FEATURE CONTRACT MANUFATURING


The Importance of Quality


manufacturing build pack. Circuit Solutions manufacturing engineering department use the original customer files to put together a pre-formatted build pack covering every operation that will be required to build, test including the packing of the finished product. Generally, the boards to be assembled


have two build packs, one covering the SMT assembly and one for PTH, box build and packing. Each pack is checked and signed off by the lead engineer and the quality manager before being released for manufacturing use. Using the original customer data, the


manufacturing engineering department will also create the pick and place program as well as the AOI and selective solder programs although some ‘fine tuning’ maybe required during the build of the first board. Component procurement is also an


Circuit Solutions (Cambridge) Ltd. speaks to Electronics about its dedicated approach to quality assurance and customer service


C


ircuit Solutions (Cambridge) offers a broad range of electronic


manufacturing services to its diverse customer base – from conventional assembly, surface mount assembly, through to full turnkey including box build and test. In-depth knowledge and experience


along with cutting edge equipment are a good match for their high technology customers with the challenges and complexities of todays cutting edge products.


QUALITY ASSURANCE Quality of manufacture is key to Circuit Solutions success and in helping to achieve this has been a continued review of procedures, processes, equipment and training. All companies have procedures in place


to ensure quality standards are maintained across the business, most are


26 JULY/AUGUST 2020 | ELECTRONICS


documented, often in different formats to suit the individual company. Circuit Solutions procedures were, until recently, written documents with few drawings or diagrams to explain the procedure or process in detail or the relationship to other procedures. In 2019, they took the decision to transfer all of their quality system onto flow diagrams and databases with interactive linking to allow the user to follow through the process with ease. Circuit Solutions now has a start page


with click to follow routes guiding the user to the procedure, document, form, template etc. or database that they need. The whole quality manual is now easier to follow and use, there is one copy which their staff can access via a computer terminal and they no longer have multiple page hard copy folders. The foundation for quality board assembly is a good BOM and


important part of product quality. Circuit Solutions purchasing team will buy all the components required for each job only from fully franchised suppliers. This gives Circuit Solutions and their customers security of being able to fully trace the supply of any component back to the original manufacturer. Where they cannot obtain the customer specified component they will try to source and propose an alternative which the customer is required to approve before build commences. Circuit Solutions has traceability of all


components through the use of their ERP system which records batch/lot numbers of each component received and then issue from stock to every customer job.


QUALITY CONTROL Quality isn’t just about documentation and procedures, the quality that matters to a CEM is how (and when) the customer perceives the goods they receive. At Circuit Solution they have implemented a wide range of internal metrics to ensure that quality is monitored and documented from the very start of a job. Circuit Solutions Europlacer pick and


place lines are all monitored on an SPC basis (Statistical Process Control), any deviation from the expected standard is quickly spotted by the AOI system and corrections are made to bring the line back to the required specification. At the


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