Jabil India
Made Possible. Made Better.
System Supplier Ersa hands over 1,000th POWERFLOW to Jabil´s India site
With more than 100 locations in 30 countries, Jabil is a leading manufacturing solutions provider. The global player generated net revenue of 34.7 billion USD in fiscal year 2023. Founded in 1966 in the U.S., the company´s vision is to be the most technologically advanced and a trusted manufacturing solutions provider. Jabil manufactures for the world´s 400 best-known brands in every conceivable industry – from consumer electronics to cloud equipment, automotive and household appliances to packaging.
Jabil recently took delivery of another Ersa POWERFLOW ULTRA in its location in Pune. The machine – which was ceremoniously inaugurated with a “lighting of the lamp” ceremony – was the 1,000th successfully installed wave soldering system worldwide, a milestone in its partnership with the global electronics company. Back in 2010, the then-Director of Operations, Mr. Sunil Naik, traveled to Germany to see if Ersa´s wave soldering technology would stand up to Jabil´s stringent requirements. Specifically, the project involved a prestigious power electronics project.
Quality is very important at Jabil, with a 25-year warranty on some of the PCBs they produce. Jabil is known for meeting high and strict product requirements – even and especially in mass production. In this specific case, the POWERFLOW was chosen because of its full nitrogen tunnel, which helps meet high standards in soldering, productivity and dross savings during the process. “We have been using our first Ersa wave soldering machine for 13 years now and the POWERFLOW still delivers excellent results – without any change in parameters – which is also due to its regular maintenance. This is the stability we look for when looking for a business partner for our electronics business,” says BN Shukla, Operations Director at Jabil in Pune.
The machines installed at Jabil run three shifts over six days – so they have to be robust enough to deliver the highest soldering quality while handling the huge production volumes. “We realize the most complex ideas and products for our customers – so our Ersa equipment must meet a wide variety of requirements for a wide range of products. At Jabil, we strive to make ANYTHING POSSIBLE and EVERYTHING BETTER – and we expect the same from our equipment partners,” explains Avinash Nalawade, Manager Manufacturing Engineering at Jabil in Pune. Ersa equipment has contributed positively to increased productivity by ensuring stable and high machine availability while maintaining flexibility. The reduction in process errors has also led to improved first-pass yield (FPY) at Jabil.
Expansion of the partnership planned
The partnership between Jabil and Ersa has now been in place for 13 years. Ersa equipment helps Jabil achieve the highest productivity and quality standards. “Over the past few years, the presence of Kurtz Ersa´s Indian team has helped Jabil handle installation, service and support efficiently. The presence of Kurtz Ersa India´s Pune-based service staff has helped meet our expectations,” emphasizes Sandeep Thite, Manager Manufacturing Engineering at Jabil. With the rapid advancement of technologies, demand for miniaturization and energy-efficiency in industries such as 5G, mobility, and smart devices have increased.
“To avoid downtime, Ersa is setting up a warehouse for the hundred most important spare parts, because we want to be even closer to the Indian market. Via Kurtz Ersa CONNECT, Ersa Service now also provides direct support remotely – whether via our Indian office or directly from Germany. The customer gives the go-ahead for this at the push of a button and only for the duration of the support,” says Rainer Krauss, Ersa General Sales Manager and Managing Director Kurtz Ersa India. In addition to the three POWERFLOWs, Jabil has also been using VERSAFLOW selective soldering technology since 2020, and two more VERSAFLOW 4/55s will be installed in Pune before the end of 2023. In the last four years, Jabil has tripled its sales in India – and forecasts for the development of Indian electronics production point to further growth, so the current production area of 79,710 m2 (858,000 sq. ft.) will also continue to grow.
