Electronic Products & Technology

Pcb assembler launches in Quebec

Stephen Law   

Electronics Production / Materials Contract Manufacturing Engineering Supply Chain Editor Pick equipment facility Orisha Automation pcb pcba production Quebec UgoWork

Fabrique Manic seeks to provide technical means to local engineering

Fabrique Manic, a brand-new provider of electronic printed circuit board (pcb) assembly services in SMT and thru-hole batches, has arrived in Quebec. Located in St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, just outside of Quebec City, the firm was founded by two colleagues already working in the tech field.

Dominic Gauvreau, president – electronic design and assembly, and Olivier Morin, vice-president – business development, have set their sights on delivering solutions that alleviate complexities and delays of the physical product production cycle. Capable of providing both electronic design and consultation, the firm also manages rapid prototyping, including three-day turnarounds (upon receipt of parts). The pcb-related assembly services include mechanical assembly, firmware programming, board modifications, etc.

Source: Fabrique Manic

Hustling to launch

Officially launched in mid-March, the tech duo had to hustle to get the business operational, to manage the first incoming orders. By the month’s end, they got all orders out on time and the facility was 95% set-up. Located within industrial condo units, the business partners signed a three-year lease for the 1,600-square-foot space, anticipating growth challenges beyond that time frame.

Shopping on a razor-thin budget of $20,000, Gauvreau managed to acquire all used equipment, much of which required some repair and improvements – which he did himself. As a result, the production area now boasts a solder paste application machine, a ‘pick and place’ unit, a multi-zone oven, an AOI (automated optical inspection) and an X-Ray inspection machine.

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“We estimated that same list of equipment would have cost us approximately $150,000 to purchase brand-new,” enthuses Gauvreau.

Orisha Automation

Prior to launching Fabrique Manic, Gauvreau worked full time at Orisha Automation as a hardware/firmware developer, while performing consultation work part time as an electronics designer. Orisha specializes in greenhouse automation, using IoT systems to make growers’ lives easier.

“Working at a small company means you get to do a lot of different things. Most of my job functions were self-assigned. I did a lot of pcb design for IoT modules. Of course, this came with the required firmware development to fully integrate sensors to the modules,” says Gauvreau. “The fast design cycle at Orisha required doing a lot of small in-house prototype pcb assemblies. I quickly learned to optimize design for assembly. This played a big part in my becoming a pcb assembler.”

Not surprisingly, Orisha moved its in-house pcb board assembly out with the person who developed the boards in the first place.

“With their rapid development and seasonal demand, it became advantageous to have some of Orisha’s big sellers assembled by Manic,” says Gauvreau. “Our flexibility and super-fast production delays allow them to focus on what they do best – better serving their customers. We use our close proximity and expertise to make sure they get the most out of their buck.”

UgoWork EaaS tech firm

Morin was working at UgoWork, a tech company in Quebec City that offers EaaS (Energy as a Service) with lithium-ion batteries to power forklifts.

“Since it was a start-up, my job was very diversified, and that’s exactly what I found exciting about it. My main role was S&OP, I was linking the sales and the production to make sure everything ran smoothly,” states Morin. “I also worked to automate and optimize procedures making the company more efficient to support its rapid growth. Their technology is a game-changer and I can tell you with confidence, we’ll be hearing more and more about UgoWork in the future,” adds Morin.

UgoWork has also become a customer of Fabrique Manic.

“We helped UgoWork multiple times in the past to rework and make patches to their boards as an emergency service,” says Morin. “It was thanks to our unequaled service, our flexibility to get their boards done in only a couple days, and the quality of our work that they trusted us with these jobs.”

Other services

While focusing primarily on pcb assemblies, Fabrique Manic also provides product testing, backed by strong quality control procedures using optical inspection. As well, the firm manages cable and housing assembly to accommodate some clients.

“Our priority is always to ensure quality and flexibility. We can provide a lot of services to help our customers get their production started,” concludes Gauvreau.

 

 

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