We’ve added a fourth Hanwha SM482 Plus pick-and-place machine to the surface mount (SMT) line at our electronics design and manufacturing facility in Greater Manchester. It’s the same model as the three we already run, and it’s the latest step in the ongoing investment that keeps our manufacturing innovative and ahead of the curve.
But this isn’t just about having one more machine on the floor. We’re linking it in series with one of our existing SM482 Plus machines, and that one decision changes how quickly, flexibly and reliably we can build your boards.
Why the same machine again?
Consistency. Our experienced team already knows the SM482 Plus inside out: how to programme it, maintain it and get the best from it on complex boards. Same feeders, same component libraries, same proven processes.
That means no learning curve and no new variables introduced into your build, just the same reliable results from a capable, organised production team.
Why run two machines in series?
Each SM482 Plus has a single gantry with six spindles and can place up to around 30,000 components per hour in optimum conditions. On a dense PCB assembly, that single gantry becomes the bottleneck.
Link two machines together and the board moves from one to the next, with the placement work shared between them. Typically, the first machine handles the small passives, such as resistors and capacitors, along with standard components. The second places the larger and odd-shaped parts: ICs, BGAs, QFPs and connectors.
Each machine does what it’s best at, so placement heads and vision systems are used more efficiently and the line keeps moving.
It also doubles our feeder capacity on that line, from 120 slots to 240. And because the machines share component data through Hanwha’s software, jobs move between them without being reprogrammed from scratch.
What it means for you
Shorter lead times
More placement capacity, and fewer reel changes and set-ups between jobs, means your boards spend less time on the line. It also frees up capacity across our Manchester facility, so your project can get into production sooner.
Design without compromise
Our design engineers work side by side with our production team, so we design every board with our line in mind. With 240 feeder slots available, there’s no need to consolidate component types or compromise a design to fit within a machine’s feeder limits. The board we design for you is simply the best board for the job, and we can load an entire complex board, or several product variants, in one go.
Already have a design? We’ll build that too, and our engineers can review it before production to spot where it could be improved.
Delivery dates you can plan around
If one machine needs scheduled maintenance, nozzle cleaning or a reel splice, the dual set-up keeps us agile and adaptable, so production keeps moving. Less unplanned downtime means more predictable delivery, and fewer knock-on effects for your launch dates and stock levels.
Consistent quality, board after board
Sharing the workload means each machine is set up for the components it handles best, supporting consistent placement accuracy across every run. Combined with our 3D AOI and X-ray inspection, that means fewer soldering or alignment defects, and fewer field failures and warranty claims for you further down the line.
Part of a bigger picture
This latest machine builds on our £1.2m investment programme in equipment, facilities and people, which has helped us reach a yield of over 99.6% and a return rate of just 0.2%.
We’re a growing, ambitious and hard-working family-run electronics manufacturer, and we keep investing for one reason: so that when you bring us a project, we can take it from electronics design through to manufacture, all under one roof, to a higher standard and more efficiently than before.
Got a complex board in the pipeline?
If you’ve been asked to simplify a design to suit someone else’s production line, or you need a trusted, collaborative partner who can scale with you, we’d love to hear about it.
Get in touch for an honest, direct conversation about your next project.
