Amphenol TCS was seeking more reliable PCs for the Quality Control operations in their manufacturing facility. Their research pointed them in the direction of Cybernet, and they tested the iOne-GX31 with touchscreen. The improvement in reliability was dramatic, and now their QC technicians are more efficient. Amphenol TCS also saved money on PC maintenance costs along the way.
The Customer
Connectors are essential parts of the computers we use at work, in our homes and at the coffee shop, as well as in all those computers around the planet involved in the design, manufacture and delivery of all the things that fill up our lives. These precision-molded metal and plastic devices provide places for the various chips, boards and other components to plug into, and they allow them to work together so the system performs as designed. Those systems, including everything from Internet servers to gaming consoles, from notebooks to medical imaging machines, have provided great benefits to society. Yet they could not exist without the availability of consistently reliable connectors, such as those produced by Amphenol TCS, in Nashua, New Hampshire.
The Business ChallengeIn their extremely competitive industry, Amphenol’s customers not only demand high performance, but near-absolute reliability. So for Darryl McBride, a lead engineer working on the issue at Amphenol at their Nashua headquarters, the questions were: How do we ensure that our quality control equipment best supports our rigorous quality standards? Can we reduce costs to make the company more efficient and more competitive?
These concerns for Amphenol arose at their manufacturing facilities in Latin America, China and Malaysia, where technicians use an automated visual inspection system for quality control of the finished parts. Comprising up to four cameras and processing up to 200 parts per minute, the system came with an optional manufacturer-provided
mini PC. But problems with the motherboards on those PCs repeatedly shut down the inspection stations. If the connectors did not pass QC (quality control), they could not ship, threatening Amphenol’s own reputation as a dependable supplier. Seeking superior reliability, Darryl searched online, and learned of the
iOne-GX31 all-in-one computer by
Cybernet.
The Cybernet SolutionHe liked the specs on processing power, hard drive, and memory and really liked the warranty. So he bought one for a test, simply connected it to the server and the visual inspection machinery, and then kept it turned on continuously for almost a year. When this first
iOne-GX31 performed with zero problems, Darryl bought two more. When they worked perfectly, he started buying from four to six units at a time, phasing them in to replace the OEM computers.
Key ResultsThe payoff has had multiple dimensions. The manufacturer’s original system used a
mini PC, keyboard and monitor setup, while the all-in-one design of the
iOne-GX31 saves space and reduces cable clutter by incorporating everything into a touchscreen monitor. The
i-One-GX31 is priced at about half the cost of the original manufacturer’s equipment, improving the bottom line. Most important of all, the i-One-GX31 units on the shop floor have now been in operation 24/7 for anywhere from three to four years without a single processor, hard drive or monitor failure. Since ensuring superior reliability was his principal goal, by choosing the
iOne-GX31 Darryl succeeded brilliantly.
The great news about the
iOne-GX31’s exceptional reliability spread throughout the company. At Amphenol’s Delaware-based research and development offices, when a lead engineer heard of the
i-One-GX31’s more than three years of problem-free performance, he decided his department would also make the switch to the
iOne-GX31 small PC from
Cybernet.
By significantly upgrading the company’s quality control processes for considerably less money than the manufacturer’s recommended solution, Amphenol has been able to maintain its position as a leading maker of high-performance, high-quality connectors. “I am pleased with the space savings,” notes Darryl, “and the reliability is fantastic.”
He certainly sounds glad that he connected with
Cybernet and their
all-in-one PC, the
iOne-GX31.
