October, 2017


www.us-tech.com Continued from previous page


the right materials. The flexible AIMEX III plat- form appeared to be a perfect fit. Hersey’s prior experience working in the


contract manufacturing sector gave him the perspective to help CRI. He explained how the AIMEX III platform could run two jobs simul- taneously, optimizing floor space. The system has a placement rate of up to


74,000 cph and a maximum PCB size of 24 x 59 in. (0.6 x 1.5m). On-the-fly vision verification ensures accurate placement and reduces com- ponent pick errors. CRI had been placing com- ponents with sizes down to 0201 in. (0603 mm) for some time, but recent university and space customers were interested in prototypes and products with even smaller discrete parts. This was new territory; 01005 in. (0402 mm) was a new threshold. The goal was to be one step ahead of the customers’ requests and what these high-tech customers might have on their wish lists. This meant adding new surface


mount equipment, which can be prob- lematic, especially jumping to a new platform, even with the exciting ad- vantages of the AIMEX III. Finally, after candid discussions with Hersey, management decided to purchase the system. CRI has been using the AIMEX


III for nearly six months. Fuji provided excellent service, providing training for Monty, the company’s senior SMT engineer, in Chicago. Onsite training in Maryland was also a big piece of the successful equipment addition. Recently, company president Jeff


Neisess met again with his engineers and surface mount staff, as well as his test and quality employees. The meet- ing centered on the value added from the AIMEX III placement system. “The accuracy of 0402 in. (1005 mm) place- ment has gotten so much better that we have virtually eliminated tomb- stoning. What follows is a reduction in rework,” he says. He goes on to explain that the company has always been known for its quality prototypes. CRI even sees new customers coming to the company from prototype customer re- ferrals. With all prototype work, there is limited test, but the company strives for the highest accuracy and the small- est amount of rework. “The AIMEX III accuracy has increased our reliability and quality to an even greater level,” he says. “Zero defects is our ultimate goal.” For Neisess, the decision to run all 0402 in. (1005 mm) and smaller parts through the AIMEX III was an easy one.


Positioned to Meet Future Demand


Jeff’s son Christoph also works


for the company, while pursuing a de- gree in aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. “The combination of rotary and linear servo motors provides amazing accuracy and speed for our current challenge of placing 01005 in. (0402 mm) components,” he says. “In addi- tion, knowing the AIMEX III will al- so place 0.012 x 0.006 in. (03015 mm) parts at 25 µm accuracy gives us peace of mind, as we know compo- nents keep getting smaller and smaller.”


Monty Noblezada, CRI’s senior


SMT engineer, has expressed his sat- isfaction with the ability to change 65 feeders simultaneously. Noblezada noted that the AIMEX III’s capability to quickly add or remove the matrix tray feeder when needed is very ben- eficial when changeovers are fre- quent. Automatic tooling placement


Page 21 Fuji’s AIMEX III for High-Tech Requirements at CRI


for underside PCB support also eliminates a lot of guesswork and reduces changeover time dra- matically. CRI continues to hold a strong place in the


niche market of high-tech and prototype work. Military, space, university, and entrepreneur- ial companies trust CRI. Jeff also sees the speed and accuracy of the FUJI AIMEX III ex- ceeding the expectations of his commercial cus- tomers. “All around, at this point, the FUJI AIMEX III has been a win-win,” he says. We hope to continue our relationship with Ted and the supportive people at FUJI.” Contact: C.R. International, Inc., 9105


Surface mount foreman Mark Feldman and CRI president Jeff Neisess review feeder position on the AIMEX III.


Whiskey Bottom Road, Suite J, Laurel, MD 20723 % 301-210-1540 fax: 301-210-0638 E-mail: sales@cri-inc.net Web: www.cri-inc.net r


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