By Archie Damman, President & Owner
Established in 1981 and located in Rochester Hills, MI, ADCO Circuits Inc. provides electronic design and circuit board assembly services to a range of companies in the aerospace/military, industrial/commercial, medical, automotive, telecommunications and wireless markets. As a full-service turnkey supplier of custom electronics, ADCO provides support from design and prototyping to new product introduction and full rate production.
The company accomplishes all this from its state-of-the-art 53,000 sq. ft. facility that is capable of medium- to low-volume assembly and test. The facility’s SMT lines are equipped with 3-D AOI and X-ray inspection systems, selective solder systems, advanced wash and robotic systems, resulting in a high cpK manufacturing infrastructure. Capabilities include soldering of 0201 and fine-pitch BGA components, processing flex assemblies, and producing complete modules for mil/aero, medical, and automotive markets. An automated stockroom and broad array of flying probe, ICT, functional, and ESS test equipment complete the picture of a highly efficient and capable electronic manufacturing facility.
With more than 35 years of experience in electronic manufacturing services industry, ADCO offers three comprehensive services:
• Electronics manufacturing: design and NPI, rapid prototype, surface mount PCBA, box build/system integration, test & environmental stress screening, PCBA services
• Quality: quality management systems, certifications
• Capabilities: conformal coating, AOI (BGA/0201), selective soldering, supply chain & order fulfillment
ADCO is registered to both the latest Aerospace AS9100D and Automotive IATF 16949:2016 ISO specifications. Additionally, the company is compliant to ISO 9100 and ISO 13485, is ITAR registered, and is an Apple MFi Manufacturer. Personnel are trained to IPC J-STD-001 class 2 & 3, and IPC-A-610 class 2 & 3. Documentation, ECNs and the quality management systems (QMS) are all online and support internal continuous improvement initiatives, vendor quality tracking and customer quality data requirements.
The company’s interest is in establishing long-term relationships in an open environment with companies that require advanced logistics, production, test and quality capabilities. Additionally, it strives to deliver to customers quality products at competitive prices using the latest production technologies. To meet this goal, ADCO partners with companies that offer advanced, innovative equipment solutions, such as Kurtz Ersa North America.
ADCO began its partnership with Ersa years ago with an Ecoselect 2. Then in 2013, the company purchased a Versaflow 3/45, and at the end of 2017, it purchased an additional soldering module for the Versaflow 3/45. During the first part of 2018, ADCO purchased a second Versaflow 3/45 to replace the Ecoselect 2. The company uses its Ersa systems for both lead and lead-free selective soldering of plated through hole (PTH) components. “As a contract manufacturer, we have a wide range of assemblies that we solder starting with smaller single-side PCBs to very complex double-sided SMT mixed with double-sided PTH,” said Kevin Barrett, ADCO’s Manufacturing Manager.
The initial Ecoselect 2 was purchased for a selective issue on a specific product. At that time, most of ADCO’s assemblies were being produced with soldering pallets and a conventional wave solder machine. As capacity became available on the Ecoselect, Barrett said that ADCO experimented with programming and soldering additional assemblies. “It took time to develop the process but we were eventually out of capacity on the machine, and saw that there was a larger opportunity for benefits if we had additional capacity.”
“When it came to which machine, there was no question we would purchase the Ersa,” Barrett said. “The machine is well built from the ground up with an eye for detail in every aspect. Repeatability also was a big selling point – we switch from product to product throughout the day and we don’t have time to tweak programs every time we change. With the Ersa, we load the programs, install the proper nozzle and run.”
He added that in addition to performing beautifully, the machine looks good inside and outside. “Opening an Ersa machine and looking inside, you see some very impressive workmanship that coincides with most opinions regarding German-made machinery. That impressive appearance continues when you close the doors and stand back. From an operational standpoint, the machine is a work horse: it keeps going and it is easy to operate, set up and change from job to job. The fact that we can expand the machine as capacity demands is a big plus.”
Another big plus for ADCO is the flexibility that the Ersa selective soldering machine offers. As board complexity increases, wave soldering requires dedicated pallets to assist in supporting and, at times, protecting areas of the board from solder since a regular wave solder covers the whole bottom side of the board. Developing, ordering and validating these pallets takes time and upfront cost generally seen at the launch of a product. Ersa’s Versaflow 3/45 does not require dedicated pallets since the solder only touches the PTH leads that it is programmed to solder. This is a significant savings in cost and time, allowing ADCO to improve its time to launch. In addition to volume production runs, Barrett said that the company manufactures prototype assemblies with PTH components that, in most instances, would need to be hand soldered due to the lead time and the upfront cost of pallets. Again, the Ersa allows ADCO to set up and selective solder these assemblies to minimize tooling and lead time. When a new program comes online, the flexibility in using the equipment to achieve Class III solder joints for its aerospace customers is a given.
In addition to performance and innovation, Barrett said that Ersa’s customer service is outstanding. Take, for example, ADCO’s most recent purchase. He said that the company contacted ERSA about additional capacity requirements and within a day had a quote. Ersa called the next day to verify that the options met ADCO’s requirements and, soon after, both sides were ready to move forward. Upon placing the PO, ADCO was notified of expected delivery date and were given updates regularly against that date. As delivery drew near, Ersa’s service department followed up for installation requirements and timeline. Shortly, ADCO had an install date as well as the Ersa technician’s name that would install the system. Barrett added, “The technician arrived as expected and was very knowledgeable not just about the machine but also in how the machine operates. Even though we have had our first machine for a while, the Ersa technician offered to stay beyond the install of the second machine to see if he could assist us in running the equipment more efficiently. The technician offered some knowledgeable insight to further improve performance, and developed a great working relationship with my engineers and technicians.” Ersa then touched base a couple weeks post-install to ensure that ADCO was not just satisfied but completely pleased with the system.
Barrett concluded, “Follow through from start to finish and verification that we are more than satisfied – that’s customer service. No, better yet, that’s a true partner.”
For more information about ADCO Circuits, contact Kevin Barrett, Manufacturing Manager, at 2868 Bond St., Rochester Hills, MI 48309; 248-853-6620; E-mail: kbarrett@adcocircuits.com; Web site: www.adcocircuits.com. To find out more about Kurtz Ersa North America, contact Ernie Grice, Vice President of Sales – North America at 1779 Pilgrim Rd., Plymouth, WI 53073; 920-893-1779; E-mail: ernie.grice@kurtzersa.com; Web site: www.ersa.com.