Trade Show Advantages for Engineers

May 8, 2023 Britani Glover

As an engineer, attending trade shows can be an excellent opportunity to meet companies like ECI Technologies and learn about the latest technologies and innovations in your field. Trade shows provide an excellent opportunity to network with other professionals. You can meet with representatives from ECI Technologies and other companies, ask questions, and learn about their products and services.

Trade shows are a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in your field. You can attend seminars, workshops, and presentations to learn about the latest technologies and innovations, and how they can benefit your work.

Exploring the trade show floor offers you the opportunity to visit multiple exhibitors’ booths in a short amount of time. Bring drawings of your latest project to problem solve right at the booth, ask questions to find out how they can benefit you. Be sure to attend the presentations and workshops. These topics often focus on best practices in your field. Attending these sessions can help you learn from industry leaders and experts and gain new insights and ideas for your work.

Taking part in trade shows can also help you develop your career by expanding your knowledge, skills, and professional network. You can meet with recruiters and learn about job opportunities, and also connect with other professionals who may be able to offer career advice and mentorship.

Overall, attending trade shows can be a valuable opportunity for engineers to learn, network, and discover new products and services that can benefit their work. By meeting companies like ECI Technologies and other industry leaders, engineers can gain new insights and ideas that can help them stay ahead of the curve and achieve greater success in their careers.

Design2Part Trade Shows

May 8, 2023 Britani Glover

ECI Technologies is proud to have exhibited at the Design2Part trade shows last year. Our booth was a huge success, with visitors expressing interest in our products and services. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase our latest innovations and connect with other industry leaders.

Design2Part is a series of trade shows that highlight the latest technologies, materials, and processes to help engineers develop innovative products. As a leader in the industry, ECI Technologies recognizes the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest developments in the manufacturing sector. The event provides an opportunity to connect with a range of industry professionals, including engineers, designers, and manufacturers.

ECI Technologies will be exhibiting at several Design2Part trade shows in 2023, including the next 2 shows in Secaucus, NJ and Orlando, FL, to connect with engineers and potential clients about their upcoming projects. Our booth staff is knowledgeable, and always ready to answer questions about anything from design and prototypes to production, finishing, and assemblies. We’re looking forward to showcasing our capabilities and discussing how we can assist with your needs.

Be sure to follow us on social media to learn more details on the upcoming shows!

At ECI Technologies, we are committed to providing our clients with the highest level of service and quality. By participating in events like Design2Part, we’re able connect with potential clients and create innovative solutions that meet their evolving needs.

Surface Mount Technology Pick-and-Place Machine

October 17, 2022 Britani Glover

ECI has utilized a pick-and-place machine for a number of years, mostly for placing metal domes within a membrane switch assembly. The process of placing the domes begins with adhesive and spacer layers being inserted in the PPM with a pin registration system. A hollow nozzle uses a vacuum to pick up the domes and place them within the opening of the spacer layer and circuit assembly.

We spoke with ECI Designer, Dan Army who is in the process of unlocking the potential of the PPM to attach LEDs onto a flexible membrane switch.

“ ECI’s lean approach aims to maximize value from parts, services and equipment. Using the PPM to its maximum potential benefits both the company and our customers.” Dan Army, ECI Designer.

Traditionally, skilled technicians would place the LEDs by hand and in some cases, this is still the preferred process, depending on the job requirements. The downfall to hand placing large quantities of complex orders is that it is tedious and monotonous, resulting in technician fatigue and higher cost. The ECI team knew the equipment was being underutilized and held the potential to solve this production dilemma.

After rigorous testing and research ECI has been able to optimize the PPM for LED placement. This adds value to both the company in time and labor, but also to customers in providing precision, quality and quick turn-around.

The process now includes the same hollow nozzle vacuum that picks up the metal domes for picking up the LEDs and placing them in the programmed location. It is then secured to the polyester with Loctite glue from a syringe dispenser apart of the automated process. With a maximum placement rate of 3600 CPH (components per hour) this opens up the opportunity to process large-quantity orders with attached components quickly. After months of testing the ECI team is excited to utilize this process in future orders.

ECI Technologies has been using the pick-and-place machine for meatal dome components for many years advancing our capabilities with the PPM for placing components, like LEDs, focuses on our overall corporate lean initiatives and utilizes our equipment to its maximum potential.

Quality Through Lean Manufacturing

May 16, 2022 Britani Glover

lean manufacturing practices used in testing membrane switches. Lean six sigma manufacturing is a practice the stream lines processes. This is also know as Six sigma manufacturing.

Innovation is one of our top drivers, but innovation without quality isn’t innovation at all. It’s a good idea that didn’t pan out. It’s what overpromising and under delivering look like.

When you’re considering vendors for a high-priority and high-value project, quality is probably one of the values you care most about. But quality can mean a lot of different things; what does it mean to you? Does it mean a product that withstands 10,000 tests or 10,000,000? Does it mean a product that delivers on most of what it promises, or a product that delivers on everything it promises? Does it mean a product your customers will enjoy or a product your customers can’t live without?

TACTILE VS. NON-TACTILE MEMBRANE SWITCHES: WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOUR PRODUCT?

April 5, 2022 Britani Glover

Membrane switches are affordable, customizable, and highly functional user interface components. Custom built for a wide array of products throughout the consumer electronics, medical, and industrial markets, membrane switches are durable and reliable tools that allow users to easily interact with a device.

Essentially functioning as a switch that controls when a circuit is open or closed, membrane switches tend to provide the same functionality as physical knobs, dials, or buttons. But because membrane switches can be used in concert with polycarbonate, acrylic, or other durable graphic overlays, they act as a resilient, reliable method of product interaction that’s easy to maintain in even the harshest of environments.

10 Ways to Get the Most from Rapid Prototyping in Manufacturing

March 8, 2022 Britani Glover

Spot Color Printing VS. 4-Color Process Digital Printing

September 9, 2019 Guest User

When making design considerations for printed matter, it is critical to understand the advantages and disadvantages to both spot color screen printing and digital graphic printing. ECI can work with you to help you decide what process will help achieve an aesthetically and functionally viable product, all within the parameters of your budget.

FP3: An Approach to Innovation In the Industry

June 28, 2018 Guest User

The FP3 Conference (Functional Printing, Process and Products) has come to a close after its three days of panelists during June 4-6 in Chicago. The conference focused on the innovative mindset of the printing industry, including topics on business, printed electronics and industrial printing. FP3’s in-depth look into the industry included not only innovation, but also the importance of learning and mentoring, all of which were a huge focus for ECI Screen Print President and SGIA Board Chairman, Edward F. Cook Jr. “Screen printing and digital printing are growing our industry and stretching its boundaries. FP3 is about pushing those boundaries further.”

2017 SGIA Expo and Printed Electronics Symposium

November 8, 2017 Guest User

Another great year for the largest printing show in North America, the SGIA Expo had almost 20,000 people attended at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans and nearly 600 exhibitors showcased the latest in innovation and technology in the screen and digital printing industry. In conjunction to the Expo, The Printed Electronics Symposium was also a huge success with 73 registrants.

Color Matching: Variable that Effect Color in Screen Printing: Lighting and Perception

March 16, 2017 Guest User

In the screen printing industry, color matching is the process where color swatches or samples are used to compare and match colors so that the product is precisely the right quality that the customer wants and needs. Here at ECI, we typically use the Pantone Color Matching System – a booklet of thousands of color chips that we use to standardize each customer’s products and equate them with their unique ink mixing formulas. Color matching takes training, discipline and an understanding of everything that makes color look the way it does. There are many different factors and variables that affect color in screen printing and must be taken into account when designing a new part.

This article is the third part in a series concerning variables that effect color matching.

Color Matching: Variables that Effect Color in Screen Printing: The Printing Process

January 9, 2017 Guest User

Color Matching: Variables that Effect Color in Screen Printing

December 5, 2016 Guest User

In the printed window shown above, you can see the effect that texture has on the color as the half moon shapes are untextured while the textured areas are lighter in color.

In the screen printing industry, color matching is the process where color swatches or samples are used to compare and match colors so that the product is precisely the right quality that the customer wants and needs. Here at ECI, we typically use the Pantone Color Matching System – a booklet of hundreds of color chips that we use to standardize each customer’s products and equate them with their unique ink mixing formulas. Color matching takes training, discipline and an understanding of everything that makes color look the way it does. There are many different factors and variables that effect color in screen printing and must be taken into account when designing a new part.

Front End Process Improvement Project

August 3, 2016 Guest User

ECI Screen Print has grown tremendously over the past couple of years and the larger the company, the more at risk of becoming more and more cumbersome in its processes. Growing companies need to focus on preventing this problem as well as improving their customer service, all while trying to compete in competitive industries. We have to be able to supply customers with more information that is more detailed and more accurate. There is a great need to be able to supply a surmounting growth of opportunities to the public as well as our customers, all of this while doing it in an easier and simpler way. The goal is to set new standards for service and to be able to increase those standards continually over time.

Lean Manufacturing: The People, Placement and Process

June 13, 2016 Guest User

Lean manufacturing is a method of improvement used in several manufacturing facilities in today’s age. It improves production processes in order to eliminate waste and increase the efficiency and productivity of the company. Waste comes in all kinds of forms – it is an activity that consumes time, resources, or space while not really adding any value to the product or service of the company. Lean manufacturing focuses on finding and improving better use of time, flow, and prevent overproduction, over processing and defects. This helps to improve the quality of a product which will meet or go above the customer’s expectations and requirements.

Proper Applications

May 18, 2016 Guest User

Finding the proper adhesive for your product will determine whether or not your product will last for years to come and be considered high quality. There are several things to take into consideration when trying to find what is considered the “proper adhesive” for your application and these things must be cross examined with one another in order to find what kind of materials you will need for the best results. However, in order to make an educated decision, you must understand the fundamentals of adhesion.

ECI Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary

April 19, 2016 Guest User

ECI's First Location in Torrington

ECI's First Print

ECI's Current Location in Watertown

ECI Celebrates Making The Inc. 5000 in 2015

April 15, 2016 marks ECI Screen Print Inc.’s 25th Anniversary and we’re proud to say that we’ve come a long way since our humble beginnings in Torrington. It all started back in April of 1991 in an old, abandoned, one room, renovated, 500 sq. ft. corner grocery store, where ECI’s first print was made by founder, Edward F. Cook, Jr.

Product Damage Prevention, Care and Handling

March 15, 2016 Guest User

ECI takes pride in making you quality products and wishes nothing more than to maintain the quality of your products through years to come. Even the best of quality products can be damaged, though. This can come from all different sources such as the environment, elements, shipping, handling and application.

Artwork Submission

February 12, 2016 Guest User

Although ECI designers are able to design from concept, artwork can be submitted for us to work with, modify or use for reference. We have received artwork from all kinds of file formats, but not all artwork files are created equal, and not all artwork files can be accepted.

Biosensor Basics

January 8, 2016 Guest User

Biological Sensors - or Biosensors - are analytical devices that detect an array of data that come from a biological source. It is made up of three components: a bio-recognition component, transducer, and an electronic system. There are several different kinds of biosensors, depending on the biological source.

2015 - A Year In Review

December 18, 2015 Guest User

2015 was a year of immense growth for ECI Screen Print, Inc. - for several aspects of the company. What started out in a small, one room building with only one employee in Torrington in 1991, ECI has grown into a leading graphic overlay and membrane switch screen printing manufacturer that it is today.

SERVING THE INDUSTRIAL, MEDICAL, MILITARY, CONSUMER, FOOD EQUIPMENT & AVIONICS INDUSTRIES.

Phone: 800.853.5617 ~ fax: 860.283.9098