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Altus Group, a leading provider of capital equipment, has recently assisted BitBox, a UK-based electronics design, engineering and manufacturing company with over 25 years’ experience in upgrading its operations with the implementation of a new reflow oven from Heller Industries. The advanced system promises to further enhance BitBox's production capabilities by optimising throughput, refining process control, and increase energy efficiency.

With over 25 years in product design and manufacturing services, BitBox has consistently prioritised meeting the evolving needs of its customers. Recognising the importance of enhancing its Surface Mount Technology (SMT) reflow oven capabilities to align with growing demand, BitBox conducted a thorough evaluation process. Subsequently, with the help of Altus Group, the Heller 1826 MK7 was chosen as the ideal choice.

"The Heller 1826 MK7 delivers superior reflow oven performance through its extended heated tunnel, additional zones, faster throughput, and precise process controls," said Joe Booth, CEO of Altus Group. "We are pleased to provide this solution to support BitBox's manufacturing expansion."

The Heller 1826 MK7 is engineered to maximize process efficiency and control. Its advanced low Delta T design achieves industry-leading thermal uniformity across 8 heated zones, enabling enhanced product quality while supporting precise profiling within strict process controls. The innovative flux management system incorporates a proprietary flux collection design, trapping residue for safe removal without shutting down the oven.

Altus Group, a leading supplier of capital equipment for the electronics industry in the UK and Ireland, has added to their product line-up with MagicRay’s latest innovation in                                                                                                                                                                                       inspection, the V320 THT Pre-Reflow AOI system. The V320 is specifically designed for through-hole technology (THT) assembly processes and will enable comprehensive inspection capabilities for electronics manufacturers utilising THT components on their printed circuit boards.

Many UK companies still rely significantly on through-hole assembly, with skilled operators manually placing components before wave, selective or robotic soldering. This process risks human errors like component defects and solder faults. The MagicRay V320 THT AOI system addresses these quality challenges with intelligent pre-reflow optical inspection.

The V320 features a large field-of-view to efficiently inspect assemblies. Its dual-sided inspection capability allows it to examine both the top and bottom sides of boards for any defects. The system leverages AI-based programming and big data learning algorithms to accurately identify component polarity and automatically classify component types for detecting missing, incorrectly oriented, or misplaced parts as well as solder defects like bridging or insufficient joint formation with their other post reflow solutions.

"I'm really excited to offer the MagicRay V320 to our customers to increase quality and traceability for their through-hole assembly," said Jiri Kucera, Operations Director at Altus Group. "Many companies still populate a significant number of through-hole components manually, which increases the risk of human errors and defects. Whether customers need to detect polarity issues, missing components, or just want to increase traceability, the V320 provides a specialised solution to support quality for THT assembly."

With fast programming and automated capabilities, the V320 supports high-mix production and rapid changeovers inspection up to 10 applications simultaneously. It provides full traceability through integrated barcode scanning. The high-speed, non-stop inspection capability ensures quality while maximising throughput.

"We've already seen strong demand for this specialised THT inspection solution in the UK market. With the V320, our customers can leverage comprehensive AOI to control quality and reduce costs for their through-hole assembly processes," said Jiri.

The MagicRay V320 THT AOI system is available now from Altus Group. For more information, visit www.altusgroup.co.uk.

Altus Group, a leading distributor of electronics production equipment, has returned from the highly anticipated 2024 Southern Manufacturing & Electronics exhibition, held in Farnborough, with notable success. Building upon last year's achievements, Altus expanded its presence, showcasing eight key processes and the latest innovations in electronics manufacturing.

The highlighted technologies included the Koh Young Zenith Alpha HS+ AOI inspection solution for automated optical inspection. Altus also displayed the versatile KSMART software for collecting, analysing and optimising PCBA processes to improve quality and efficiency.

Additional advanced systems covered critical electronics production processes - from soldering, dispensing and inspection to board handling and assembly. Notable equipment on Altus’ stand included the Asscon vapour phase reflow soldering unit for lead-free soldering, the PVA precision dispensing technology making its Altus debut, the Quins inspection system for high-resolution image capture, and the YJ Link automated board handling system.

Essemtec’s Fox 2 multi-function SMT Assembly machine for high-mix, low-volume production lines and Promation’s modular robotic soldering solutions also drew great interest from visitors.

“We were pleased to showcase our expanded range of innovations in electronics production equipment at this year’s Southern Manufacturing exhibition,” said Joe Booth, CEO of Altus Group. “The exceptional engagement we received shows the increasing demand for advanced solutions as electronics manufacturers seek to improve quality, efficiency and automation in their production processes. The UK is a very optimistic place to manufacture electronics currently. The team look forward to many productive customer conversations and potential new partnerships moving through the rest of the year.”

With Altus achieving record UK and Ireland sales in 2023, they are poised for further growth from the connections made and sales initiated at the 2024 Southern Manufacturing & Electronics exhibition.

For further information visit www.altusgroup.co.uk

Altus Group, a leading supplier of capital equipment for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce notable sales achievements in partnership with ASSCON. Since joining forces in 2021 to bring ASSCON’s vapour phase technology to the UK and Ireland, their collaboration has led to significant market penetration and unprecedented year-over-year growth. Driven by increasing demand across key segments, they have seen record-breaking unit sales in 2023.

Altus’ decision to further enhance their reflow offerings with ASSCON's market-leading vapour phase technology has proven to be a strategic move. ASSCON's continuous innovation and commitment to technological advancement have resulted in a surge in demand for their products.

Last year, the UK and Ireland emerged as the top export market for ASSCON globally, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Altus Group team. Sales were predominantly driven by the popularity of ASSCON's flagship products such as the VP510 and VP800, alongside advanced systems including the VP6000 and the recently introduced inline VP2100-100, which thanks to its space-saving design, can be easily integrated into any assembly line.

The increasing demand for vapour phase technology stems from its ability to deliver exceptional results, particularly in applications requiring very low voiding and accommodating complex board designs with significant component thermal mass variance. This trend has been particularly pronounced in the Contract Electronics Manufacturing (CEM) market, where companies are looking to mitigate risks associated with future proofing for unknowns and voiding.

"It has been a breakthrough year for adopting vapour phase technology," said Joe Booth, Altus Group CEO. "Considering we only partnered with ASSCON in 2021, with no real expertise in process knowledge but a strong install base, it's incredible that through dedicated collaboration, we are now their number one global export market.

“We see Asscon as long-time industry partners, and we share pride in pioneering this technology locally and bringing its benefits to manufacturers across the UK and Ireland. With the current momentum, we are poised for an even stronger 2024.

Tobias Tuffentsammer, ASSCON Head of Global Sales, added: "Wow, what a year for ASSCON vapour phase sales in the UK and Ireland. We had high hopes given Altus' strong reputation before partnering, but 2023 really exceeded our expectations.

“We are extremely happy with our product portfolio and the investments we have made into R&D including the recently launched VP810 with its new options functionality and the VP2100-100 inline unit which has sold very well. By leveraging Altus' strong regional presence, our reach has expanded tremendously - allowing so many more manufacturers to benefit from ASSCON systems. This collaboration, enhanced by Altus' exceptional customer support resources, has proven to be a winning formula."

Altus Group, a leading supplier of capital equipment for the electronics industry in the UK and Ireland, is pleased to announce a new partnership for Kolb Cleaning in the UK and first order with Reading-based contract manufacturer Active-PCB Solutions Ltd. After a thorough evaluation process of several customer variants, the company has invested in a Kolb cleaning system to enhance its cleaning processes further.

The partnership originated from discussions between Altus Group and Active-PCB Solutions at the 2023 Southern Manufacturing and Electronics exhibition. As an established leader in the EMS market offering responsive, fast-turn solutions for small to medium-batch, high-complexity assemblies, Active-PCB Solutions were looking to add to their PCBA cleaning capabilities.

Active-PCB Solutions conducted an extensive review of options to ensure quality and reliability in its production cleaning processes. After careful consideration, the company selected the innovative Kolb PSE LH7, known for its impressive cleaning finish and technical performance. The decision was guided by the machine's capability to integrate both cutting-edge cleaning systems and chemistry, the detailed pre-sales communication, and extensive support provided by Altus Group, making the Kolb PSE LH7 the ideal choice for advancing their cleaning procedures.

“I am really pleased for Active-PCB Solutions and their team on this latest investment with us,” said Joe Booth, CEO of Altus Group. “They took a well-planned, thorough approach to selecting the right supplier and system. Kolb is an exemplary supplier that goes to great depths to explain not just the systems and chemistries they offer, but also the considerations and pitfalls of PCBA cleaning. This service makes a huge difference to our customers.

“We eagerly anticipate the installation of the new Kolb AQUBE® LH7, contributing to Active-PCB's ongoing commitment to maintaining and enhancing product quality.”

Luke Minnis, Manufacturing Product and Process Engineer at Active-PCB, added: "We are very happy to begin this partnership with Altus Group and invest in new cleaning technology. Throughout the project, Altus and Kolb have been great to work with. We’re looking forward to the new system enhancing our production and delivering great results. Based on the validation tests, and through our relationship with Altus, we feel confident in the ongoing support."

Kolb PSE LH7 is a fully automatic, high-volume cleaning system selected for its next-generation PCB cleaning capabilities. The two-tank, triple-circuit function configuration with ClosedLoop water reprocessing, ensures short cycle times and makes this system the perfect economical choice for the precision cleaning of assembled PCBs.

With a large capacity and quick cycle time, it will enable Active PCB to deliver finished products of the highest quality efficiently.

It strikes me that negative news and thoughts that turn the sky grey are more powerful; they hit more headlines, travel further, and linger longer than optimistic ones and turn the sky blue. I guess that is something about our mind set and evolution that I am not best placed to answer, however I am keen to share some of the positive news we see from the coalface of electronics manufacturing in the UK and Ireland.

I say in the coal face because Altus Group Ltd and Altus Electronics Ireland are in that position. Supplying electronics manufacturers with capital equipment and pre and post sales support services means our business is strongly tied to macro-economic trends. When the economy and demand is up, companies buy capital equipment to make the electronics in demand. When the economy is down, they don’t. This means we have a finger on the pulse of economic momentum far before it hits the headlines.

While there is a valid case for scepticism, I aim to demonstrate in the following paragraphs why there is ample cause for optimism. To provide some context, it’s worth noting that 2023 marked a historic milestone as our revenue reached an all-time high in the history of Altus Group in the UK and Ireland, with the preceding year having already set a record. This indicates that the market for investing in electronics equipment is thriving making a compelling case for our optimistic outlook.

This year has been a standout year for many reasons, but the most important factor for the success has been the re-shoring of production to our region. While the pandemic, de-globalisation, fuel price increases, and escalating global tensions are inherently contentious and challenging subjects, there is undeniable evidence of their significant impact in fostering the growth of manufacturing in the UK.

There has been re-shoring to local Contract Electronics Manufacturers (CEMs), of which there are many in the UK and Ireland, and investment in in-house capabilities by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Last year many new manufacturing facilities were established with more planned for 2024. This trend is significant as it not only benefits new staff and local community of the manufacturer, but also positively impacts the entire supply chain for the foreseeable future. The establishment of a single Surface Mount Technology (SMT) line and the construction of a new building at an OEM includes many economic activities, encompassing various trades; building materials, staffing needs, software development, legal services, accounting requirements, capital equipment procurement, component parts acquisition, consumables, contracted sub-assemblies, support for local businesses and a myriad of other interconnected elements.

The shortage of skilled labour exasperated by workers departing the UK for EU post-Brexit and amid the challenges of covid has meant that companies have made strategic investments in automation. This proactive approach aims to address gaps in availability of staff effectively. While capital equipment may carry the perception of being costly, it often represents a smart investment into automation enhancing production speed, improving quality, and reducing risk. It also frequently yields a quicker ROI than expected. Consequently, this makes the service more appealing to potential applications, paving the way for increased business from local, regional, or international markets in the future.

This amplifies the impact of re-shoring efforts as the price delta between local and the eastern manufacturing reduces. The investment in automation not only streamlines processes but also generates opportunities for higher-skilled roles which require more training and education, accompanied  by higher salaries, making the manufacturing industry more attractive to a younger demographic.

Moreover, there is an influx of young skilled people entering and leaving the education system making their mark in our industry. From diverse backgrounds including software development, electro-mechanical, mechanical, and entrepreneurial background, are acknowledging the ubiquitous presence of electronics in our daily lives.

The government has also taken long overdue steps to make our investment environment more competitive supporting capital equipment investments, further helping ROI, with the aim of increasing the manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP. The introduction of the super deduction to support capital equipment investments, together with ongoing tax relief schemes has enhanced the attractiveness of investing in capital equipment.

Many investment projects are benchmarked around a specific ROI duration. Undoubtedly, these incentives are playing a crucial role in reducing the timeline for achieving that return. There are also significant grants available in almost every region to fund projects, and some of my partners have been incredibly successful securing as much as 50% funding of investments. This level of financial support is particularly invaluable for small, privately owned CEMs, empowering them to augment their capabilities and better serve their end customers.

While it’s not always talked about, a pivotal contributor to recent successes in the regional electronics industry is our robust military manufacturing capabilities. It is an unfortunate reality that around the world, there is a consistent deployment of weaponry. Given the increased tensions and the rhetoric signalling a ‘war footing’, we are seeing unprecedented investments into military equipment to replenish what is being used, but also to stockpile in anticipation of escalating tensions.

Locally, industry giants like MBDA, BAE, Plexus, Ultra, and Thales are at the forefront of military manufacturing. Their high-tech products are in global demand and these OEMs strategically leverage in-house production and collaborate with high-end CEMs. The resulting contracts, known for their high value and long term nature, boost many manufacturing organisations in their supply chain. Although I would of course prefer more peaceful times globally, it is clear that this increase in military spending will have a profound impact on electronics manufacturing locally for a long time to come.

As I said from the start, there are certainly grounds for scepticism, and I acknowledge that the reality often lies somewhere in between the optimistic and pessimistic perspectives. However,  I hope that the insights shared above offer a glimpse into some compelling reasons to be optimistic about the future of electronics, coming from a company actively engaged in the industry across Europe. We remain hopeful that the momentum in the local electronics manufacturing market continues to build and 2024 will mark another record breaking year.