Following the end of the coronavirus pandemic and the associated measures, a discussion was held with the medium-sized PCB manufacturer Optiprint about the general situation and what the company is doing to secure its future and increase its resilience.
Second Impex proX3 measuring machineAccordingto Hans-Jörg Etter, CEO of Optiprint in Berneck (Switzerland), and Gerhard Popp, Senior Sales Manager D, A, East Europe, business at the company, which specializes in high-quality printed circuit boards, has stabilized at a high level. The outlook is good. The fact that the supply situation for the materials required for production has now generally eased has contributed to this. However, there are still individual laminates with very long delivery times.
During the coronavirus pandemic, almost all industries faced the problem that products could not be produced and delivered to customers on time due to delays in deliveries. A number of purchasing departments have reacted to this and are now trying to agree penalties for late deliveries in their contracts with suppliers. However, this does not solve the problem (of complex, long supply chains) and cannot be accepted by a PCB manufacturer.
Optiprint primarily serves the growth markets of medical technology, security technology, telecommunications and aerospace technology. These markets demand not only technically sophisticated PCBs and specialties, but also reliability tests and long-term supply security. To this end, the equipment is continuously being expanded and upgraded and staff are being trained.
The following investments have been made in recent months:
- New Schmoll XRA3 X-ray drilling machine: It enables the entire surface to be processed in a single work step (measurement and complete processing of the drilling/milling program), better contrast for critically constructed PCBs (high number of layers up to 40), flexible positioning of holes and register marks (can be optimized for each layer) and the identification and reading of order data as 2D code or plain text using an X-ray camera
- Second Impex proX3 measuring machine to increase capacity
- CNC universal milling machine DMG MORI DMU 50 for processing metal parts that are integrated into printed circuit boards
- Buffer batteries for uninterrupted power supply to the mechanics and multilayer departments for several hours
- Atlas Copco QAS+ 450 diesel generator, which has an output of 450kW and thus enables full production operation for several days in the event of a mains power failure.
Schmoll XRA3 X-ray drilling machine
CNC universal milling machine DMG MORI DMU 50
Diesel generator Atlas Copco QAS+ 450
Other measures that have taken place in recent months include the dismantling of the HAL system and the conversion of the laser machine. The HAL system was no longer required as customers prefer NiPdAu surfaces and increasingly AgAu surfaces. The laser machine, which is located in the clean room area, was converted to pure water cooling in order to save energy.
Energy saving has been an ongoing topic at Optiprint for years and a lot has already been implemented, so that there is hardly any potential left. The energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine is a new challenge. Optiprint is one of the companies classified as systemically important and is therefore the last to be shut down in the event of power grid problems. Nevertheless, the company has prepared itself for temporary shutdowns or power interruptions and has installed backup batteries and a powerful diesel generator to ensure continuous production. Both have already proven their worth in the event of a power failure.
Measures to safeguard the future and increase resilience will also be implemented in the future, as sustainability is a top priority at Optiprint AG, which is family-owned.
