Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/634491
58 SMT Magazine • February 2016 duction departments equipped with seemingly every conceivable variation of built-for-purpose mixing and blending plant, and its associated packaging equipment. There was evidence of meticulous materials and process control and documentation, retained batch and quality as- surance sampling, both in the manufacturing ar- eas and in the adjacent quality assurance labora- tory. New product development and evaluation continued in an adjoining laboratory, which had the benefit of state-of-the art dispensing and coating equipment together with facilities for environmental testing and thermal cycling. A logical extension of the philosophy of customised product development was custom- ised packaging, and I was fascinated to observe the diversity of options offered. It seemed that Electrolube really concentrated on individual customer requirements across a wide range of packaging solutions including bulk containers, gallon cans, litre bottles, small tins, tubes, sa- chets, syringes and aerosols. The skills and fa- cilities were present to accommodate varying sizes of production batches or even bespoke small batches as required. And Electrolube even prints their own labels. Across the yard to a remote building where flammable materials were processed. Scrupu- lous attention to health and safety was evident throughout the whole of the operation, and es- pecially here—leave your cellphone at the door! I had never seen an automated aerosol-charging line before, and this was a memorable experience. Finally to a busy order-picking and despatch department, the barcode system keeping all of the myriad product lines clearly identified, and dozens of palletised loads awaiting shipment to distributors and customers world-wide. Everywhere I went, there was a buzz of cheerful industriousness—a team of people working skilfully and purposefully with a nice community spirit. Wrapping up, I asked Jakeman what he be- lieved primarily differentiated Electrolube from its competitors. He replied that, apart from the expertise of his people and their commitment to innovation and personal customer service, it was the extent of Electrolube's range of product groups and their brand leadership in many dif- ferent fields, whereas typical competitors tend- ed to be identified with a single product line. I thanked him and his colleagues for a most enjoyable and informative experience, and wished them ongoing success in 2016. SMT based in the u.K., i-connect007 Tech- nical Editor Pete Starkey has more than 30 years' experience in the PCB industry and a background in process development, technical service and technical sales. Starkey is a fellow of the institute of Technology, a member of the SMArT Group Technical Committee, and an active support - er of the European Institute of Printed Circuits. Electrolube's headquarters is in Ashby-de-la- Zouch, Leicestershire in England. State-of-the-art equipment for dispensing and coating, environmental testing and thermal cycling help maintain the high quality of Electrol- ube's products. electrolube: We like Problems!