Contax helps Lema Electronics quadruple their production capacity

Contax helps Lema Electronics quadruple their production capacity

Keywords: Electronics industry, Assembly

South Hampshire-based Lema Electronics, the precision and quality electronics assembly manufacturer, has quadrupled its production capacity after ordering a new system and upgrade from production automation specialist, Contax.

Lema Electronics has just purchased a new Essemtec CSM7000 Plus automatic pick and place machine, and has upgraded its existing Essemtec system to double its production speed.

Lema Electronics specialises in manufacturing both boards and finished product for a range of industries including water management, security, telecoms and electro-medical.

Explained Martin Ball, Director at Lema Electronics, “In the last 2 years we have experienced nearly 30 percent growth in SMD assembly alone. Just over two years' ago we purchased an Essemtec automatic SMD placement system from Contax to replace a semi- automatic system, and we have already outgrown it”.

“We therefore approached Contax again with our new requirements, and they recommended the latest Essemtec CSM7000 Plus, and could upgrade our existing system to the same specification therefore doubling its speed. Contax then ensured that the two systems were 100 percent compatible”, he said.

Designed for medium and low volume as well as prototype production, Lema's typical batch sizes vary from 5,000 to 250,000 placements, the CSM7000 Plus exceeds the latest IPC standard 9850- 6-8, with operating speeds of upto 3,500 parts per hour. It also provides the flexibility and ease-of-use that Lema requires to handle small to medium sized batches. Components are picked up by a vacuum nozzle and placed accurately on the PCB, whilst the laser centring system measures the component for accuracy of placement and readjust the machine accordingly, if required. The system has a small footprint of 1,320 mm²including feeders, and can accommodate up to 100×8 mm tape feeds.