Companies can now be visited again without any problems. Manfred Fink, Managing Director of LM Electronic GmbH & Co KG, Sigmarszell, used this opportunity to provide information about the current situation and present new machines.
The new VP 1000 vapor phase soldering system from Asscon at LM ElectronicThenew machines were purchased by LM Electronic to replace older ones that were getting on in years - the investment also helped to increase production capacity. The latter in particular is currently the order of the day: as Manfred Fink explained, although there was a slump in incoming orders in 2020, the high level of 2019 has already been reached again this year and the outlook for the future is positive.
The Sigmarszell site currently employs 25 people and assembles around 115 million components per year, serving around 125 customers. The company works with several SMT lines, which are used in a single shift. In addition to rigid PCBs - including extra-long ones up to 1220 mm in length - (continuous) films with widths of up to 500 mm are also assembled using the roll-to-roll process.
A new VP1000 vapor phase soldering system from Asscon has already been purchased this year, as well as a new GKG G-Titan printer and a Juki RX-6B pick and place machine. The printer and pick-and-place machine are designed for the desired even higher productivity and process quality. Among other things, the printer has an Optimum Paste Control (OPC) and a Quality Print Control (QPC) unit. The applicator has two heads, each with 12 suction cups, making it significantly more powerful than its predecessor.
LM Electronic has also improved the set-up concept: the feeders are now fitted with the component coils on an external, separate set-up station. When retooling the SMT lines, only the feeder trolleys need to be changed, which saves a lot of time compared to setting up directly on the placement machine. However, more feeders are required than before. LM Electronic has abolished the use of trays for component feeding. Now the components, if delivered in trays, are transferred from these into reels using a special device.
This fall, a new reflow soldering system from Rehm will go into operation at LM Electronic - so the updating and upgrading of the equipment will continue. Because, says Manfred Fink, this is the only way to master the future. In any case, the LM Electronic Managing Director is looking to the future with confidence.
