Gemini, which has recently become the second company in the UK to invest in a MYDATA MY500 solder jet printer, saw immediate improvements in quality even before its own machine was delivered.

“MYDATA provided us with a loan machine to help us evaluate solder jet printing in our own plant,” said Gemini Tec managing director, David Harsant. “Within just a few weeks of starting to use this machine, we saw our already low reject rates fall so much further that we were able to move one full time rework operative to another job. It is envisaged that the effect, the MY500 will save us a whole employee’s salary.”

Following the delivery and commissioning of Gemini’s own MY500, David Harsant notes that this is not the only saving. Since a large part of the company’s business is short to medium runs of high tech boards, it was spending a lot of money on stencils for solder paste application. As no stencils are needed with the MY500, this expenditure helps to offset the capital cost of the equipment.

“For Gemini, the MY500 is an expensive piece of kit,” said David Harsant, “But, our core business is medium volumes for many different part numbers. The quality improvements it delivers, the elimination of stencil costs and the delays associated with having stencils manufactured, means that for us, that financially, it becomes a very viable proposition”.

The MYDATA MY500 solder jet printer purchased by Gemini Tec uses a technique similar to that employed in inkjet printers to apply solder paste to boards. Not only does this mean that no stencils are needed, it also allows the deposition of paste to be independently controlled for each pad, and even, if necessary, allows the thickness of the paste to be profiled across a pad.

Paste deposition can, therefore, be individually optimised for each component, and common defects such as tombstoning can readily be eliminated. The result is greatly reduced defect rates, especially with complex boards that include ‘difficult’ components, and a virtual elimination of the need for reworking.

For further information on Gemini Tec and the cost savings that are passed on to customers, go to www.geminitec.co.uk or call sales at 01252 333444.