Ingun Prüfmittelbau (Ingun) is a Germany-based manufacturer of test equipment, namely test probes and fixtures used to test the electrical function of components such as printed circuit boards (PCBs). The company opened its doors for business in 1971, and today it employs 300 employees globally, having established a reputation for high-quality products that afford exceptional precision. This success is, for the most part, attributable to an intelligent manufacturing strategy as well as the careful selection of machinery, a prime example being the SwissNano computer numeric control (CNC) lathe from Switzerland-based Tornos.
Ingun solutions are used to test the correct operation of products such as wire harnesses used in cars and battery packs for bicycles, smart phones, laptops or PCs. As devices are getting smaller and smarter, it is inevitable that their PCBs are getting smaller and featuring more functions and closed-loop control circuits. Examining and testing PCBs is becoming more and more complex, and Ingun is making every effort to continue meeting the technical challenges as they evolve. The company’s spring-loaded test probes ensure reliable and consistent contact security for more than 25,000 different types. Its secondary mainstay is standardised and customised test fixtures as well as an extensive range of fixture accessories for individual upgrading. The research and development department works closely with the production and assembly departments to offer customers tailor-made solutions.
Catering for diversity
The diversity of components to be tested requires an appropriate range of products, and Ingun endeavours to provide an adequate solution for each task. In addition to standard probes, the company offers high-frequency and high-current test probes. The latter ensure the safe transmission of high currents with little heating as well as precise measurement thanks to minimum internal resistances.
The complexity of the test probes is not evident at first sight; they generally comprise a barrel, a spring, a plunger and a probe featuring a gold-plated tip. However, they become more interesting if one takes into consideration the sizes and the materials to be machined. For Ingun, outer diameters smaller than 0.8 mm, cross holes of 0.12 mm and studs of 0.19 mm are the norm. It is mostly brass and copper-beryllium alloys that are machined, but recently the share of Teflon and other plastics has been increasing since these materials possess inherent insulation.
Ingun established its own turning shop in 2012 as a result of time slots between engineering, prototype construction and test phase becoming increasingly shorter and external suppliers being unable to supply in the short term. Even though the company is operating on a global scale today, it is acting on the maxim to exclusively produce in Germany in order to ensure high quality standards.
Aiming to be at the forefront of technological development
From the very beginning, Ingun’s turning shop has been intended for the development of new technologies. In close collaboration with design engineers, these technologies are experimented with and innovative solutions are sought. Not until a process is running steadily is it outsourced to external local suppliers, which will then produce around 80 mn turned parts per year. The fact that the turning shop today houses 15 machines proves this concept. These machines include six SwissNano CNC lathes, and two more are expected to follow by the end of 2018.
Ingun purchased its first SwissNano in 2014 to manufacture a highly complex test probe with a crown on its face. The machine is compact, easily accessible, fast, stable and highly precise, and it proved ideal for the job during elaborate turning trials at Tornos Technologies Deutschland in Pforzheim, Germany.
The turning shop team has worked with Tornos to develop solutions for process optimisation, for example, a shortened bar loader has allowed for reduced vibration. Other customised solutions include an oil extraction system and a pick-off device mounted directly on the spindle. Furthermore, SwissNano machines have enabled Ingun to shift to in-house production of entire parts series.
The beginning of a close partnership
The SwissNano convinced Ingun managers from the outset, and they have not been disappointed to date. Another feature of the machine is that it is easy to convert, a significant benefit considering the turning shop’s annual ratio of two-thirds set-up work and one-third turning work.
According to Ernst Dietrich, turning shop manager, optimisation of the set-up times is essential, which is why workplaces and processes are optimised accordingly in special workshops. The ability to quickly change over between turning with guide bush to without guide bush and the resulting flexibility of the SwissNano are factors that are appreciated in this context. This is hugely important for a company that rarely has to machine the same part again.
Another aspect applauded by Dietrich is the TISIS machine communications and programming software. “My colleagues have felt at ease with it from the very beginning,” he said. “The machine is easy to program. Important features are already registered, and the simulation function provides reliable protection against interference and opens up possibilities to further optimise the program.”
It is Ingun’s mission to always be pushing the envelope. Cycle times of just 15 seconds for extremely complex test probes are the rule rather than the exception. In addition, the company promotes its junior staff members and gives them opportunities to prove themselves. The team responsible for the SwissNano machines is young but competent and committed to the tasks at hand.
The SwissNano appears set to remain a machine of choice for Ingun. There is even talk of a strategic partnership between the companies since Ingun is forecast to grow considerably in the coming years and will need machines on which the requested micro-precision can be achieved in as short a time as possible and with a high degree of flexibility.
Ingun Prüfmittelbau
Tornos
www.tornos.com
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Ingun’s complex, high-precision test probes.
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Tornos’ SwissNano CNC lathe in the turning shop at Ingun.
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Ernst Dietrich, turning shop manager at Ingun.
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The young team responsible for the SwissNano machines in the turning shop at Ingun.