First Contract Electronics Manufacturer in North American to Use Equipment

Rochester Hills, MI — September 26, 2003 – Electronic Product Integration Corporation (EPIC Technologies) is the first contract electronics manufacturer in North American to add EPM’s wave solder machinery to their equipment list. The equipment enhances EPIC Technologies’ capability of near 100% on-time delivery for its customers as measured by customer requests.

EPIC’s on-time delivery becomes even more impressive when customers realize they are working on a 1-2 day lead-time with no “frozen windows”, as opposed to the industry standard 2 weeks, and 4 to 6 weeks of fixed schedules. The company has a dynamic manufacturing system that is based on a simple but effective synchronous flow Kanban pull system. EPIC’s level load signaling and proven goods replenishment methods utilized at its Juarez, Mexico and Norwalk, Ohio plants further enables them to fulfill customers’ low to medium volume, high mix orders in such a short time.

EPIC Technologies General Manager in Norwalk, Ohio is Steve Fraser. He says, “Our flexibility requires us to make 450 – 600 changeovers a month. The EPM wave solder further enhances our flexibility by allowing us have an infinite number of wave changeovers with batch sizes as small as one piece. The EPM equipment scans barcodes on each printed circuit board, and adapts to each unique set-up; ensuring each panel is run under the optimal profile while not limiting us to running batches of like product. We are able to put as many as 20,000 boards a day through this one wave solder machine with quality that far exceeds traditional wave soldering solutions.

Fraser continued, “EPIC is performing its own in-house internal programming, giving us even more supply chain flexibility, and the capability of giving some of our customers as many as 62 material turns a year.”

EPM is based in Switzerland. Europe has been making a push to have lead-free electronics products, possibly as soon as 2004. The wave solder equipment EPIC is using has lead-free capabilities, and the company has had limited production of lead-free boards. The EPM wave solder equipment is currently being utilized at EPIC Technologies in Mexico and Ohio.

EPIC is a privately held, full-service independent provider of customized electronics manufacturing services with headquarters in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The company operates two manufacturing facilities – EPIC Technologies, in Norwalk, Ohio and in Juarez, Mexico. Services include complex printed circuit board assembly using surface mount technology (SMT) and pin through hole (PTH) interconnection technologies.

Contact:
Director of Business Development
EPIC
810-210-1319

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