Unique resource puts region's electronics industry on the global map
Unique resource puts region's electronics industry on the global map
A unique industry resource for electronics is helping to establish the Yorkshire and Humber region as an international hub for this dynamic industry.
Electronics Yorkshire is the country's only organization of its kind with industry-focused resources dedicated to developing the electronics sector. In just over three years, Electronics Yorkshire has created a network membership of nearly 500 businesses and as one of only three UK bodies accredited by IPC, the international quality assurance and training organisation, it is attracting both UK and European client companies.
Supported by funding from the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward,European Union ERDF and ESF, and the Learning and Skills Council, Electronics Yorkshire offers an unrivalled range of services and expertise to the region's electronics sector which comprises around 900 companies and employs nearly 25,000 people.
Electronics Yorkshire was launched in August 2004 and has its headquarters at Leeds in West Yorkshire. Over the past three years, it has expanded its operational base to include a sub- regional training facility housed within TWI's Technology Centre on the Advanced Manufacturing Park at Catcliffe in South Yorkshire and a network resource office on the University of Hull Campus in Humber. In addition, it has recently partnered Derwent Training Association in the setting up of a new electronics training workshop facility at Derwent's premises at Malton in North Yorkshire.
The Training and Technology Centre in Leeds houses some of the latest equipment used in electronics manufacture and inspection. As a result, it has successfully assisted numerous companies with product development issues and helped deliver solutions to many practical concerns of the industry. Along side this work, Electronics Yorkshire has created over 20 training courses focused specifically on supporting industry and helping it grow and develop.
Commercial Manager, Peter Brooks commented: “We are delighted with the impact we have made in a relatively short period of time. Our aim is to build on that success and help more electronics companies in the Yorkshire and Humber region to grow and become more competitive. We also want to continue to increase our reputation as one of the best providers of electronics training on both a national and international level.”
International training standards
Since, opening its technology and training centre in Leeds, Electronics Yorkshire has delivered around 2,300 student training days covering skills ranging from industry standard soldering techniques to advanced IPC instructor,working with nearly 400 companies in the process.
The staff development programmes offered cover soldering, product assembly,cable and wire harness assembly, rework of electronic assemblies and repair and modification of boards and assemblies, as well as PCB manufacture and acceptability. Electronics Yorkshire uses a range of hand soldering devices,predominantly OKi (Metcal), but also equipment from ERSA, JBC, Pace and Weller. The industry-standard soldering courses created to improve the skills and understanding of industry workers also conform to IPC J-Standard and enable students to competently carry out hand soldering as well as equiping them to understand and analyse solder faults.
Electronics Yorkshire is the only Master IPC-certificated centre in the UK offering five complete programmes at two levels. The IPC trainer level empowers instructors to train staff to work to the specified quality standards, whilst the application specialist level is for practitioners, such as quality staff line leaders, operational managers, assembly operators and design engineers. As a result, Electronics Yorkshire is playing a key part in the advancement of the electronics industry throughout the region and beyond.
One of Electronics Yorkshire's more popular courses at the moment is its one-day lead-free hands-on practical solder training session. Aimed at production, rework and engineering staff, it provides techniques for surface mount and through hole technologies as companies in the region continue to deal with the implications of the recently imposed RoHS Directive.
The organization's reputation for training standards is such that major companies from as far away as Finland, Hungary, Portugal, Turkey and Italy, as well as all around the UK, have regularly sent staff for training and it has also helped Remploy, the part government-funded provider of jobs for disabled people, in its development of bringing staff up to IPC standards. Electronics Yorkshire has also recently been awarded distributor status for IPC's products within the UK and been appointed official distributor of BSI Standards.
Technology centre with enhanced test equipment
Electronics Yorkshire's technology centre is a vital element in the organization's commitment to helping the electronics sector in Yorkshire and Humber to grow. It gives member companies easy access to specialised equipment on an “as needed” basis, saving them expenditure on high-cost capital equipment. The service has already proved its worth and helped members retain contracts across a range of sectors including aerospace and medical.
The last two months alone has seen investment in two new impressive devices including the installation of an X-Tek Revolution Microfocus X-ray inspection system and an ERSA BGA IR/PL 650A Rework System (Figure 3).
Figure 3 Electronics Yorkshire's new X-Tek Revolution Microfocus X-ray inspection system has recently been installed at its Technology Centre in Leeds
Specifically, designed for use within electronics production and failure analysis situations, the X-Tek Revolution features intuitive software making it easy to use and ideal for BGA, mBGA, package on package multi-layer board examination and PCB solder joint integrity inspection. The Revolution equipment can produce sectional three-dimensional images in samples up to 50mm2using a computer tomography process.
Meanwhile, the ERSA 650A is a rework station designed to handle the most difficult rework applications on heavy-mass PCBs and large format SMT assemblies in a lead-free environment – the system is practical to use and has rapid cycle times. The infra-red rework platform permits large-format PCBs to be worked and, with its heat zone capability, allows for a wide operating envelope for both leaded and lead-free BGAs and other complex package devices.
Other specialist advanced items of equipment available for on-site hire include a Votsch environmental test chamber and a Concoat MUST iiþsolderability test machine, along with high-quality inspection devices such as Vision Engineering's Lynx and Hawk systems and an ERSAscope. All of these allow companies to test and inspect their products to the highest of standards and,where necessary, make appropriate corrections using, for instance, in a reworking process, desoldering equipment from OKi, Pace or JBC. In addition, the training centre's 20 workstations carry a full range of hand soldering,component placement, reworking and inspection equipment for non-automatic procedures.
A further piece of equipment available at Electronics Yorkshire's Technology Centre is a Fisherscope XDAL X-ray spectrometer which carries out rapid elemental analysis of electronic components and PCBs. The detailed analysis from this machine shows accurately the percentage of each element and can be used for verification of harmful elements in line with the RoHS Directive as well as determining the surface thickness of plating, such as gold flash on PCBs.
Peter Burnley, Training and Technology Centre Manager said: “The Centre's aim is to provide members with an efficient, cost- effective way of resolving production problems using some of the very best equipment. For many companies the cost of installing this equipment would be prohibitive and yet they need to prove to customers that they manufacture and install to the highest international standards if they are to compete and grow.”
Environmental issues at the fore
Ensuring that companies understand how to operate in an environmentally aware manner has always been an Electronics Yorkshire priority and its popular Envirotronix programme is helping electronics companies in the region achieve best practice with regard to environmental issues.
Unique in its delivery, Envirotronix helps electronics companies deal effectively with environmental issues, such as RoHS and WEEE, and enables them to introduce responsible manufacturing processes. The full programme involves a specialist electronics and environmental team from Electronics Yorkshire visiting and working with each business participating in the scheme. The team oversees a diagnostic appraisal, the drawing up of a tailored action plan and provides advice on a means of achieving the anticipated goals.
The Envirotronix support programme features an easy-to-follow management manual or “roadmap” which is delivered free to participating companies through which they can apply a systematic and logged approach to improving existing processes and products. This feature also identifies any necessary modifications that firms should make to enable them to be confident of meeting current and emerging environmental requirements.
Among the matters covered by the programme are supply chain; design;disposal; skill levels within the business; export issues as well as others including those relating to batteries, energy-using products and use of some chemicals (REACH). Practical training courses for individuals, master classes for senior management and events involving groups of companies have also been introduced to support this environmental programme.
One example of a company which has benefited from this support programme is Leeds-based Sound Leisure, makers of the world's “ultimate video jukebox”. Sound Leisure was the first company to be honoured under the Envirotronix support programme and to mark its successful completion has recently received a special plaque from Electronics Yorkshire (Figure 4).
Figure 4 Pete Longley (right), Health and Safety Manager at Sound Leisure is pictured with Dave Williams (left) Business Development Manager at Electronics Yorkshire and David Lee, Sound Leisure's Production Manager
Pete Longley, Health and Safety Manager at Sound Leisure said: “As a major manufacturer in the field of digital leisure and entertainment products we are determined to achieve and maintain best practice and demonstrate compliance with all legislation. Electronics Yorkshire has given us tremendous support in achieving this and we are proud to be the first company in the region to receive the Electronics Yorkshire Envirotronix endorsement.”
A further 35 companies are currently involved in the full programme which is supported by Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency.
Success is set to continue
The success Electronics Yorkshire has achieved to date is set to continue as exemplified by the organization recently announcing the first partnership arrangement with the Technology Strategy Board's Electronics Knowledge Transf
Figure 5 Arthur Gillatt, Electronics Yorkshire's Chief Executive (left) is pictured with David Kynaston, Chairman of the Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network
er Network (EKTN) (Figure 5).
Knowledge Transfer Networks are initiatives of the former DTI and the Technology Strategy Board and are designed to promote specific market sectors or technologies by increasing or facilitating knowledge transfer into businesses to help realise best practice. The EKTN pulls together companies across the electronics industry, from research through to design and product development,including sales and operations, along with input from the university and higher education sector.
The partnership means that Electronics Yorkshire will support the activities of the EKTN in Yorkshire and Humber by facilitating events in the region,recruiting new members and acting as a communication channel between companies and the new network. In addition, the partnership will provide the EKTN with the opportunity to establish a presence with appropriate companies in the area.
The success of Electronics Yorkshire has been further highlighted by recently being short-listed for an “Investment in Education” award for its Educational Outreach programme. This initiative has been designed to stimulate interest and awareness in electronics at a young age and to reverse the trend of students to not pursue electronics or electrical engineering courses through to university.
As part of the programme Electronics Yorkshire's Mobile Training Unit has visited many schools and educational establishments in the Yorkshire and Humber region with around 450 pupils receiving practical electronics skills training through this stimulating new medium.
Electronics Yorkshire is committed to excellence in training, applying the highest standards to product development and quality assurance, and to helping regional companies compete through compliance awareness and implementation.
For further information, please contact: Electronics Yorkshire on 0113 274 4270 or visit www.electronicsyorkshire.org.uk
