ACW Technology Invests in Success with another Speedprint SP700avi Screen Printer

Founded in 1989, ACW Technology, Inc. is a well-established, privately-held, contract electronics manufacturer (CEM) with factories and materials sourcing operations in Southampton, UK, South Wales, and mainland China, as well as expertise in all areas of manufacturing, engineering, sourcing, repair and logistics. The company acts as a complete end-to-end manufacturing service provider in prime markets including commercial, industrial, aerospace and defense.

ACW manufactures radio communications equipment, high-definition TV broadcast equipment, radio transmitter water meters, aircraft systems and high security equipment. All of ACW’s products are fully tested and ready for use out of the box. The company has built a valuable knowledge bank and developed systems and practices that deliver outstanding value services to its customers.

ACW has a reputation for quality and straightforward dealings with its customers, suppliers and staff. Following the company’s continual reinvestment of profits made over the past 17 years, ACW is financially robust with annual sales in excess of $82 million and a staff of 600 at its four 200,000 ft2 factories. As part of the company’s continual reinvestment, and building on its five-year relationship with Speedprint, ACW has purchased another SP700avi. Speedprint’s SP700avi is now the standard model used by ACW Corporate for all locations worldwide. Mark Brawley, Speedprint V.P. commented, “It’s great to be a part of the success at ACW as they experience the value and reliability of the Speedprint 700avi. We’re proud to be a partner and look forward to supporting future growth as the SP700avi continues to support company profits.”

ACW was first drawn to Speedprint for its reputation for high-quality products, service and support. Jeff Benes, VP/GM at ACW, explained that the company uses the Speedprint SP700avi to apply solder paste to printed circuit cards, as well as glue to attach components to bare printed circuit boards (PCBs). “We have seen excellent quality in the application of both solder paste and glue. Additionally, Speedprint has always provided exceptional onsite training when we bring new machines onsite. We find the Speedprint equipment to be extremely user-friendly, and we always receive timely and responsive support from the customer service department.”
After an extensive evaluation conducted by ACW Technology’s Quality and Engineering department, the SP700avi was selected for its unequaled value with 6 Sigma alignment capabilities. The screen printer is designed to cope with the rigors of high-volume SMT production while incorporating the flexibility needed in high-mix, quick product setup and changeover environments. The system uses 1 µm resolution linear encoders on all axes combined with a suite of intuitive software that enables total control of the printing process. A rigid, one-piece frame is the foundation for the simple solid state design that will provide many years of reliable service.

DJ Rhew, ACW’s SMT Engineer commented, “Over the last 20+ years, I have had the privilege of working with and evaluating a number screen printers. The SP700avi has really impressed me. It is easy to program, maintain and use. The intuitive operating system coupled with on the job training typically has a new manufacturing associate building products within their first couple of hours of being introduced to the machine.”

The SP700avi features unique Look Down/Look Down vision that facilitates optimized board-to-stencil alignment, yielding 20 µm performances at 2 Cpk. The system is fully equipped, as standard, with many features such as auto stencil load/unload, fully programmable vacuum assisted stencil cleaner and optical inspection of the paste bead. Two-dimensional (2-D) post-print bridge detection and various tooling solutions also are available as options.
Speedprint became a subsidiary of the Blakell Europlacer Group of companies in September 1998. Following the acquisition and re-establishment of Speedprint, the group formed a new engineering team, many of which had years of experience with locally based printer manufacturers including DEK and SMTech, to develop and enhance the company’s portfolio of products.

In keeping with the ethos of the Blakell Europlacer Group’s desire to offer flexible and innovative solutions to the market, Speedprint is committed to delivering affordable leading edge stencil printing technology. The realization of this ambition is clearly illustrated by the company’s flagship avi range of fully automatic inline printers. Today, Speedprint operates from a high-tech facility in Poole, which is located in southern United Kingdom, and recently entered the North and South American markets.