We’ve recently installed a fourth Mek AOI system at Projects Concern Manufacturing. The Johannesburg based EMS provider commissioned an iSpector HDL with Mek statistical control software including CS Center, Repair and Analyser. The system complements their existing 3 Mek systems.
Established in 1986, Projects Concern are established world class Contracts Engineering Manufacturers servicing the defence, aerospace, industrial, medical, mining, automotive, security and communications sectors, both locally and internationally.
Operating 5 highly flexible production lines in a 3600 square meter production facility, Project Concern offers complete electronic manufacturing services, from through-hole to ultrafine pitch and BGA. The company is a specialist in process control, adhering to international standards such as IPC-A-610c class III and ISO9002.
Sean Flynn, Project Concern’s Managing Director stated: “After a complete and thorough analysis of each machine available in the market, based on quality of inspection, we settled on another Mek System for our latest AOI requirements. As a company we are dedicated to flexible, high mix/low to medium volume manufacturing and required an equipment partner that could support this. Flexibility was paramount and ease of programming and continued support were also vital – we need a partner that stays abreast of technology developments and continues with innovative product development. “
With its high resolution top camera with telecentric lens, iSpector HDL reliably inspects SMT and THT component bodies for presence/absence, type, polarity, offset, text, colours etc. and components solder fillets for excessive, insufficient, no solder, shorts or lifted leads.
CS Center is the core of the Mek Catch System data management software and is responsible for data collection from one or multiple Mek inspection machines. CS Repair is used for post-classification, confirmation and repair of defects whilst CA Analyzer offers Statistical Process Control (SPC) for track-n-trace of inspected products. It is a complete solution to analyse defects, yield and repairs per batch, order, product, part, etc.
Flynn added: “We have a great project and ISO9000 tracking system to control our production flow which was written in house. With the statistical data that can be retrieved, the Mek systems and Catch Software suite have complimented this system enormously and helped us achieve our overall quality objectives.
Mek AOI systems have now been in operation in the Projects Concern facility for just over a year and during that period production throughput has increased, the number of failures reduced and the strain on inspection personnel significantly diminished.