Universal Instruments Awarded Frost & Sullivan Accolade

Recognising the company's pioneering technical advances in the Surface Mount Technology placement equipment market, the award celebrates Universal's commitment to high quality technology innovation and confirms its position as a leading authority in this field. Universal's commitment to technological innovation is highlighted by its revolutionary Lightning™ Placement Head. When used in conjunction with the Genesis platform, Lightning has extended the platform concept into the domain of high-speed chip placement. The innovative Lightning Placement Head has helped redefine existing standards for high-speed throughput, significantly raising the bar for the electronics industry as a whole. As a rotary-motion surface-mount component placement head, comprising a radial array of 30 individually controlled spindles, Lightning offers manufacturers dramatically increased throughput and overall reliability. The Genesis-Lightning system harnesses this power to combine two Lightning placement heads on a platform machine. Delivering high speed chip placement rates of up to 57,000 cph, this solution will accommodate components from 01005s to 30mm x 30mm. Consequently, Genesis-Lightning has set an industry benchmark for the fastest, most flexible chip placement cycle. Other products such as the mid-range AdVantis placement platform, Polaris Multi-Process Assembly Cell and Dimensions Line-Level Software, enable Universal to consistently meet the diverse needs of today's electronics manufacturers. “The combination of these innovative products is catalysing growth within the market as a whole and is increasingly enabling Universal to penetrate its competitors' customer bases,” notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst P.Santosh Kumar. “By continuing to invest heavily in R&D to ensure the ongoing introduction of competitive, state-of-the-art technological innovations, Universal looks set to reinforce its competitive advantage.” Universal's unyielding pursuit of technology advancement is ongoing, evidenced by the company's extensive R&D investment, array of patents and industry accolades such as the Frost & Sullivan award. Driven by an in-depth technical expertise, vast global infrastructure and immense industry knowledge, Universal's technological innovation strategy looks set to further extend its influence throughout Europe and beyond.