Automated SMT PCB Assembly

Automated SMT PCB Assembly

Finally, we are in a position to make electronic circuit boards in greater volume and have our own Automated SMT Assembly production line up and running. SMT = Surface Mount Technology and allows much more rapid PCB loading and soldering.

The video above shows our production line in action automatically taking electronic components from reels loaded in feeders and placing them in the correct position on the PCB. Multiple PCBs are combined into a panel which reduces handling. In this example there are 4 PCBs in each panel. These processes are often referred to as SMT Pick and Place.

SMT Automated Assembly Process

The steps involved in the process are:

  • setup – load reels into feeders, loading feeders into the machine and setting up the programming so the machine knows which components are in which feeders and where they go on the PCB
  • fiducial recognition – telling he machine how to align itself with each PCB in the panel
  • putting solder paste on to the pads on a panel of PCBs
  • inspecting that to ensure it is done well
  • taking components from the feeders and placing them in the correct place on each PCB in the panel
  • inspecting the loaded panel to make sure the placement is good and tweaking anything that needs touching
  • the reflow oven then warms up the PCB, quickly melts all the solder and brings the temperature back down
  • final visual inspection and marking anything that might need touch up

If you look carefully right at the end you will see a small yellow triangle on one of the PCBs. This is how we mark anything that needs to be looked at. Over time this will reduce as the process becomes more refined and we learn the nuances of the equipment and tailoring the PCB design to suit it.

SMT Automated Assembly close up

SMT Automated Assembly

Increasing Automation

The next steps are addition additional automation which will include PCB panel stackers at each end and automated visual inspection. The number 1 rule of automation is “Don’t Automate a Mess, you will just make a bigger mess faster”! So we will start taking those steps soon but not quite ready yet.

Really looking forward to taking these next steps.

The Australia Made Campaign

And we have also signed up with the Australia Made Campaign because we are making these products in Australia. This really deserves a whole post of its own and I will get to that soon.

Australia Made And Owned logo

Australia Made And Owned

Successful Endeavours specialise in Electronics Design and Embedded Software Development, focusing on products that are intended to be Made In AustraliaRay Keefe has developed market leading electronics products in Australia for more than 40 years.

You can also follow us on LinkedInFacebook and Twitter.

This post is Copyright © 2023 Successful Endeavours Pty Ltd

Australia Made Awards 2023

Australia Made Awards 2023

This year we are again winners in the APAC insider Australian Made Awards. This time for our manufacturing of electronics products in Australia. We were awarded the Best Complex Electronics Manufacturer 2023.

Best Complex Electronics Manufacturer 2023 trophy from APAC Insider Australia Made Awards

Best Complex Electronics Manufacturer 2023

Each year APAC insider magazine look at which businesses impress them in a range of industry sectors. The Australian Made Awards focus on businesses that make products in Australia. The high mix of electronic product types we design and make coupled with the level of technical complexity involved got us the win this year.

This is a particularly pleasing win after being a finalist in the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards in August 2023 and an finalist in the IoT Health Award category at IoT Impact 2023. And for those following recent news we have set up a dedicated Electronics Manufacturing facility in Dandenong South so this is a very timely win given our expanding Electronics Manufacturing capacity.

We are also pretty pleased with this recognition for products that are Made in Australia. Complex Electronic Products is our space and this is what makes them profitable and commercially defensible to manufacture in Australia.

Last year we were awarded Best Complex Electronic Product Business 2022 which was focused on our Electronics Design capability.

The trophy is already here and we will update this post once the official web page updates come through at APAC insider.

Apac Insider

Apac Insider

Successful Endeavours specialise in Electronics Design and Embedded Software Development, focusing on products that are intended to be Made In AustraliaRay Keefe has developed market leading electronics products in Australia for more than 40 years.

You can also follow us on LinkedInFacebook and Twitter.

This post is Copyright © 2023 Successful Endeavours Pty Ltd

Successful Endeavours has moved 2023

Successful Endeavours has moved 2023

After six very successful years in Narre Warren we are off to two premises in Dandenong South. “Two?” I hear you say.

We are moving into a new Design Office which is larger than our current combined Design and Manufacturing office and also into a nearby factory to allow us to expand the Electronics Manufacturing we have been slowly ramping up over the past decade. This included a SMT pick and place line with reflow oven to automate electronics assembly in house.

The new addresses are shown below as well as details for parking and access.

Design Office:
Suite 103 / 80 Monash Drive, Dandenong South, VIC 3175

Electronics Manufacturing Factory and primary delivery address:
Unit 1 / 100 Monash Drive, Dandenong South, VIC 3175

Successful Endeavours, Monash Drive 3175

Successful Endeavours, Monash Drive 3175

This has quite a few advantages compared to our previous location including ground floor delivery and pickup and a much larger manufacturing space so we can take on larger production runs. And visitor parking!

Below are details for parking, deliveries and pick up at the Factory.

Successful Endeavours, 100 Monash Drive 3175

100 Monash Drive 3175

It doesn’t show on the map above but there is a path available for larger deliveries so that a truck doesn’t have to reverse into the driveway.

100 Monash Drive 3175 Deliveries

100 Monash Drive 3175 Deliveries

The Design Office parking and access is shown below. Entry is through the ground floor glass doors the up the stairs (or elevator) and on to the door with our name on it and 103.

Successful Endeavours, 80 Monash Drive 3175

Successful Endeavours, 80 Monash Drive 3175

We are very much looking forward to a new season of continued growth as we support Australian manufacturing by designing electronics products that are intended to be made in Australia, as well as doing more of the making.

Successful Endeavours specialise in Electronics Design and Embedded Software Development, focusing on products that are intended to be Made In AustraliaRay Keefe has developed market leading electronics products in Australia for more than 30 years.

You can also follow us on LinkedInFacebook and Twitter.

This post is Copyright © 2023 Successful Endeavours Pty Ltd

Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards 2023 Winners

Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards 2023 Winners

Last night we attended the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards 2023 where we had been nominated as a finalist. This turned out to be for the Leader in Digital and Advanced Technologies category. Alas, we did not win the category but were still very pleased to be selected as one of the three finalists.

Victorian Manufacturing Hall Of Fame Gala Dinner 2023

Victorian Manufacturing Hall Of Fame Gala Dinner 2023

Here is a list of all the winners. The first round of winners were announced after entree:

  • Leader in Defence, Aerospace & Space – SPEE3D
  • Leader in Digital & Advanced Technologies – Modra Technology
  • Leader in Food & Beverage – That’s Amore Cheese
  • Leader in Health Technologies – 3dMeditech
  • Leader in Rolling stock & Transport – Evolution Rail
  • Leader in Zero & Low Emissions Technologies – Energys
  • Leader in Manufacturing – Think Fencing

The rest of the winners were announced after the main course:

  • Apprentice of the Year – Emma Mokalei & Daniel Malone
  • Young Manufacturer of the Year – Swastik Sharma
  • Woman Manufacturer of the Year – Erika Hughes
  • Regional Manufacturer of the Year – AME Systems
  • Manufacturer of the Year, Small Business – Amiga Engineering
  • Manufacturer of the Year, Medium Business – Farm Foods
  • Manufacturer of the Year, Large Business – Boeing Aerostructures Australia
  • Honour Roll, Service to Industry – Elizabeth Louise-Gray

Some of the team attending the awards dinner

Victorian Manufacturing Hall Of Fame Attendees

Victorian Manufacturing Hall Of Fame Attendees

Victorian Manufacturing Hall Of Fame Certificate-2023

Victorian Manufacturing Hall Of Fame Certificate-2023

Successful Endeavours specialise in Electronics Design and Embedded Software Development, focusing on products that are intended to be Made In AustraliaRay Keefe has developed market leading electronics products in Australia for more than 30 years.

You can also follow us on LinkedInFacebook and Twitter.

This post is Copyright © 2023 Successful Endeavours Pty Ltd

 

Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards 2023

Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards 2023

We are very pleased to announce that we have been selected as a Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards 2023 Finalist. The full list of finalists is:

  • 3DMEDiTech (Port Melbourne)
  • AME Systems (Ararat)
  • Amiga Engineering (Tullamarine)
  • Boeing Aerostructures Australia (Port Melbourne)
  • Bortana (Bendigo)
  • Care Essentials (North Geelong)
  • Cyclotek Australia (Bundoora)
  • Duratray International (Bayswater)
  • Dynamic Steel Frame (Dandenong South)
  • Energys (Mulgrave)
  • Essity (Springvale)
  • Evolution Rail Consortium (Newport)
  • Farm Foods (Breakwater Geelong)
  • Floridia Cheese (Thomastown)
  • Integra Systems (Broadmeadows)
  • John Valves (Delacombe)
  • Krueger Transport Equipment (Truganina)
  • Leica Biosystems (Mount Waverley)
  • Light & Glo (Truganina)
  • Lockelec Rolling Stock (Braeside)
  • McMillan Engineering Group (Dandenong South)
  • MEMKO (Tullamarine)
  • Modra Technology (Warragul)
  • Moog Australia (Heatherton)
  • NCI Packaging (Preston, Tullamarine)
  • Nissan Casting Australia (Mulgrave)
  • Smallaire (Ararat)
  • SPEE3D (Dandenong South)
  • Stahl Metall (Knoxfield)
  • Successful Endeavours (Narre Warren)
  • That’s Amore Cheese (Thomastown)
  • Think Fencing (Geelong)
  • Wonder Pies (Coburg North)

The 2023 Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Award categories

Individual awards

  • Manufacturing Apprentice of the Year
  • Young Manufacturer of the Year
  • Woman Manufacturer of the Year
  • Honour Roll for Service to Industry

Company awards

  • Leader in Defence, Aerospace and Space
  • Leader in Digital and Advanced Technologies
  • Leader in Food and Beverage
  • Leader in Health Technologies
  • Leader in Rolling Stock and Transport
  • Leader in Zero and Low Emissions Technologies
  • Leader in Manufacturing
  • Manufacturer of the Year – Small Business
  • Manufacturer of the Year – Medium Business
  • Manufacturer of the Year – Large Business
  • Manufacturer of the Year – Regional Business

Our congratulations to all the finalists and wishing you well on the night. There is a gala dinner for the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards night on 10th August 2023.

Business Victoria

Business Victoria

Successful Endeavours specialise in Electronics Design and Embedded Software Development, focusing on products that are intended to be Made In AustraliaRay Keefe has developed market leading electronics products in Australia for more than 30 years.

You can also follow us on LinkedInFacebook and Twitter.

This post is Copyright © 2023 Successful Endeavours Pty Ltd