Altus Group, a leading distributor of electronics manufacturing equipment in the UK and Ireland, has reported a rise in enquiries from manufacturers looking for guidance on specifying convection reflow ovens for SMT production lines. One of the most common early considerations is how many heating zones are required, a decision that can influence throughput, footprint and long-term process capability.

As manufacturers compare available systems, Altus highlights that zone count alone does not provide a full picture of reflow performance. Differences in mechanical build between oven suppliers mean that systems with identical zone numbers can behave very differently in production. Heated length and cooling length therefore offer a more reliable indication of the usable thermal process window and achievable conveyor speed.

In the Heller platforms supported by Altus, configurations range from compact systems with heated lengths of around 1.3 m in five zones and 0.4 m of cooling, through to larger platforms offering 4.49 m of heated length across 13 zones with 1.66 m of cooling. Seven, eight and nine-zone models, including the Heller 1707, 1826 and 1809, remain popular choices due to their balance of footprint, performance and investment level.

Joe Booth, CEO of Altus Group said: “Reflow ovens can remain in service for two decades or more, so getting the specification right at the outset has long-term impact. Decisions around heated length, cooling capability and the operating window of the oven need to be made with a clear view of both current assemblies and those likely to be introduced later. Our focus is on helping manufacturers make well-informed decisions early in the project, so their investment supports production for many years.”

Throughput expectations continue to be a major factor in oven selection. As broad guidance, a seven-zone system may support takt times in the region of 45–60 seconds, while eight- and nine-zone systems typically achieve 30–45 seconds. In certain applications, optimised nine-zone ovens can operate below 30 seconds. Altus advises that these figures depend heavily on product design and must be validated through structured profiling.

To support this, the company recommends profiling representative assemblies using an external profiler such as Solderstar. Running these boards across different oven lengths and zone configurations helps establish where performance limits lie. Tools such as Solderstar’s Auto Seeker can also assist in assessing conveyor-speed headroom while maintaining the required thermal profile.

Altus has additionally seen increased interest in dual-lane reflow systems, particularly for manufacturers aiming to boost capacity without expanding their footprint. A dual-lane configuration can provide double the reflow capacity with the right board-size balance, and with appropriate upstream and downstream shuttles, can be integrated into production lines originally configured for single-lane operation.

www.altusgroup.co.ukwww.altusgroup.co.uk

ANN ARBOR, MI -- Coherix is opening a new training and product-development facility in Sinsheim, Germany.

The new Coherix Vision Center is designed to support adhesive-dispensing programs at major electronics and automotive assembly plants throughout Europe.

Coherix President Juergen Dennig checks a dispensing system equipped with the company’s 3D technology at the company’s new Sinsheim Vision Center.

The facility is equipped with robotic and adhesive-dispensing systems from Kuka, Fanuc, Intec, Durr, Vieweg and Viscotec. Coherix 3D laser-based inspection systems use machine learning, artificial intelligence and process control software to manage the application of adhesives at assembly line speeds.

Coherix is a rapidly growing high-tech company that has pioneered the development of industry-first adhesive-dispensing adaptive process control software technology in automotive, electronics and other industries.

The company has the only technology in the world capable of automatically adjusting the application of adhesives on fast-moving production lines to eliminate potential errors. More than 100-million dollars and more than 1,000,000 engineering hours were spent on its development.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Coherix has operations in China, Germany, Japan, Mexico and Singapore. The company's global customer base includes more than 50 of the world's leading automotive OEMs and more than 75 Tier One suppliers, including BYD, Ford, Geely, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Seres and Toyota, as well as Bosch, Gestamp, Kirchhoff, Kubota and Magna. More information is available at www.coherix.com.

Minneapolis, MN - SMTA announced that the program is finalized for the 30th Annual Pan Pacific Strategic Electronics Symposium. The event will take place from February 2 to 5, 2026 at the Hapuna Westin Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii. The symposium brings together leaders, researchers, and innovators from around the world to explore the technologies and strategies shaping the future of the electronics industry.

The program features ground-breaking research from experts on Reliability & Quality, Strategic Direction/Industry Roadmaps & Emerging Technologies, 3D Heterogeneous Integration & Nanotechnology, Cleaning/Cleanliness Testing & Humidity Control, Reliability & Advanced Fabrication, Thermal Solutions & AI Inspection, and more.

With participation from a dozen universities from around the globe, the Pan Pacific Strategic Electronics Symposium is the bridge between academic research and application in the electronics manufacturing industry. This year a dedicated session of research from Korean universities is the result of a partnership with the Korea Packaging Integration Association.

The final day of the event starts with a panel discussion on the topic of “AI in Action: Progress, Pitfalls, and the Future of Electronics” which will be recorded live as part of the Reliability Matters podcast.

View the complete program and register at: https://www.smta.org/panpac. Sponsorships are available for companies wishing to gain exposure for their products and services. Please contact Karlie Severinson, karlie@smta.org or +1-952-920-7682, with questions.

Throughput and yield — the metrics that define a factory’s success — hinge on a subtle, overlooked event: the splice.

Every splice is a machine interaction, a handoff between reels. It must be perfectly executed at full speed… unseen, unfelt, uninterrupted.

If the splice fails? Everything fails. Production stops. Feeder jams cascade. Schedules slip. Revenue evaporates.

TapeSplice fixes the handoff. Engineered for zero-jam, zero-scrap, 100% traceable performance in high-speed SMT environments.

Invisible Splices = Unbroken Production

Your pick-and-place equipment doesn’t care about costs — it cares about continuity.

A splice must:

• Maintain carrier tape geometry to EIA-481 precision
• Preserve cover tape peeling consistency
• Feed without tension variance
• Avoid interruptions on acceleration/deceleration ramps
• Survive >40,000 CPH impact forces (high-speed Panasonic / Fuji)
• When that integrity is broken, so is everything else. 

• An unplanned line stop costs $10,000–$40,000 per hour (Sources: IPC Production Metrics; iNEMI Cost Models)
• Each feeder jam can waste 200+ components (Source: IPC-9701 Reliability Data)
• One bad splice can create hours of cascading downtime.

The High-Speed Reality

Aerospace, medical, and automotive manufacturers operate tight margins and tighter tolerances:

99.9% uptime ≠ world-class. 100% uptime is the expectation.

A poor-quality foreign splice roll has no place in that standard.

9 times out of 10, when:

• Orders are late
• Operators are troubleshooting
• OEE collapses

“We found a cheaper tape.”

Procurement Must Decide: Hero or Saboteur

This is as blunt as operations will ever make it:

You are either:

Saving pennies on consumables… or Protecting a multi-million-dollar production system.

There is no middle ground.

“Great news — we shaved 7¢ off splice tape!” But they demand answers when:

• The SMT line is down at 2 PM
• Customer commitments are missed
• Operators sit idle
• Scrap piles up

The root cause audit always finds the same villain: a bargain-bin import splice.

Why TapeSplice Wins

Because failure is not an option in mission-critical electronics.

TapeSplice advantages:

Attribute                                                                                     Result
US-made ESD-safe materials (3M, Saint-Gobain adhesives)               Eliminates feeder static stalls
Brass shim precision alignment                                                 Maintains sprocket geometry
Zero-jam performance verified on Panasonic, Fuji, Juki, Mycronic   100% uptime protection
Full traceability + QC documentation                                         Audit-proof reliability
Strength validated under >2.0 kg peel                                         Stops separation under acceleration

Trusted across aerospace, defense, and medical OEMs because we eliminate the weakest link in high-speed automation.

ROI: The Math Procurement Can’t Ignore

Example:

• One splice failure = 8 minutes downtime
• At $500/min OEE loss = $4,000
• One shift: 2 failures = $8,000
• One week: 10 failures = $40,000
• One quarter: 100 failures = $400,000
• One year: >$1.6M burned**
• Cost of premium splice tape upgrade: < $0.002 per placement

Risk vs reward isn’t even a debate.

Put It On Your Feeders. Watch What Happens.

Our promise is simple:

✔ Uptime stays at 100%
✔ Yields rise
✔ Schedules stay on track
✔ Revenue protection becomes automatic

Then decide what actually saves money.

High-Visibility Event – Zero Tolerance

A splice failure is not small. It’s not private. It’s not harmless.

It is a facility-wide problem triggered by a bad decision at the purchasing desk.

Conclusion

SMT throughput and yields depend on the splice.
That 2-inch moment makes or breaks millions in product.

If you cannot trace it…

If you cannot test it…

If you cannot trust it…

It has no place in a high-speed feeder.

TapeSplice.

Where the handoff never fails. Made in the USA. Trusted worldwide.