Excellent 2007 for Contax

Omron AOI sales have been especially healthy with over 50 percent of Tier One automotive electronic assemblers now relying on Omron for optical inspection. Overall, it is estimated that Omron machines account for nearly a third of all UK installed AOI systems. Sales of Speedline dispensing and printing equipment have also doubled year on year, and Komax wire processing systems have continued to dominate the market. In terms of specific suppliers, Contax has recently added Universal Systems to its portfolio. “We have seen an amount of business returning to the UK from China, in both PCB assembly and cable preparation sectors. This is because the speed of turn-around and the escalating shipping costs have ensured that automated production in the UK is a more cost-effective and flexible proposition, Managing Director, Mike Rapson. “We have created a good platform for 2008’s continued growth. Contax can now offer a wide range of systems spanning from PCB assembly to wire preparation, and within that, we have the largest selection of world-leading products to suit smaller, niche, manufacturing facilities through to large, high volume, production lines. We are optimistic and quietly confident about the future,” he concluded.