The majority of light engines are currently assembled offshore, posing the threat of loosely regulated process flows and an increased risk of rejected products. Shifting assembly on-shore directly addresses these concerns among others.
Assembly Services is offering free access to an on-demand webcast, “Automated Precision Assembly for High-Volume HB LED.” In this webcast, Assembly Services general manager, Don Beck, presents a tightly regulated process flow of high-yield HB LED automated on-shore assembly, supported by equipment certification, product inspection, SPC data collection methods—and why on-shore contract assembly is cost-effective.
On-shore contract assembly ensures, but is not limited to, the following:
Organizations often revert to offshore assembly with the plan of maintaining lower production costs. This is a misleading concept, as the costs for microelectronic assembly tend to equalize as complexity increases. For example, it is known that light engine assembly costs in China have increased as designs have become more intricate and complex. In 2009, Palomar Technologies conducted a review of LED assembly costs comparing the United States, Europe, China, Singapore, Taiwan and Mexico. This review concluded that there is an insignificant difference in LED assembly costs between the United States and China. The reason – most Chinese-assembled light engines occur in Shenzin where labor costs have steadily risen. The rising costs, combined with the fact that US microelectronic assembly is performed by automated equipment and not by hand, help equalize costs in this market. The figure below presents a graphical overview of the LED assembly costs among the six regions/countries.
Through precision contract manufacturing services, Assembly Services has responded to the economic realities of modern advanced packaging with its high equipment and labor costs, and the need for process development and low-volume production on a limited scale.
Watch the webcast to learn more!
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Jessica Sylvester
Marketing Communications
Palomar Technologies