Customer Spotlight: Deven Corella from Kantronics

We’re thrilled to feature Deven in this Customer Spotlight! As a key player at Kantronics, he seamlessly integrates the LumenPnP into his workflow alongside a larger industrial pick-and-place machine, allowing for quick iterations and expanding their capabilities. Beyond his work at Kantronics, Deven takes advantage of his downtime by taking on freelance projects and building his own synthesizers. We truly appreciate him sharing his experience with us, and we hope you enjoy this interview!

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you make.

My name is Deven Corella. I am an engineer at Kantronics, where we develop packet modems for HAM radio enthusiasts. I also provide freelance design services for several local companies in the Kansas City area. On the side, I work a lot on music gear. I've always wanted to make synthesizers, and now I've started making my own Eurorack modules. I will launch a brand for that in a few months.

What are you building with your LumenPnP? 

We currently use the machine in a flexible capacity. Although we have a large-format PnP, many jobs require more feeders than it can accommodate or have parts with unique size requirements. In these cases, we rely on the LumenPnP to supplement. We also use the LumenPnP for rapid development, as it’s much faster to set up than our larger system for smaller orders. Overall, the LumenPnP has become an essential part of our operation.

What is your favorite feature of the LumenPnP?

The build plate. The build plate is highly customizable, allowing feeders, trays, and other components to be added. This flexibility significantly streamlines the setup process.

How many boards a month do you produce with your machines?

That really depends on how many orders we get in a given month through our manufacturing side. Sometimes, it's just a few dozen; other times, it could be a few hundred. 

How were you building these boards before the LumenPnP?

We previously used our large-format machine for general PCBA, followed by a fair amount of hand-placing parts that did not work well on the large-format machine.
 

What has the LumenPnP enabled you to do that you previously couldn't?

There are a number of parts that are too heavy or come in too wide of reels to fit in our larger machines. Having the ability to place those now with custom feeders and trays greatly improves our flexibility.

What is the single most important piece of advice for people who are trying to get into PCBA production?

As with most manufacturing tasks, it's best to proceed methodically. Rushing can be more detrimental than helpful. Spending a few extra hours upfront on proper setup ultimately saves time by reducing rework and troubleshooting later.

Another key consideration is the use of fiducials. They are often overlooked or omitted, yet they significantly enhance the consistency of PCB assemblies. In summary, adopting a patient approach and incorporating fiducials will greatly improve your time getting into PCBA production.

P.S. There is no right amount of flux other than “more”.
  

What's your solder paste of choice? What do you use for a reflow oven?

AIM WS483-SN63/PB37-T3 Water soluble paste is our primary paste of choice, but we also use other varieties, including lead-free and no-clean pastes. We use a Heller 1809 MK III reflow oven.