Leadership Principles Provide Guiding Light

International EMS provider Aimtron and supplier partner Apex FA team together on multiple business development fronts.  The success speaks for itself.

Aimtron is really two companies - a high-level manufacturing facility in America's Midwest complete with ITAR registration, and a rapidly expanding production facility in India. In between the two, there is a PCB manufacturing facility in China.  The Streamwood, Illinois plant is not only the company's headquarters, it has been garnering the company's all-important military and medical business, and has recently installed a second full SMT production line provided by Apex Factory Automation, and a third is scheduled to arrive soon. 

You will find Aimtron India in a region traditionally underserved by contract electronics manufacturing. Located in Vadodara, the company  has been jump-started due in large measure to anchor clients as such as Matrix, Enercon, and ABB. Although the facility started up in 2010, today, it regularly operates with two shifts, and plans to double or triple its output capacity very soon. This huge quantity of work is from a local customer base in India, concentrated in state of Gujarat. "We are very happy that Aimtron started a facility in our backyard with an American level of quality", said Yogesh Sharma from Matrix.

Similar comments were made by Harish Iyer from Enercon, India's second largest windmill company. Overall planning must also include accommodating several projects that are transitioning from Aimtron USA to its India plant in the coming year. 

Knowledge Exchange
Aimtron's factory on the subcontinent is in a growing area. Much of the work force was recruited locally and trained from the ground up. This provides an advantage in establishing tried-and-true practices coming directly from the USA facility, rather than trying to re-train or drive out bad habits learned in factories with less stringent guidelines. The capital equipment is brand new, as is the training in its operation. Aimtron negotiated up to one month on-site training to help it build a work force specifically suited to its equipment set.  Coupled with good regional support for its machines, Aimtron India is well on its way to becoming a regional center of excellence in for electronics manufacturing.

"Our business philosophy is exactly the same for both facilities," Aimtron's Founder and CEO Mukesh Vasani said. "We invest in people. We develop leaders. The results speak for themselves."

It is no coincidence that leadership principles play a significant role in the in the business of Aimtron's SMT equipment supplier, Apex Factory Automation.  Matthew Conway, Director of Program Development, explains.  "Successful management is about leadership.  Not in the sense of "leading" the industry in sales or service surveys but continuously demonstrating and following the principles of leadership in the relationship between organizations.  For us at Apex FA, four key principles directly lend themselves to a "customer-focused" organization. 

-    Know yourself and seek self improvement: By employing very simple tools such as "after action reviews" (AAR's) to discuss what happened, what went well, and what needs improvement, after organizational events will ensure your organization is continually improving and quickly adapting to situations as they develop.
-    Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions: Treating your partners, customers and clients with a sense of "fair play" and doing the right thing by accepting responsibility, for good as well as areas that need improvement, on behalf of your company creates a level of transparency and trust that is not often seen in the marketplace today. 
-    Keep your followers informed: With longer international supply chains and the many logistical aspects of equipment sales, keeping your customers informed of all aspects of the entire process from ordering, to shipping, installation, and training will allow them to know they are an active participant and a part of the team, sharing the good and the bad is vital while developing trust and a long term business relationship.
-    Build a team: Following the principles outlined above it is clear to see that a team atmosphere will develop.  By assisting and ensuring our customers' success will create and foster a team, this is essential for both organizations' long term health and viability.

Today's EMS market demands all-inclusive service, from BGA placement and X-Ray capabilities, to follow through activities such as conformal coating, potting, and test development.  Aimtron's Chicagoland facility offers all of these full inclusive services. The goal is to offer exactly the same list of capabilities, process controls, and quality management systems, all at offshore pricing.  Aimtron India is proving to be well on its way to achieving this goal. Currently, Aimtron India features state-of-the-art surface mount placement machines, with no size restrictions on part size or density. Even advanced small-scale BGA devices are regularly serviced with excellent accuracy.

Placement equipment from Mirae and stencil printing from SJ Inno Tech have featured in Aimtron's SMT manufacturing for a long time so it was particularly beneficial for them to learn last year that Apex FA is now responsible for these world class Korean manufacturers throughout North America.  They particularly appreciate the uniquely transparent business model and their dedication to support and long term relations. 

The newest Chicago facility expansion included:

1. Mx400L Pick and Place:
100, 8mm feeder slots
IPC 9850 speed 42,000 CPH
Max board size 26.5" X 18"
Max component size: 3.54" X 1.18"
0201 smallest component, capable to 01005 with feeder, nozzle, sensor, and camera upgrade
Dual Gantry
Dual Conveyor
Detachable feeder trolleys for quick changeover

2. Mx-400LP Pick and Place with TF5 (20 tray handler):
70, 8mm feeder slots
Capability to hold and present up to 20 matrix tray parts on the machine
-     Max board size 26.5" X 18"
Max component size: 3.54" X 1.18"
0201 smallest component, capable to 01005 with feeder, nozzle, sensor, and camera upgrade
Dual Gantry
Dual Conveyor
Detachable feeder trolleys for quick changeover

3. Offline Feeder programming station for smart feeder system

4. Barcode system for smart feeder – setup and changeover

5. Feeder storage cart

6. Feeder reel stand for part changeover

7. SJ Inno tech connecting conveyor(s)
    a. 600mm connecting
    b. 900mm with light kit and capability to stop for manual insertion/inspection pre-reflow
   
8. SJ Inno Tech magazine loader and unloader

Automated Optical Inspection at the India facility is also performed by exactly the same equipment models as used in the Chicago facility, which allows the plant to support its offshore facility and review data. Other processes, such as selective and wave solder, are also offered. A full functional test department is currently in development. As the Vadodara area has been historically underserved by contract electronics manufacturing, Aimtron is putting the message out: "We are here, open for business, and ready to serve your needs."

Aimtron's Streamwood, IL Headquarters continues to expand its Quality Management System and Registrations. After quickly achieving ISO 13485, Aimtron continued listening to customer requirements. ITAR was recently harmonized into the QMS with instant positive results.  The company had a mix of current customers holding back ITAR-related work, along with new client prospects who were eager to do business. Once the company had ITAR in place, it was greeted with a flood of both RFQs and new orders.

"Recently, outside auditors performed an analysis of the company's current ISO13485 quality management system, with an eye towards pending AS9100 certification. Results were very favorable. In many specific areas, Aimtron's current QMS goes above and beyond the AS9100 standard. In anticipation of a growing market base, Aimtron is launching a pilot program with respect to TS 16949, due to begin just after AS9100 registration," said Mr. John Fagerson, Quality Manager.

Currently, Aimtron's domestic facility has a customer base requiring 95 percent domestic build for domestic clients, with approximately 5 percent offshore sourcing for domestic clients. "In the near future, we would like to see the numbers move to 75 percent domestic sourced, 25 percent offshore sourced for our domestic clients," said Operation Manager Mr. Larry Whitis.

Many clients make purchasing decisions based on the per unit price coming out of China. What happens if something goes wrong? The cost of an additional shipping cycle back to the Far East can easily cripple a project's budget. Finding local sources of rework can be just as costly. Not to mention overall impact to production and release schedules.

Aimtron hopes to leverage its offshore facility's pricing with local support. Purchase orders for international builds have an FOB point here in the United States. A mirrored quality management system ensures builds are correct the first time.  added to that, any errors can be serviced at far less cost for all parties.

It can take years to develop a good customer.  Aimtron has proven its commitment to customers by responding to their outsourcing requirements and anticipating the next generation of client needs, while remaining financially strong, flexible and lean.

"Overall, I am very proud of the staff, and what they have accomplished to date. Now it is time to push forward and bring us to the next level," concluded Managing Director Dhaval Vasani.