August Electronics provides high-mix, low- to mid-volume surface mount technology (SMT) assembly services for a broad range of circuit boards. We support everyday production boards and complex builds, with in-line solder paste and optical inspection.
August Electronics builds SMT assemblies to your approved documentation and specifications, with an account team as your direct point of contact. You’re welcome to visit our Calgary facility to see your assembly on the line.
We run SMT assembly across four dedicated lines, so we can handle prototype runs, new product introduction (NPI) builds, and larger production orders without moving your project between facilities. Boards move through solder paste printing, the pick-and-place component placement process, and reflow soldering, with SPI after printing, in-line AOI during placement, and 3D AOI after reflow.
Our SMT assembly services support single-layer, multi-layer, and rigid-flex boards for customers across a range of industries, including medical electronics, defense, aerospace, and industrial automation.
OUR CAPABILITIES
August Electronics’ four SMT lines use automated pick-and-place machines and handle prototype runs through full production. Your SMT circuit board assembly scales with your project as your order volumes change.
Our pick-and-place equipment handles ball grid array (BGA) packages, and x-ray inspection lets us verify solder joints hidden beneath the package body where visual inspection can’t reach.
We combine surface-mount and through-hole components on a single board, using selective soldering, wave soldering, or hand soldering for the through-hole parts. That lets us support the component types and assembly methods that make the most sense for your product.
Solder paste inspection (SPI) and automated optical inspection (AOI) are part of our in-line SMT inspection process, and 3D AOI after reflow inspects placement and solder joints. AOI programs are created and maintained for your specific board.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Our SMT assembly process starts by reviewing your Gerber, ODB++, bill of materials, and placement data. This gives us a clear plan for how to assemble your circuit board.
Boards are barcoded for tracking through to packaging, and the components on your board are traceable back to their package ID.
Solder paste is printed onto the PCB using a stencil and inspected in-line by SPI before component placement. Components are then placed by our automated SMT lines, with in-line AOI during the process and 3D AOI after reflow to inspect placement and solder joints.
After placement, boards go through a controlled reflow oven. Once reflow is complete, we use 3D AOI to inspect the solder joints and component placement.
Additional inspection and testing can be incorporated into the process based on your assembly requirements, including X-ray inspection, in-circuit testing (ICT), or functional testing of finished boards, in accordance with your test procedures.
Finished boards are packaged to ESD standards and prepared for shipment to your facility or your end customer directly. Documentation is supplied to your program's requirements.
TESTIMONIALS
WHY AUGUST ELECTRONICS
August Electronics brings over 35 years of electronics manufacturing experience to your SMT assembly project. That experience shows up in the process control behind the boards we build.
SMT assembly happens under one roof, from paste printing to final inspection, so nothing is handed off between vendors. That keeps your project on a single timeline instead of several.
Choose turnkey component sourcing or supply consigned parts. If your program includes testing, you can provide your own test fixtures, jigs, and software for us to integrate.
Our quality management systems are ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 certified, with manufacturing capabilities focused on electronics for non-implantable medical devices. We hold board-level UL and CSA certifications, and CGP and JCP registrations for defense data handling.
Finished-board testing depends on your program's requirements and can include functional testing, dielectric testing, and acceptance quality limit (AQL) inspection. Non-conformances are tracked and closed out inside our quality system.
RESOURCE LIBRARY
CONTACT US
We start with your bill of materials (BOM) and Gerber files covering every layer of the board. A few additional files help us quote faster and move your SMT PCB assembly project into production sooner:
If something’s missing, our team can work with you to fill in the gaps before quoting.
We specialize in low- to mid-volume manufacturing, so there’s no fixed minimum for most projects. Our SMT assembly equipment runs efficiently at both small and larger scales, so reach out, and we can scope your next project together.
Prototyping is a standard part of our process, so you can test a board before committing to full production. This lets us catch issues early and refine the manufacturing process before your production line ramps up.
We handle full component sourcing for turnkey SMT assembly projects, and we can also work with consigned components you supply. Either way, components are counted and verified against your BOM during kitting, before they reach the production floor.
We build to your documentation and specifications exactly as approved. If a change is required, such as an alternate for an unavailable component, it goes through a Temporary Deviation Notice (TDN) or permanent Engineering Change (EC), with documentation, review, and your recorded sign-off before we proceed.
If a board fails testing, it’s identified as non-conforming and segregated from the rest of the build. Depending on the issue, it may be reworked, have a component replaced, or be scrapped, and our quality system works to prevent the issue from recurring.
Rework and repair services are available if a board needs attention after assembly, including component replacement, cleaning, and retesting. We also support repair and refurbishment for products we’ve manufactured over the long term, including older products still in production.
Drop shipping is supported for SMT and our other manufacturing projects, including shipments from multiple suppliers. Each package should include a packing slip listing reference designators, quantities, part numbers, and your order number so incoming materials can be verified quickly.