News

State-of-the-art manufacturing process brings Industry 4.0 levels of quality, flexibility and cost to Trackwise’s customers

Trackwise continues to push the boundaries of flexible circuit innovation by investing in a state-of-the-art Vertical Continuous Plating (VCP) line at its Tewkesbury factory. Operational from June, this fully automated manufacturing process is uniquely capable of plating reel-to-reel flexible substrates and rigid panels of any length. This new capability means that Trackwise can address a broad range of requirements for both its Improved Harness Technology™ (IHT) and RF customers, guaranteeing best-in-class results for both volume and niche plated products.

The VCP process runs on up-to-date machinery, equipped with Industry 4.0 features, enabling flexible and efficient manufacturing and ensuring high-quality and cost-effective production. Using the latest sensor technology, the progress of each individual product can be closely tracked as it passes through the line, enabling real-time quality control. QR codes can be assigned, enabling items to be scanned and production settings to be self-adjusted accordingly. With these and other advanced techniques, the process is able to achieve significantly improved levels of plating distribution and consistency, enabling tighter etching tolerances and higher quality, as measured by parameters such as elongation, tensile strength and purity, in excess of current IPC standards.

Philip Johnston, CEO, Trackwise said “This new VCP line, the first of its kind in Europe, significantly increases Trackwise’s plating capacity and offers total flexibility regarding customer specification and volume requirements. Leveraging the latest Industry 4.0 technologies will enable Trackwise to continue to deliver exceptional products using a more cost- and time-efficient manufacturing process.”