Assembly Planbook - April 2008 - (Page 18) Assembly in Action Surface Mount Printer Doubling Company Output ounded in 1991, ProtoDesign Inc. (Utica, MI) is a mediumsized electronics contract manufacturer that specializes in shortrun product design and prototype production. The company prides itself on its production expertise, product quality and attention to detail, with customers in the medical, general industrial and security sectors. Recently, the company implemented a Horizon 03i screen printer from surface mount printing equipment manufacturer DEK International (Dorset, England). The addition of the advanced screen printer to ProtoDesign’s automated production line is expected to double the company’s production capacity in the coming year. “Prior to investing in the Horizon 03i, we were running a manual screen printing operation—the only piece of our SMT production that was still manual,” says ProtoDesign manufacturing manager John Zimmer. “When we decided to automate the preplacement process, we evaluated all the players in the screen printing business, and DEK’s solution just delivered more of what we need, a robust system with outstanding repeatability, an experienced team that can assist with applications requirements and a world-class customer support infrastructure.” The Horizon 03i features a robust printer frame for maximum mechanical and thermal stability, as well as DEK’s proprietary Instictiv user in- F terface and the ISCAN control network. The system is easily adapted to a variety of performance upgrades and offers tremendous manufacturing flexibility, particularly for companies that require high throughput and rapid changeover capabilities. “We realize that by DEK’s standards, we’re a small customer,”Zimmer says. “But the attention we have been given The addition of the screen printer is expected to double production capacity. thus far, and the expertise and professionalism displayed by the DEK team have [been excellent]. We couldn’t be more delighted with our decision, and we know our customers will be the ultimate beneficiaries of the Horizon 03i’s capabilities.” For more on electronics manufacturing, call 586-739-4340 or visit www.teampdi.com. For more on surface mount printers, visit www.dek.com or call 404-661-0348. By upgrading its printing capabilities, ProtoDesign Inc. has been able to double its potential production capacity. The Horizon 03i features a robust printer frame and advanced software to support high throughput and faster changeovers. 18 ASSEMBLY / April 2008 www.assemblymag.com http://www.teampdi.com http://www.dek.com http://www.assemblymag.com
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