:: April 2008::                                                       

2007 Year in Review
Saturn Stays True to Its Root by Investing Heavily in Quality

2007 was another big year for Saturn Electronics. Saturn posted break-even sales year-over-year, despite an industry decline of 8.7%. Again, we credit this stability to our continuously adamant axiom of putting quality first and passing the savings on to the customer! This month’s newsletter will enumerate the Equipment ventures Saturn prides itself on no matter the market conditions.

In January of 2007 we saw the fruits of our labor culminate, as Saturn became one of the few PCB Manufacturers in North America to be awarded AS9100 certification. Saturn’s process-based approach welcomed the registration, which demands stricter controls on each individual manufacturing process.

Instead of standing pat or resting on our laurels, we were now more determined than ever to meet the quality challenges presented by the global market. Consequently, 2007 witnessed Saturn investing over $2 million into our facility in Romulus. While this is a substantial amount in itself, this represents a far greater value. Due to our solid financial standing, we are able to take advantage of equipment deals as they present themselves. The purchase value of the equipment installed in 2007 alone stands at over $4 million, and we’re not even halfway through installing everything we bought in 2007!

When all was said and done, Saturn’s Quality and Reliability Department ranked at the top of the PCB Industry while boasting the premier Drill Room in North America!

Here’s a brief summary of some of the primary installations we made in 2007:

Drilling
During 2007, our cutting-edge Drill Room maintained its prominence by taking delivery of 6 new drills including the Mania Micronic 86, which with its highly accurate blind-via-drilling faculties has improved capabilities down to +/- 0.5 mil. In addition to the Micronic we also installed 2 Excellon HVP Drilling Machines over the summer.

In 2004, our drill room consisted of 12 Excellon Mark VI and 2 Excellon Century 2001 drilling machines. While the Mark VI is a solid drilling machine, it does not have the capabilities required to drilled high quality microvias that are diameter 12 mils or less. Now with 17 machines in its arsenal, top-notch capabilities and massively increased production time over the Industry median, Saturn Electronic now boasts the consummate Drill Floor in North America.

Multilayers
In May we replaced our Chemcut DES line with the new high-tech etching system from Hollmuller. The refined capacity of the Hollmuller DES (down to 2 mil line and spacing and 2 mil core thickness) improved fabrication, amplified overall production, and lowered costs in the process—the Hollmuller DES bayonet fittings on all nozzles ensure the unit is maintenance friendly while the high-performance dryers confirm zero-spotting prior to lamination.

Then, in September we installed the Hollmuller Cobra Bond. With its variable conveyor speed we established a flawless process while safeguarding costs that were traceable to the advanced water rinsing system. The completely automatic machine doubled production immediately.

Imaging
In July, we added 2 Olec AccuTray AT-30’s to our Primary and LPI Imaging Departments. The AccuTray’s heightened Imaging Capability registers within ½ mil. As a result, Saturn increases its capabilities to image finer technology boards and pad-on-pad soldermask features. Further, these machines are outfitted with a hybrid collimated light source, which allows imaging of fine features all the way to the outside edges of an 18”x24” production panel.

Q.C. Lab
In October, we decided to install a brand-new XRF-2000 X-Ray machine to the lab. With coating thickness requirements becoming more paramount to reliability and solderability, the XFR-2000’s metal-thickness measurability increased accuracy and consistency to the product line. Privy to this limited in-house expediency, we are now able to keep allocations even leaner than before.

And you know where that money goes…onto our customers and back into state-of-the-art Equipment. Some things will never change…like our commitment to quality and service.

Founded in 1985, Saturn Electronics Corporation is a leading manufacturer of high-reliability, technologically advanced Printed Circuit Boards. Dedicated to quality since its inception, Saturn delivers steadfast manufacturing that ranges from quick-turning elaborate prototypes to scheduled principal volume-production. Saturn's adherence to quality resulted in being the first PCB Manufacturer in North America to achieve TS16949 certification.

Check out our website: www.saturnelectronics.com for further updates.