eC-stencil-mate and eC-reflow-mate: what our users say

eC-stencil-mate
"Fast and simple set-up"

Ateknea has 6 offices across the EU, specialising in R&D, Innovation Project Management and innovative engineering solutions. Our engineers have research experience across a wide range of technologies, delivering multi-disciplinary solutions to customersÂ’ projects.

We are specialists in innovation and need to get working prototypes to our customers fast. As we use advanced components reliability is paramount. eC-stencil-mates has greatly improved the quality and reliability of our prototype SMD assemblies. The pin-based registration system makes it fast and accurate to set up, ideal for assembling prototype PCBs with complex components.

- Ateknea Solutions, Barcelona, Spain.


eC-reflow-mate
"Quick return on investment"

"At embedded projects GmbH we are specialist developers of embedded Linux hardware and software solutions. Hardware products include our own range of embedded measurement and control systems as well as the GNUBLIN family of Linux-based development PCBs.

We need to assemble prototype PCBs and small series, typically 20 – 30 pieces. We were using an assembly service, but decided to investigate the possibilities of doing the work in-house. We surveyed the market for reflow ovens and selected the eC-reflow-mate.

There were cheaper solutions but they did not appear trustworthy: they were poorly engineered and did not provide the overall control we needed for quality reflow soldering.

More expensive solutions offered no better soldering performance than eC-reflow-mate. They added more automation to handle larger production volumes, but our requirements did not warrant the extra costs.

"Our choice was fully justified"

It was very easy to get professional soldering results with little effort and training. eC-reflow-mate worked immediately from the beginning.

Our investment has been paid back really quickly. When we used an assembly service for our prototypes, we had to place a minimum order for 5 – 6 PCBs, even if we only needed 1 – 2. Costs quickly escalated to around €1000. With eC-reflow-mate we can order the exact number of boards we need, usually just 1 – 2, and assemble them in-house. The total costs are now 25% of what we had to pay before.

For our small series, typically 20 – 30 PCBs, we have the added benefit of speed. As well as charging around €1000, assembly companies often require a lead-time of 6 – 8 weeks. Now we can order the PCBs from Eurocircuits on a cost-effective 7 day lead-time and assemble them easily within 2 days. We also save around 75% of the former costs."

- embedded projects GmbH, Augsburg, Germany.

"Gives us the temperature control that we need"

"Our eC-reflow-mate oven worked perfectly for mounting photomultiplier chips which were coated with a temperature sensitive epoxy which wouldn't survive a vapour phase reflow oven"

- Experimental Officer, University of York, UK.