As part of a new building, the company Digital Elektronik expanded its production capacities and created space for two new, state-of-the-art lines. The printing system SERIO 4000 from EKRA is integrated in both of them. With the investment in the new lines, Digital Elektronik continues its long-standing cooperation with EKRA: since 1987, the total solution provider has been relying on machines from the printer manufacturer in its productions.
“The new production hall is state-of-the-art. All processes are automated, and we have also integrated the warehouse and logistics. The SERIO printing systems were a good fit for our concept. Finally, the SERIO 4000 convinced us with its diverse, retrofittable options. This gives us maximum flexibility in production,” says Hans Eichinger, head of the assembly department at Digital Elektronik, explaining the decision in favor of the EKRA printing solutions. More than 160 options are available for the SERIO 4000. Retrofitting is possible at any time, the systems are scalable to various new requirements in production.
In the SERIO 4000 configuration, Digital Elektronik relies on the iPAG 300. This dispenser jets additional paste or adhesive onto the substrate as needed. Adhesive and paste dots from 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm in diameter are possible. “There was nothing comparable on the market that convinced us like this. Before, we used a separate system for this process. Now we use the iPAG 300, which offers the highest possible quality thanks to non-contact technology. The best thing is that we save a lot of space and also money, since the separate system is no longer needed,” says Eichinger.
In addition, both SERIO 4000 are equipped with APS (Automatic Pin Setting). “The option has convinced us especially for double-sided PCBs. We can now optimally prepare these PCBs for the process within a reasonable time.” APS works reliably, pins are automatically placed, verified and, if necessary, their position corrected by offset. After printing, pins are automatically removed and deformed copies are sorted out. “Now we can be sure that components are not damaged by pins. APS is a wonderful relief for our machine operators,” explains Eichinger. “The added value has proved so positive that we decided to buy an additional pin magazine for each of the two printers. This means that we have twice the number of pins available and can thus respond even more flexibly to products of a wide range of sizes.”
A highlight of the system is the SIMPLEX machine operation system from ASYS/EKRA, which is unparalleled on the market. The SERIO 4000 can be operated intuitively at the touch of a finger – just like a smartphone. Eichinger also confirms this, “The machine operation is really successful. Our employees were quite sceptical at first. They had previously worked for years with systems they were familiar with and knew virtually every work step by heart. But they quickly adapted and are now even faster at operating the systems.”
In addition to the printing systems, Digital Elektronik opted for three S10 mobile from EKRA. These mobile stencil set-up stations offer space and the possibility to store printing accessories cleanly and clearly.
The traceability possibilities were extended with a laser island. Here the INSIGNUM 4000 from ASYS is used. In addition, Digital Elektronik relies on the ASYS dry storage cabinet CONSIDUS and various ASYS handling systems.
“We are happy to work with EKRA again. We felt in good hands during the entire project phase. Even when unforeseeable issues arose, the dialog was sought immediately in order to find causes and solutions together. You are listened to, you feel heard – we are very satisfied,” Eichinger describes the cooperation.
About Digital Elektronik
Digital Elektronik GmbH is a mechatronics company based in St. Leonhard near Salzburg, which offers development as well as production services in the mechanical, electronic as well as software environment (de.at).
The company was founded in 1978 and has additional locations in Tamsweg and Derventa/Bosnia. It serves customers from various industries and offers a wide range of solutions. For example, Digital Elektronik manufactures parking systems, ski access systems, in medical technology e.g. LED surgical lights or offers solutions in the field of drive technology. A highlight project Digital Elektronik was involved in is the illumination of the four world’s largest clocks from the clock tower in Mecca. These have a diameter of ~43 meters each and the time can still be read from a distance of about 10 kilometers.
About EKRA Automatisierungssysteme GmbH
EKRA is a specialist for high-quality and high-performance screen and stencil printing systems, as well as for services and products related to the holistic printing process. The company has been part of the ASYS Group since 2005. Its unique portfolio includes products and solutions for SMT, hybrid thick film and advanced packaging applications. It ranges from manual laboratory printers to fully automated inline systems and flexible dual-track solutions to complete customer-specific production lines.
About the ASYS Group
The ASYS Group is a global technology company and a leading manufacturer of handling, process and special machines for the electronics, solar and life science industries. The corporate headquarters in Dornstadt near Ulm, Germany controls the activities of the subsidiaries in more than 40 countries. The ASYS Group employs over 1000 staff worldwide and supplies both standard products and customized solutions.
