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www.us-tech.com
September 2026
Keeley Electronics Accelerates Production with Manncorp High-Speed SMT Equipment
By Chris Ellis, Sales & Operations Manager, Manncorp K
eeley Electronics is in- creasing SMT production capacity to keep pace with
growing demand for its guitar ef- fects pedals, including the re- cently launched Tube Drive. The company upgraded its assembly line by replacing two existing pick-and-place machines with Manncorp MC388HS high-speed systems. Each MC388HS features 10
placement heads and throughput of up to 22,000 components per hour, providing approximately a 10% speed increase over Keeley’s previous equipment. The ma- chines also incorporate laser measurement technology for tape feeder and PCB heights, helping streamline setup and im- prove placement accuracy. The additional capacity ar-
rived as Keeley prepared for one of the strongest product launches in the company’s history.
Record Demand for Tube Drive
Keeley recently offered a special presale of 100 individual-
ly numbered Tube Drive pedals equipped with rare 1950s Sylva- nia 12AT7WA tubes. The limited run generated the highest sales
pedals during an intensive three- week production period. Each Tube Drive contains two densely populated circuit
drive functions within a single enclosure. With two 10-head MC388HS
machines operating together, Keeley can populate both circuit boards simultaneously. The in- creased throughput helps the company meet production re- quirements while freeing addi-
With two 10-head MC388HS machines operating together, Keeley can
populate both Tube Drive circuit boards simultane- ously while preserving valuable production time for new product development.
Keeley Electronics’ three Tube Drive editions, featuring vintage and custom vacuum tubes.
velocity in the company’s history, according to Keeley, reaching ap- proximately $1,000 per minute for 43 consecutive minutes be- fore selling out. Broader demand required
the company to manufacture ap- proximately 1,200 Tube Drive
boards. The main board incorpo- rates Keeley’s custom switch- mode power supply, which in- creases the pedal’s standard 9V input to more than 160V. A second sub-panel board
contains two separate overdrive circuits, providing two distinct
tional equipment time for proto- type builds and new product de- velopment. “Now with the two 10-head
machines, we can build both boards at once, leaving plenty of time to prototype new ideas be- cause of the increased production speed,” says Robert Keeley.
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