UK Circuits invests in SMT equipment to meet growing demand

PCB specialist UK Circuits and Electronics Solutions (UKC) has extended its production capabilities through further investment at its state-of-the-art design and manufacturing facilities, as the business experiences a period of rapid growth.

The Manchester-based company has purchased XRHCount, a new revolutionary SMD component counter to improve processing speeds and increase production capacity in order to meet demand. The contactless machine uses X-ray technology and artificial intelligence by reducing costs of counting inside ESD bags by 95% and optimising cycle time.

The ready to use Plug and Play model comes with intuitive software and a globally proven database stored locally, requiring no system teaching to commence counting, boosting efficiency.

The system’s new generation model is up to 20% faster and counts within 8.5 seconds per reel, with a free Connectivity Suite ensuring an easy integration into customers’ existing systems, enabling integration of real-time data to the facility’s ERP system. Maintenance time is also reduced by implementing more access points for service technicians.

In addition, the business has also invested in an SMT ESE US-2000X Fully Automatic Screen Printer with an advanced design printing table to enable superior printing quality. With all major components controlled by high-precision servo motors, its in-line system with full camera vision alignment facilitates high accuracy (±12.5um @ 6 sigma) and repeatable printing (±25um @ 6 sigma). Featuring adjustable stencil rails and automatic motorised conveyor-width adjustment, for quick, easy changeovers, it has a cycle time of 10 seconds. Certified to 2D inspection standards, the latest model is designed for a PCB size of 50 x 50 ~ 550 x 400mm and 0.1mm ~ 5mm PCB thickness.

Offering an end-to-end full turnkey service, UKC provides design, rapid prototypes, manufacture, quality and testing for PCBs based at its 20,000 sq. ft facilities in Middleton, Manchester. Established in 1997, the company has since grown into a leading player in the contract electronic manufacturer's market, now servicing over 100 UK and global clients across a wide array of sectors including industrial, leisure, lighting, automotive, aerospace, telecoms and pest-control.

Marc Ellis, Managing Director of UK Circuits and Electronics Solutions, said: “As part of our future strategy to drive expansion, we have invested in further automation of our SMT lines. Given our high levels of demand we felt that it was particularly important to upgrade to the latest technology, not just to further enhance our capabilities but ensure all our client needs continue to be met.  During the pandemic we experienced an unprecedented period of growth and built a strong order book through both existing and new business, thanks to our agility in meeting customer demand during the chip shortage.

“The latest equipment will make significant improvements in processing speed, helping us increase efficiency as well as reduce downtime to bring significant benefit to the business, so the new investment is very important for the future of the company.”