has been developed and is available to provide a clean contact tip for each solder cycle.

For applications or components that require safe nonabrasive cleaning, a system is available that can provide advanced selective cleaning using a unique carbon dioxide (CO2) snow jet nozzle.

This is the only system available that can provide true nonabrasive cleaning for sensitive parts, assemblies and PCBs.

This technology is available as a manual trolley-mounted system using a hand held pistol, or is available integrated into a semi-automatic or fully automatic process cell.

Assembly equipment from ACI-ecotec has a unique pedigree.

The southern Black Forest area of Germany, as with some areas of Switzerland, is well known as a focus for the watch-making industry.

This skill in producing high quality automated machines for the production of micro-assemblies can therefore be transferred to the development of high precision bespoke assembly machines used in the electronics industry, and indeed other industries that require the assembly of very small (1-2mm) parts.

All these options can be integrated into a standard production cell for integration into existing or new production lines.

'We welcome Gateway Design to the operations of ACI-ecotec, knowledge from the Black Forest watch maker industry area, for high-tech automation solutions', says Karl-Heinz Menauer, Managing Director ACI-ecotec.

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