INDUSTRY NEWS

4m parts placed a month

Guernsey-based Offshore Electronics has added a fast pick and place machine that will effectively double the number of parts placed each month to four million.

The Yamaha Z:LEX YSM20R modular pick and place machine is said to be the fastest in its class at 95,000 component placements per hour and will allow the company to ship a far greater number of boards to OEMs every day.

Accommodating a wide range of production formats, the YSM20R features two types of new heads, developed to give a one-head solution, allowing compatibility with a wider range of components without the need for head replacement. The wide range of chip and component sizes that the YSM20R can process offers limitless expansion from ultra-tiny chips to large and odd-shaped components – with an improved wide-scan camera on the head, the YSM20R can mount components from 0.2 x 0.1mm up to 12×12mm. The smallest components are roughly the same size as a grain of sand.

Alongside this investment, Offshore Electronics has also added the Yamaha YSM10 mounter and Heller 1707 MKiii reflow oven to its production line. Together these three units replace an older Philips Topaz placement machine, a Blundell forced air reflow soldering unit and a Philips Emerald placement machine.

The upgrades will ultimately improve production time and accuracy as the company seeks to expand its portfolio across consumer electronics, control and instrumentation, and other key markets. Reducing bottlenecks is particularly important in the current climate, with many OEMs facing long delays from supply chain disruption stretching back over two years. The new machines will also make the company more flexible by sharing programs for different products. This in turn will make it easier for operators to move between different assemblies and train up new members of staff. Perhaps most important of all, the new lines will make it more attractive for OEMs to place high-volume orders with Offshore, with throughput times much lower than before.

Steve Marshall, Managing Director at Offshore Electronics said: “The YSM20R is an impressive surface mounter and, as one of the fastest and most accurate machines of its type, will help us to maintain our competitive edge as a leading site for complex PCB design and assembly. We are always looking for ways to improve our business in terms of productivity and efficiencies, with particular focus on our production facility so that in partnership with our customers we can provide the varied and highquality PCBs they need, on time and on budget. The YSM20R PNP will support the high-level service that our customers demand.” 8 offshore-electronics.co.uk

In the face of rising energy prices, coupled with political and economic uncertainty, the latest Contract Manufacturing Index (CMI) reveals that the UK subcontract manufacturing market held steady in the third quarter of the year.

The CMI for Q3 2022 was 102, compared to 101 in Q2 2022, an increase of 1%.

Compared to the equivalent quarter last year the market was down 13%. Overall the market was marginally up on the average level of activity during 2021.

Within the top line figures the market in September was around 40% lower than July and August, but initial indications are that the market it is picking up again in October.

The CMI is produced by sourcing specialist Qimtek.

Comparing types of subcontracting, there were sharp differences between machining and fabrication.

The machining market dropped sharply throughout the quarter, falling by two thirds from July to September, but was still up 20% on the previous quarter.

In contrast, fabrication held relatively steady across the quarter, but was down 6% on the previous three months.

Machining accounted for 39% of the total market with fabrication accounting for 54%. Other processes, such as moulding and assembly accounted for the remainder.

Commenting on the figures, Qimtek owner Karl Wigart said: “Although the overall figures suggest that the market has steadied, there is still a lot of turbulence and uncertainty out there.

“The quarter started well but September was very slow across all categories due to a lack of activity in the market. Buyers were obviously waiting to see what the new government would bring and the market was also disrupted by the sad news of the Queen’s death.

“October is much better but we have many buyers who are still waiting for clarification and are postponing new projects.” 8 qimtek.co.uk

Subcontract market steady

LMS

Precision Engineering High quality cost effective CNC subcontracting. Produced on state of the art machines EN 9100:2018 ISO 9001: 2015 Approved

Telephone: 01905 779783 Email: sales@lmsprecision.co.uk www.lmsprecision.co.uk High Quality Subcontract Machining

Tin market solders on

The latest research by the International Tin Association shows that use of the refined metal grew 7.6% in 2021, with nearly half used in solder, with solar ribbon emerging as a major new application.

The total usage was 389,500 tonnes with a strong recovery to pre-trade war highs, but inflation is expected to impact on demand in 2022.

Solder still accounts for the largest global share of tin use, increasing slightly to 49% in 2021. Global average growth of refined tin use in this sector was 12.2%. 2022 forecasts reflect the impact of inflation on consumer segments: an average decrease of -3.7% is expected globally, with a larger effect in China.

Solar ribbon now represents 10% of solder production and is emerging as a major new use. Respondents are still optimistic about longer-term prospects for increased use in solar, 5G, electric vehicles, and other new technologies.

The average proportion of lead-free solders in electronics grew to 86% globally in 2021, up from 80% in 2020. 65% of tin use globally in lead-free solders was specified at <100ppm Pb, down from 82%. The trend toward higher-purity, lower-lead specifications in tinplate continued in 2021, as 95% of refined tin specified by reporting participants was <50ppm Pb, a marked shift from 79% in 2020.

In chemicals, tin use by survey participants increased by 4.0% in 2021 and was forecast to grow by 4.9% in 2022. Market dynamics in this sector have been complex through the pandemic, with both positive and negative effects in different sectors. This data reflects broad recoveries continuing through 2022, with China markets weakened by its ongoing property crisis.

Pandemic-boosted tin use growth in tinplate markets continued through 2021 at 5.2%. Participants forecasted this higher baseline to be maintained with a modest 0.3% growth in 2022. Some turbulence can be expected with both positive and negative effects possible in relation to forecasted food market disruption.

Lead-acid battery tin use markets reflected a significant pandemic boost to e-bike use in China as well as some recovery in auto markets, growing by 6.9% in 2021 and forecast at 7.6% growth in 2022. Tin intensity increases in start-stop hybrid vehicles and other advanced batteries are also supporting growth. Markets will continue to grow steadily in the medium-term despite ongoing development of lithium-ion and other technologies.

Tin use in tin-copper markets increased significantly in 2021, with global growth of 15.8% reflecting pandemic recovery supported by new technology markets including electric vehicles and new electrical infrastructures. Negative growth forecasts for 2022 at -9.2% are mainly based on the cost-of-living crisis.

Other traditional metal product markets averaged a 4.4% decline in 2021, largely rebalancing a large 2020 boost from float glass installations in China. Outside of China, markets showed some recovery. Markets are expected to resume a steady 1.2% growth in 2022. 8 internationaltin.org

Automotive turning capacity

Tier 1 automotive supplier Arturn Precision Engineering Ltd has increased capacity and throughput on turned parts with a new sliding head machine.

The Hanwha XD38II turning centre was supplied by Dugard and will be used for high volume production runs.

Myles Rudkin from Arturn Engineering Ltd said: “One of the main reasons we bought this machine is because we can turn up to 38mm diameter on a sliding head machine, which in my opinion is pretty impressive, especially when the sweet spot is from 32 to 38mm - that’s where we have a broad diameter of parts, so it means we can expand the range of components that we can machine for our customers.”

With the machine supplied as a complete package by Dugard, Arturn also received an LNS Alpha 342 bar feeding system with the machine.

Mr Rudkin explained: “We do a full variety of work on the new Hanwha and this can vary from EN18 materials through to mild steel, 316 stainless and more –the machine has an excellent level of power. With one particular component that requires a large bore and two flats milled on the OD, the Hanwha has taken out two operations compared to our previous method. This means the job can go straight out to the customer as a finished part from the Hanwha XD38II machine and this is a massive saving. The machine also keeps tolerances really well – to within a thou all the way throughout a long production run.”

The machine has X1 and X2 axis strokes of 80mm and 395mm respectively, with Y-axis travel of 422mm and the Z1 and Z2 axis travel of 320 and 280mm.

Mr Rudkin commented: “ The long-stroke enables me to turn component lengths well over 300mm - this broadens the scope of what we can machine, as some sliding heads will only machine up to 180 to 200mm in bar length. It means we can turn particularly long shafts up to 380mm long with no problem.” 8 arturnengineering.com

BRITISH MANUFACTURER OF PRECISION MACHINED COMPONENTS

SUPPLYING ALL QUALITY DRIVEN INDUSTRIES SINCE 1965

Defence & Aerospace Motorsport & Leisure Communications Transport Scientific Instrumentation Medical Subsea Environmental & Energy

ISO9001:2015 Certified • BTMA Member • Bespoke Engineering Solutions

Dawson Precision Components Ltd

Tel: +44 (0)1706 842311 Web: dpc.co.uk