ICON Technologies, a leading screen printing company, announces that it has been awarded the SMT China Chinese Achievement Award for its Icon i8 Fully Automatic Screen Printer. The award was presented to the company during an April 8, 2008 ceremony that took place at the Shanghai Everbright Convention & Exhibition International Hotel during NEPCON China/EMT China.

The Icon i8 represents an industry first. Setting the benchmark for assemblers seeking the lowest cost of ownership, Icon i8 delivers superior performance and value, coupled with everything else expected from a high level printing platform. Wielding exceptionally high throughput and immense flexibility, Icon i8 has been specifically developed to meet the precise demands of the fast-paced Asian electronics market.

In theory, the performance of Icon i8 is driven by a set of highly impressive technical credentials. In practice, this unique machine takes it one step further. Featuring a high degree of automation to maximize throughput and minimize operator intervention, the Icon i8 reduces product changeover time to a minimal two minutes. Additionally, the introduction of new boards to the production line is easy, facilitated by a fast new product set-up time of less than 10 minutes. Along with a host of other impressive technical specifications, Icon i8 delivers a rapid 12 seconds cycle time, 508 X 508 mm maximum board dimensions and compatibility with a range of advanced performance options.

The printer offers users numerous options including the following:

Compact Auto Tooling System ¾ Icon customers can now experience a faster, more flexible alternative to existing tooling systems. When used in conjunction with the Icon i8, the system automatically configures in just a few seconds, eliminating the need for manual intervention and offering effortless integration at product changeover.

Advanced Statistical Process Control Software ¾ To ensure that every Icon i8 machine reaches an optimal performance level, Icon uses SPC techniques to verify machine quality at build. After this point, the innovative software enables continuous process monitoring to reject defects infiltrating the rest of the line.

Vacuum Under Screen Cleaner ¾ As a fully programmable cleaner with vacuum, this advanced performance option features both wet and dry functionality. Available in 400 and 520 mm widths, the unit minimizes paste build-up without operator intervention.

Paste on Pad Solder Verification ¾ This option was specifically devised to enable high-speed verification without the overheads and complexities associated with traditional 2-D inspection techniques. Simple reporting and easy set-up mean that Icon customers can now enjoy faster print verification to optimize print process performance.

With print speeds from 2 mm to 150 mm/sec, the Icon i8 can handle boards from 40 x 50 mm up to 508 X 508 mm, and a thickness of 0.2 to 6.0 mm. Maximum board weight is 1 kg.

The SMT China VISION Awards program is sponsored by SMT China Magazine and honors the top categories of various manufacturing-related products, materials and equipment. The purpose of this program is to recognize, reward and celebrate excellence in the Asian electronics industry.