A deep freeze in February burst a pipe at LeeMAH Electronics manufacturing facility in Texas. This natural disaster was turned into an opportunity to rearrange the production floor for better manufacturing process flow. It also led to the decision to install a new Electrovert VectraES wave soldering machine to replace the existing selective soldering system. The new in-line wave soldering machine allows for much higher throughput at a better overall cost to LeeMAH to keep up with their increasing production demand. An added benefit is that the new wave machine allowed LeeMAH to switch to a new solder alloy. With the clear return on investment realized at the Texas plant, the plan is to also have the California plant switch over to the new solder alloy as well.

“The new VectraES was up running great, very quickly with no issues at all. The in line wave soldering machine has easily been able to keep up with production and results in more consistent soldering throughout the entire lot”, said Bob Smith, LeeMAH Plant Manager. 

The Electrovert® VectraES™ wave soldering machine is designed for low-to-medium mass board assemblies in a high volume production soldering environment that requires fast changeover, process flexibility, and system reliability. The VectraES with its extensive list of features utilize technologies that provide complete process flexibility and process control. Features such as ServoJet™ fluxing, forced convection preheat, and UltraFill™ solder nozzles provide board assemblers the capability to process the most difficult soldering applications in the most demanding environments. A new Flux Flow Monitor provides an accurate method of verifying repeatability of the flux flow rate and flux volume on a board-to-board basis.

LeeMAH Electronics is a global electronics manufacturing service company offering manufacturing and test solutions to OEMs with high-mix and low-medium volume needs. They manufacture PCBs for all different types of equipment and can meet the most complex requirements for customers in the most demanding industries. LeeMAH utilize the same processes and similar equipment and test sets in both of their facilities in Texas and California to provide seamless migrations and hybrid solutions to customers.

For more information visit leemah.com

ITW EAE (headquartered in Lakeville MN), a division of Illinois Tool Works, Inc., is the global leader in process knowledge, services and manufacture of capital equipment used in the printed circuit board assembly and semiconductor industries. The group brings together the world’s leading brands of electronics assembly equipment: MPM Printers, Camalot Dispensers, Electrovert Cleaners and Soldering Solutions, Vitronics Soltec Soldering Solutions and Despatch Thermal Processing Technology.

For more information visit www.itweae.com