Premier Integrated Design and Manufacturing Service (IDMS) provider Jaltek has installed a dedicated prototyping line at its Luton facility in the UK. Designed specially to handle even the smallest 01005 components, this line is part of Jaltek's ongoing investments in leading-edge services for the European electronics industry.
After in-depth evaluations, Jaltek selected a MYDATA system for its advanced handling capabilities, placement speeds and minimal changeover times, all of which are essential for Jaltek's highly regulated niche markets. "With the amount of work we are doing on FPGA designs, and with our activities in aerospace and advanced portable electronics products where space and weight considerations are key, we are increasingly handling devices down to 0201 and 01005", explains New Business Manager David Sproule.
While the fast, reliable handling of small form factor components is essential, the new line also streamlines the prototyping process through faster set-up and changeover times and intelligent, flexible component management and handling, allowing Jaltek to cut its prototype turnaround times by 60%. Given that prototype boards will typically go through several iterations, this is clearly a significant advantage for Jaltek and its clients.
Jaltek's impressive prototyping capabilities are flanked by equally impressive design and manufacturing services. Core design competencies in FPGA and DSP design, High Frequency RF, and complex mechanical assemblies, allow Jaltek to offer cutting edge design, analysis and simulation, while long experience in manufacturing enables it to produce even the most complex assemblies such as complex double-sided PCBs with µBGAs and 01005 components. It also provides a wide range of advanced inspection and test techniques.
Jaltek has further enhanced its in-house capacities through strategic partnerships with a software provider and a lower cost eastern European manufacturing services provider, placing it firmly alongside Europe's leading Tier-1 Electronic Manufacturing Service (EMS) companies. Indeed, growing numbers of clients, on discovering the breadth and depth of Jaltek's service offering, are asking Jaltek to handle their entire process, from concept design to end product.
"There is a lot to be gained from keeping everything under the same roof – including simplified tracking and transition issues, and more importantly, the shorter learning curve between NPI and volume manufacturing", says Sproule, but he stresses that the real strength of Jaltek is as an enabler. "Our offering is uniquely open ended, allowing clients total freedom in selecting the service they need, at the level they need it, be it design, prototyping, NPI, software design or volume manufacturing".
As if to underline its open structure, Jaltek has recently invested in state-of-the-art manufacturing data control software that provides all the integrated information necessary to ensure seamless transition from NPI at Jaltek to volume production anywhere else. In this way, clients are free to combine Jaltek's services with those of a Tier-1 or Tier-2 Electronic Manufacturing Service (EMS) provider without compromising manufacturing or product quality, or, just as important, their supplier relationship. Similarly, Tier-1 and Tier-2 service providers themselves can improve the speed, flexibility and breadth of the service they provide to their UK customers by combining Jaltek's local NPI and prototyping services with their own volume production, wherever it is in the world.
Since its inception, Jaltek has grown year-on-year, re-investing its profits in industry-leading equipment and people, to the point that today, it ranks alongside Europe's top Tier-1 EMS providers. With its new prototyping line and a business strategy that is every bit as innovative as the markets it serves, Jaltek looks set to continue the growth trend well into the future.
