Mek (Marantz Electronics), is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Founded in Japan, we have thrived thanks to a relentless emphasis on quality and innovation. With a worldwide installed base of more than 8,000 Automated Optical Inspection machines, the company has a proven track record of delivering excellence in AOI around the globe.
Well known for high quality Audio/Video products, Marantz, then part of the multinational technology company Philips, developed its first Automatic Optical Inspection system in 1994. Developed to inspect PCB assemblies for correct component placement and soldering, the AOI system was designed for use in Marantz’s own factories. Proving to be a highly successful, cost-effective alternative to traditional human inspection, Marantz released its first-generation commercial AOI system in 1997, the table top M22X AOI system.
Our quarter century in AOI technology has been marked by a long list of milestones; pioneering 24-bit imaging technology from the beginning for maximised production yields, one of the first desktop AOI systems in different sizes, the first AOI system with 18 cameras and Z axis, the first Bottom Up AOI system and the first Bottom & Top parallel synchronized AOI system for THT and SMT. The ISO-Spector 5D SPI and AOI line was first introduced in 2011, and the most recent full 3D AOI systems boast Artificial Intelligence and the fastest programming times in the industry.
As AOI technology has changed Mek has remained at the forefront. 25 years ago, SMT AOI was only just emerging, its potential unfolding. Increasing demand for miniaturization of printed circuit boards and lower acceptance of issues and defects has fuelled the growth of the Automated Optical Inspection market. More recently the 4.0 revolution and the move towards Smart factories has seen an increase in the demand for highly efficient networked AOI systems, and Mek continues to deliver.
Today we have a global reach; European headquarters were established in 2002 and American Headquarters in 2014, supported by an established and respected worldwide distribution network.
We are delighted to be celebrating this important anniversary and look forward to building on the success of the first M22x. The Mek focus over the coming years will be to further develop compact bottom-up 3D automated optical inspection systems, inline THT AOI and advance Smart factory integration.