Case Study: Milara Inc. Deploys MISUMI Components

Milara Inc. Deploys MISUMI Components in Innovative Products and
Systems for SMT/PCB and Semiconductor Industries

Benefits to customers include lower machining costs and faster delivery times.

Milara Inc. Deploys MISUMI Components in Innovative Products and Systems for SMT/PCB and Semiconductor Industries

Milara, Incorporated is an award-winning OEM developer and manufacturer of semi- and fully automated PCB and wafer printing and bumping systems for the surface mount technology (SMT), printed circuit board (PCB). and semiconductor industries. Milara has 89 employees at its Medway, MA headquarters and manufacturing facility, and 132 working at its 107,000-sq ft, ISO 9001-certified, mass fabrication facility in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Milara has gained industry-wide recognition for technology breakthroughs achieved in printing equipment design. At this year's IPC Apex Expo in Las Vegas, Milara's revolutionary TouchPrint Digital TD2929 Automatic Inline Printer won awards for product excellence – the 2009 NPI Award in the category of Screen/Stencil Printing technology, and the 2009 SMT VISION Award in the Printing category.

MISUMI's online catalog and innovative CAD configuration
tools, which allow Milara Designers to configure a part
and download it directly into the design process
without the need for additional drawings.

Stephen K. Brodeur, Program Director for Milara's Printer Division, comments on Milara's design philosophy and processes: "In addition to holding several process and technology patents, our company has built a rich store of tenured engineering knowledge and experience in stencil printing. These are the primary resources we draw upon in designing innovative printing products that differentiate Milara from its competitors. Our engineers are always looking for new ideas and methods that can help us maintain that competitive advantage."

In designing a custom printing solution, the engineering team starts by generating system specifications based on the customer's application needs and objectives. They use Solidworks CAD for all mechanical design work and AutoCAD Electrical for control systems design. It was, in fact, Milara engineers who first learned about MISUMI USA, the Illinois-based supplier of fixed and configurable mechanical components, on the Internet, and saw the possibilities of incorporating MISUMI's motion control components into Milara machines and systems.

According to Brodeur, a wide array of MISUMI precision-made components have now became an integral part of Milara's design process. Milara is heavily involved in multi-axis machinery designs that incorporate leadscrews, rails, bearing, belts and pulleys, servo couplings and motors. These kinds of motion control components factor into virtually all Milara systems, from high-speed cameras and machine vision gantries, to PCB conveyor belt transports and other items.

"Since MISUMI offers products for all these kinds of designs, it was a logical decision to incorporate their configurable components into our machinery," Brodeur notes. In the selection process, engineers first look at functionality matched with form factor. Then they consider types of material used and, depending on the application, sometimes request life cycle data. "Of course, the cost and availability of components are always key decision factors," adds Brodeur, "and MISUMI was able to meet our expectations on these counts, as well."

In specifying and configuring MISUMI components, Milara engineers have become adept at using MISUMI's online catalog and innovative CAD configuration tools, which allow them to configure a part and download it directly into the design process without the need for additional drawings. Brodeur says "These tools are very good and are key to reducing engineering time and maintaining project deadlines."

Overall, the decision to deploy configurable motion control component has led to positive results for Milara, including reduced time and costs and rapid turnaround time, especially for new designs.

Brodeur also applauds MISUMI's engineering expertise and design assistance. "The company's local sales representatives seem very well versed in MISUMI products and are typically knowledgeable enough to provide on-the-spot answers to engineering questions. This is very impressive to engineers – it's almost as if MISUMI is an extension of our own engineering department," Brodeur concludes.

Contact:
Milara Inc.
4 Marc Road
Medway, MA 02053
Phone: 508-533-5322
www.milarasmt.com

Stephen K. Brodeur
Program Director, Printer Division