The Matric Group provides world-class electronic manufacturing services (EMS) with personalized supportand specializes in high–mix/low– to high-volume contract assembly. Offering both turnkey and board-level assembly, itexcels at working closely with customers to meet unique assembly and testing requirements. Matric Group consists of three companies: Matric Limited, Dynamic Manufacturing and Windurance. Located in Northwestern PA, Matric features an updated 84,000 sq. ft. facility and is certified to ISO 9001, ISO 13485, and ISO 14001, as well as AS 9100 quality management systems.The company provides customers with a range of services, including engineering (PCB design, mechanical design, hardware design, software design, and tester design), circuit board assembly (surface mount and through-hole), electromechanical assembly, and cable & harness assembly. Aftermarket services include services offered, products served, and tools & equipment, and obsolescence management services include inventory, forecasting, engineering, and more.
Matric was founded in 1971by two electrical engineers turned vocational technology teachers interested in designing, building, and servicing HAM radio equipment. Their portfolio expanded into rugged control systems specifically for the mining industry. Today, more than five decades later, Matric manufactures electronic assemblies, offering world-class manufacturing services with personalized customer support.In order to continue meeting and exceeding customer needs, Matric partners with other companies that share its high levels of quality, innovation, effectiveness and flexibility. Juki Automation Systems is one such partner. Matric learned about Juki’s solutions close to four years ago when it needed to solve component storage and humidity issues. Ray Dunsworth, Manufacturing Engineering Manager, said, “We first saw Juki’s towers and cabinets when a manufacturer’s rep visited our facility. We also saw these in operation duringthe 2019 IPC APEX EXPO and decided that these were the best systems to meet our SMT storage needs.” He added that after further analysis, the company purchased three ISM3600 towers, six ISM3900 towers and three ISM500 cabinets. Andrea Estadt, Marketing Specialist, Sales & Marketingadded, “This was a no-brainer [purchase] for us. The towers solved numerous problems while quickly providing ROI.”
For Matric, the towers immediately reduced 80% in-direct labor associated with its material handling. The company paired the tower systems with a sophisticated X-ray counting system that both counted and updated enterprise resource planning (ERP) seamlessly with job absorption rates and SMT throw rates. The next problem solved was the moisture-sensitivity level (MSL) controls with resets. The systems have humidity controls and software to track floor time by product. “The systems will not allow product to go back in once it is out of MSL tolerance,” Estadt added. “We paired the system with a super–dry cabinet to complete the reset and dry out times.”
The company was so pleased with the Juki towers that it purchased three additional ISM3900 systems in 2022. Matric uses the systems to store all of its SMT mount type components at low humidity levels and maintain first in/first out (FIFO) control of the lot codes. The company houses more than 32,000 unique part numbers in addition to manufacturing IDs in its systems. Estadt said that on average, it picks 3,200 7–inch and 15-inch reels, tubes and trays, and also puts away that same amount every 24 hours.ISM UltraFlex 3600 towers are the benchmark in the electronic component storage market, pushing performances beyond current possibilities and allowing Matric to reconfigure the units as its needs change. The 3600 is fast and efficient at extracting and returning reels. It can store up to 3600 reels in single cases. Additionally, it shares the patented “kit pulling” feature of all ISM units. Rather than delivering one reel at a time, it delivers a stack of components, allowing the full kit to be pulled, helping to speed up Matric’s pulling and returning of reels, tubes and trays.
ISM UltraFlex 3900 towers are designed as an extension module for the ISM UltraFlex 3600. Juki’s 3900 allows Matric to efficiently use space in its warehouse by doubling storage capacities. ISM UltraFlex 3900 provides storage up to 7,500 7″ and 15″ reels in combination with the ISM UltraFlex 3600. Operation and handling is done via the 3600. All reels are stored fully automatically and are monitored intelligently.
Intelligent and efficient storage management is an importantfactor in SMT manufacturing. The ISM UltraFlex 500 cabinetsensure Matric allows intelligent storage of parts in tubes. The three ISM500 units have 1920 slots for tube storage and guide the material handling personnel to the part using a pick to light system.The towers and cabinets allow Matric to maintain process control. The systems have improved MSL FIFO lot tracking and in-direct labor reduction, ultimately helping the company to provide a more streamlined process to customers.
Estadt added that Juki’s customer support has been strong since the two companies first began working together almost four years ago. “Our first install of Juki technology was the largest, most complex install in the Americas for our company. This required us to develop and learn together,” she added. “Juki has made us a better performing company, and I know that we also pushed Juki to a new comfort zone regardingsystem capabilities. Going three deep with the system was not common in 2019, just as going four deep is not common today; however, both sides were dedicated to making this successful, and it has been. Some software improvements even have come about because of our working relationship.”
“If ROI is important, do not pass up Juki’s towers and cabinets,” concluded Estadt. “They are simple to use and effective, and additional units can be added with little downtime. Juki’s intuitive self-tracking system makes it easy to handle lot tracking across an entire warehouse storage system, eliminating the frustration typically experienced by operators and inventory control teams.”
For more information about Matric Group, contact Andrea Estadt, Marketing Specialist, Sales & Marketing, at 2099 Hill City Road, Seneca, PA 16346; 800-462-8742; E-mail: andrea.Estadt@matric.com; Web site: www.matric.com. To find out more about Juki Automation Systems and its technologies, contact Carlos Eijansantos, 5151 McCrimmon Pkwy, Suite 200, Morrisville, NC 27560; 510-468-6213; E-mail: carlos.eijansantos@juki.com; Web Site: www.jukiamericas.com.
