AKCP, the world’s oldest and largest manufacturer of wired and wireless networked sensors has expanded its production facility with a Surface Mount Technology (SMT) production line. As AKCP’s customer base and product volume have increased, so too have the demands being placed on the production facilities.
“Outsourcing has a low initial capital expenditure, and a great way to get started, but it doesn’t scale. Especially for AKCP’s diverse product range and custom products. It made perfect sense to invest in our own SMT production line” said Nick Barrowclough, production manager and President of AKCP
AKCP’s production facility in the Philippines took delivery of a Semi-Automatic stencil printer, Pick and Place machine, Reflow Soldering Oven, and Robotic Soldering Arm. It is expected that these new facilities will reduce turnaround time for new product development, short production runs as well as improved quality control. Over the coming weeks, the production team will be undergoing training under the supervision of experienced SMT line technicians.
The SMT line is being installed in a cleanroom that is monitored and controlled by AKCP Wireless Tunnel™ sensors. Positive air pressure is maintained inside the cleanroom through the control of intake and exhaust fans. Air quality and dust particles in the cleanroom are monitored. The control and monitoring are done through AKCPro Server.
The SMT line equipment is to be installed at a newly leased 600 sqm facility, which brings the total production space up to 1,400 sqm.
In addition to the SMT line, AKCP has also purchased a Formlabs Form3 3D printer. This will be utilized for the rapid prototyping of new designs and construction of jigs utilized in the SMT and robotic soldering arms processes.
ABOUT AKCP
AKCP established in the USA in 1981, has 30+ years of experience in professional sensor solutions. AKCP created the market for networked temperature, environmental, and power monitoring in the data center. Today with over 150 employees and 200,000 installations, AKCP is the world’s oldest and largest manufacturer of networked wired and wireless sensors. AKCP has several divisions tailored to the needs of different industries.
