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www.us-tech.com
June, 2021
LED ODM Audax Improves Capabilities with ASM’s E by SIPLACE
By Michael Skinner, Editor
Paulo, Brazil-based ODM conceives and builds what it refers to as “light engines” — solid state lighting technologies that enable LED fixture OEMs and integrators to deploy next-generation LED designs in a range of markets, including architecture, horticul- ture, automotive, refrigeration and, more re- cently, for UVC disinfection to address COVID pathogens.
N
From the Ground Up “A few years ago, three engineers — two
partners and I — took a risk, saw an unful- filled market need and started Audax,” shares Victor Malassise, co-founder and di- rector at Audax, who began his engineering career in the automotive electronics sector. “Unlike a traditional contract operation
that performs PCB assemblies to supplied specs, we are technology innovators, collabo- rating with customers on mechanical design, optical simulation, thermal evaluation, elec- tronic design and, of course, integration and assembly. And, because of our strategic Brazil manufacturing location and US-based warehouse facilities, lead times are very short — giving our local and North American customers an advantage versus sourcing from other global regions.”
The Audax team with their new E by SIPLACE pick-and-place system.
pand, it soon realized that a shift in pick-and- place technology would be required to achieve its ambitious goals and meet produc- tion flexibility requirements.
Finding a New Solution A low- to medium-volume, high-change -
over facility, equipment that can enable maxi-
MODEL 802 TABLE TOP HOT/COLD TEST HANDLER
• Optional-55°C to +155°C minimum working range.
• Handles all device types, 1.6mm x 1.6mm –60mm x 60mm.
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www.exatron.com 1-800-EXA-TRON 1-408-629-7600
ot yet 10 years old, Audax Electronics (Audax) is making a name for itself in the LED design world. The young, São
Starting from ground zero in 2012, Vic-
tor and his partners rented a small ware- house, bought some older-generation equip- ment and the rest, as they say, is history. Au- dax has seen 51 percent growth since its in- ception and, as the company continued to ex-
mum uptime with the ability to manage a wide component range is essential to Audax’s future success. When capacity expansion was required in 2017, Audax added a second of its originally sourced placement platforms, but the result was not as anticipated, and it be- came challenging to escalate the business to the level the partners envisioned. “We experienced several challenges,”
Malassise explains. “Changeovers were cum- bersome, as set-ups required line stoppage to write the program, which ate into valuable production time. In addition, we needed to build 4-foot long boards and accurately place a new generation of small, complex CSP-like LEDs. The platforms had difficulty with these dimensions and reliable placement of the de- vices. Plus, it became very apparent that our business would benefit from aligning with a supplier partner that can provide local sup- port and simple spare parts access.” After weathering the first phase of the
pandemic and seeing production volumes steadily growing, the founding partners de- cided an equipment change was required. Evaluating more than five placement brands in total, Audax eventually selected ASM’s E by SIPLACE to form the heart of its third SMT production line. “The local, Brazil-based ASM team was outstanding,” recalls Malassise, who empha- Continued on next page
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