With additional product build facilities, including a clean room and nitrogen storage, CIL boasts solid foundations to support clients in the high reliability sectors
From its early days in the design and manufacture of thick film hybrids, Custom Interconnect (CIL) has emerged as a UK electronics manufacturing service provider with an impressive portfolio of customers in the defence, homeland security, marine rescue, medical and oil and gas sectors. Now in its 25th year of trading, CIL provides these clients with a range of services, from chip and wire to full product build and test.
Last year, CIL expanded its production facilities in Andover with an additional 10,000ft² of product build manufacture, including a clean-room for the assembly of lenses and optical components used in medical and border control products. This facility complements the main electronics production area with full antistatic flooring and materials storage and is supported by a trained production team.
To maintain its position, CIL continues to invest in its plant, equipment and skill-base as demonstrated by the current installation of a nitrogen environment component and work in progress (WIP) store. This ensures that components and assembled work in progress are stored under controlled temperature and environmental conditions.
Working closely with its customers, CIL claims to be highly proficient in soldering components to IPC 610 level three, but with the additional challenge of using high melting point solders. These are used in high reliability circuits operating at elevated temperatures and represent a skilled and somewhat specialist demand.
Utilising the expanded resources of the product build facility, CIL takes some of the electronics it produces and builds them into complex end products. One example is a high integrity communications device able to withstand high altitude and marine conditions, which must be subjected to extreme testing. Other products include a medical wound measurement system and high powered lighting used in the entertainment and personal safety industries.