CONTAX PROVIDES HIGHEST PERFORMANCE PRINTING FOR KOSTAL

Contax Ltd, Ireland

19 July 2005

Kostal Ireland GmbH, a subsidiary of the international electronic and electromechanical Group, has purchased eight MPM UP3000 UltraFlex stencil printers from Irish-based Contax Production Automation Ltd. These have been installed at Kostal's two plants in Abbeyfeale and Mallow.

The new printers have been considerably enhanced by Contax and Speedline Technologies (MPM) to ensure that they meet Kostal's demanding criteria. This included configuring the systems to meet the challenges of dual image printing.

The printers now have the ability to screen print both at the top and bottom of the PCB as dictated by its orientation. This is detected by an internal 2D inspection camera which reviews the board, and sends print instructions accordingly.

These changes enable Kostal to optimise their synchronous dual rail placement capability by feeding their placement machine with alternative 'top' and 'bottom' side PCBs from the printer. The printers were also configured with Rheometric pump technology from MPM to ensure controlled paste application.

The final enhancement was the development of new software that provides a 20 percent increase in cycle time over the standard UltraFlex system.

Explained Dermot Ryan, Senior Engineer at Kostal Ireland, "We need to screen print the top and bottom of the boards at the same time, so we originally had two separate printers. However, when we came to look at streamlining the operation, we wanted a single printer that would identify the correct position before printing.

"We looked at various options and narrowed it down to two systems. Both of these were tested on site for six months and the MPM UltraFlex was chosen over the competitor. The UltraFlex provides exceptionally fast print speeds which leaves us with more time for quality inspection.

"Both Contax and Speedline have been very helpful and have enhanced the speed of the UltraFlex by 20 percent. They responded quickly to our requirements, and have worked with us throughout the testing and implementation phases to ensure that their printers met our needs precisely.

"We are now looking to the future," Dermot added. "We are looking forward to continuing to meet our ever increasing production demands through this innovative partnership with Contax and Speedline."