Efficient manufacturing model eliminates production shifts while improving yield and time-to-market for leading EMS provider.

December 4, 2013 – Looking to further improve on its position at the forefront of EMS service providers in Western Europe, Benchmark Electronics B.V. recently added two Universal Instruments FuzionXC2-37™ Platforms to production lines in its Almelo facility in the Netherlands. The new lines have yielded substantial productivity improvements by maximizing overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and significantly improving cycle times.

“We run approximately 70% of our production in NPI mode and, for this model, Fuzion was the ideal solution. The extra feeder capacity and advanced NPI software tools have enabled us to set up once for both top- and bottom-side, thereby eliminating setups and reducing changeover times,” commented Benchmark Manufacturing Engineering Manager Willem Jan Esmeijer. “We realized immediate benefits, doubling our OEE for prototype and NPI builds, and streamlining our production from three shifts to two shifts per day without impacting our capacity,” he added.

“Partnering with a manufacturer of Benchmark’s competence and reputation has been a pleasure. We worked with them early in the process to define the best configuration for their requirements and optimize the final solution,” explained Universal Vice President of Customer Operations Brad Bennett. “While our versatile Fuzion portfolio addresses virtually any environment, the FuzionXC2-37 is particularly well-suited to Benchmark Almelo’s high-mix, high-complexity requirements and will help them continue to exceed their customers’ expectations,” he added.

The FuzionXC2-37 Platform features more than twice the feeder inputs of traditional surface mount platforms to maximize productivity while reducing costs. FuzionXC2-37 delivers all-in-one flexibility, with a component range from 01005 passives to 150mm connectors, large-board capability up to 1300mm x 610mm, and a full range of input types. Fuzion platform software features high-efficiency tools, including on-line component auto-teach and on-the-fly production editing, to expedite NPI and ramp to higher volume, and deliver 100% first-pass yield.

Mr. Esmeijer further commented, “Fuzion was extremely easy to integrate and easy to use for our operators. It also extended our component range and eliminated manual assembly requirements for many components.” He continued, “Ultimately, it’s all about providing the best possible value to our customers, and Fuzion gives us the ability to do that at the highest level. Our yields have improved significantly and our volume production cycle times have been reduced by more than 20%. This means that our customers get the highest quality products in the shortest possible time.”

To learn more about Universal’s solutions for any electronics manufacturing challenge, contact Universal Instruments at +1-800-432-2607 or +1-607-779-7522 or visit www.uic.com. For information about Benchmark Almelo, visit the company’s website at www.bench.com or call +31 546 535 111.