DEK celebrates its 40th year

Citation

(2008), "DEK celebrates its 40th year", Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, Vol. 20 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ssmt.2008.21920cab.003

DEK celebrates its 40th year

Article Type: Industry news From: Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, Volume 20, Issue 3

Celebrating 40 years in business, mass imaging specialist DEK is using this significant milestone to reaffirm its longstanding commitment to providing customers with innovative solutions. From playing a pivotal role in the development of high speed, high accuracy, highly repeatable surface mount assembly processes, to defining next generation challenges such as alternative energy programs, DEK’s emphasis and focus for this 40th anniversary year, will remain on maximising its customers’ business potential through advancing technologies.

John Hartner (Figure 1), CEO, DEK enthuses, “When DEK was founded 40 years ago, its fundamental principals were exactly the same as they are today – to provide our customers with the optimum, most technologically advanced tools to increase the efficiency of their businesses. We have successfully studied and developed advanced semiconductor packaging and pre-placement SMT technologies and, as a major innovator in the electronics sector, introduced ProFlow^® DirEKt Imaging, regarded as one of the most significant developments in the 2000 year history of screen-printing.”

Figure 1 John Hartner, CEO of DEK

Hartner continues, “We are incredibly proud of all our achievements over the past four decades which have been recognised by the electronics sector with numerous industry awards. Our aim is to continually use the expertise and know-how gained from 40 years in business to develop yet more innovative solutions for our customers around the world. And, looking ahead to 2008, we will be working to redefine more industry parameters through facilitating alternative energy programs, further developing our widely acclaimed Reel-to-Reel and Dual Lane advanced technologies, and adding continuous improvements to our core SMT business.”

With over 18,000 recorded machine installations since records began, DEK’s prestigious heritage in the electronics industry is well documented. Having introduced the industry’s first Pass Thru^® screen printer in the 1980s and the benchmark DEK 265 automatic screen printer in the early 1990s – a product which now boasts an international base of over 3,000 machines – DEK went on to launch its highly acclaimed enclosed print head technology, ProFlow^®, in 1997.

DEK’s twenty-first century screen printing solutions include the Galaxy, Europa, Horizon Series, Infinity and 248 printing platforms, precision emulsion screens and stencils, VectorGuard^® frame mounted stencil system, Vortex™ advanced paperless underscreen cleaning technology and a full range of productivity tools including award-winning programmable tooling for optimal board support.

With commercial headquarters in Zurich and employing more than 850 people around the world, DEK has built up a comprehensive structure of manufacturing plants and sales offices, in addition to a vast global distribution network. And, now servicing companies around the globe, DEK’s high-profile customer-base spans a diverse range of market sectors.

DEK’s vast network of specialist offices supports its exports to over 50 countries worldwide, and having always worked in partnership with its customers, DEK’s after – sales and maintenance support and training programs have been widely commended throughout the industry.

Among its most prestigious awards, DEK received a fifth consecutive Service Excellence Award (SEA), highlighting its ability to support its pioneering product range with an exceptional level of customer service. Presented by Circuits Assembly Magazine, the accolade makes DEK the only printing company to have won five SEAs in succession.

DEK’s commitment has already been demonstrated through the addition of a new, state-of-the-art clean room for screens manufacture last year, and with preparations already in place for extending its capacity to assist fuel cell and photovoltaic cell manufacturers through precision screen expertise even further, DEK plans to expand its investment and R&D commitment in this sector throughout the year.

During 2007, DEK’s determination to supply its customers with innovative technology was manifested in the hugely successful launch of its brand new Dual Lane in-line printing solution and Reel-to-Reel process. Providing 100 percent faster throughput, dramatically reduced down-time and significantly enhanced flexibility and efficiency for printers without increasing the machine size, Dual Lane answered the needs of manufacturers facing ever-increasing demands to work faster and more efficiently.

With its Reel-to-Reel technology, DEK delivered a uniquely singular solution for an incredibly diverse application. The current variety of sub-miniature assemblies impacts on practically all areas of everyday life from mobile phones to airline aisle illuminators. Recognising the huge growth of this in sector and the variety and size of substrates used for such modern electronics, DEK developed and delivered a technologically advanced Reel-to-Reel solution.

Hartner concludes, “Having accumulated in excess of 100 patents, our legacy at DEK for the past 40 years is undoubtedly our groundbreaking advances in technology for the electronics sector – we are looking forward to creating an even bigger legacy in the next 40 years and continually enabling our customers to Expect More.”

Learn more at www.dek.com