Z-AXIS, Inc. (zaxis.net) has added a Xeltek SuperBot 5e robotic IC (integrated circuit) programmer at its electronics design and contract manufacturing center near Rochester, NY. The $80,000 robotic system replaces an earlier model, processing ICs three times faster and reliably handling the latest fine-pitch IC packages.
“As a contract manufacturer, staying current with the technology is essential in order to maintain the high throughput, low labor costs, and high quality that our customers expect,” said Michael Allen, president of Z-AXIS. “That means continuous investment in the latest tools and automation equipment for high-mix electronics manufacturing.”
Many printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) feature embedded software or firmware, stored in microcontrollers or flash memory chips on the board. By programming these ICs in-house for its customers, Z-AXIS eliminates the three- to four-week lead time of buying pre-programmed ICs from distributors. It can offer same-day turn-around of software updates for PCBAs in production.
With the robotic system, in-house programmed ICs also cost about 30% less than buying from distributors in the production volumes that Z-AXIS’ contract manufacturing customers typically need.
For prototype and very low-volume work, ICs are typically programmed manually — either in-circuit or by a hand-loaded IC programmer. For production volumes, the SuperBot 5e robotic IC programmer is used to process up to 2,100 ICs per hour, twenty times faster than manual IC programming, and eliminate nearly all of the labor costs.
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About Z-AXIS
Z-AXIS, Inc. (zaxis.net) provides quality design, prototyping and contract manufacturing services for complex electronic products and electromechanical assemblies. Services include electronic design and printed circuit board (PCB) layout, PCBA manufacturing, box builds, and wire and cable assemblies. The company offers fast design turnaround, competitive NRE charges, rapid production and low freight costs from its ISO 9001:2015 certified design and manufacturing facility near Rochester, NY. The company also designs, manufactures and sells commercial, industrial and medical power supplies under its Bear Power Supplies brand. Contact Z-AXIS at +1 (315) 548-5000.