Page 20
www.us-tech.com
October, 2017 ElEctronic Mfg SErvicES
Fuji’s AIMEX III Makes High-Tech Requirements Easy for CRI
By Maureen Neisess, Business Manager, C.R. International T
o meet more challenging manufacturing re- quirements for military, government and space agency projects, C.R. International
(CRI) recently purchased a Fuji Aimex III platform. The company needed to upgrade its capabilities for prototyping and small parts placement, while achieving higher overall accuracy and through- put. It faced a dilemma trying to balance high- tech requests, quick-response jobs and proto- type work. Running a small business, CRI pres- ident Jeff Neisess had to monitor his budget carefully, keep his commercial customers happy and be aware of the space in his 18,000 ft2 (1,672m2) manufacturing facility. CRI has a long history with military and
government customers. The company was founded in 1981 and originally produced com- munications equipment. Early products ranged from protocol adapters to special-pur- pose radio/telephone interface devices. The company’s early contracts were for secure voice and data devices, fiber optics and portable communications equipment. The company and its staff worked to meet federal security requirements and gained valuable experience dealing with the military.
CRI’s High-Tech Roots When the need for automated assembly
equipment became impossible to ignore in the
CRI’s Mark Feldman, surface mount foreman, and Monty Noblezada, senior SMT engineer, prepare a job for the Fuji AIMEX III placement platform.
mid-1980s, CRI moved to a larger facility and in- vested in capital equipment. As a result of its in- creased manufacturing capabilities, the company was able to secure business opportunities in the private sector as well, providing “build-to-print”
assembly and engineering services for large telecommunications companies. As the company’s reputation for quality grew,
it supported more commercial customers, creating prototypes and while producing everything from temperature sensors to the polytechnic actu- ating board assemblies for the mars rover landing tests. This success has come from the company striving to be one step ahead of its competitors and meeting the toughest re- quests under serious time constraints from demanding customers. Management had to continue to think
ahead while maintaining the company, locat- ed between Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland. This location was chosen since it is a key corridor for high-tech commercial clients, university research, medical device and prosthetic development, the military, and NASA. CRI engineers also visit customers on site, which sets the company apart from oth- er small manufacturers and allows close working relationships.
Strengthening the SMT Line When the company began looking for var-
ious surface mount technologies to add to its existing lines, Ted Hersey, Fuji America Cor- poration’s eastern regional sales manager, had
Continued on next page
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124
