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Based on its recent analysis of the global surface mount technology (SMT) soldering equipment market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Heller Industries, Inc. (hellerindustries.com) with the 2020 Global Company of the Year Award. Heller Industries pioneered convection reflow soldering in the 1980s and, since then, has been the gold standard for SMT reflow ovens. It maintains production and processes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering advanced ovens offering 40% to 50% reductions in nitrogen consumption and up to a 40% increase in energy savings.
The company is well-known for its ovens with novel catalysts that optimize and heighten operational efficiency, minimize flux maintenance, and decrease nitrogen consumption rates. Its Mark 7 (MK7) machine series accommodates customer requests for lower Delta T and extended preventative maintenance with a new, low-height package that maintains strong visibility across the production floor. While the low-height top shell offers low Delta T on the product with optimal airflow and uniformity, double insulation on all its skins saves energy by up to 15%. Furthermore, its semicircular heater is more robust and efficient, with a much longer lifetime than competing iterations.
“Heller continues to provide novel technologies using strategic approaches such as collaborations. For example, it partnered and continues to work with Ours Technology, Inc., a Taiwanese developer of pressure vessels for semiconductor back-end packaging,” said Kiran Unni, Vice President, Frost & Sullivan. “It also integrated Panasonic’s PanaCIM®, a manufacturing execution system, into its reflow ovens, as well as additional automation equipment from other vendors, to create a network for devices, machines, and systems. This partnership helps end customers harness Big Data and make informed decisions to improve their manufacturing processes and operations productivity.”
Significantly, Heller’s equipment creates smart factory floors by supporting customers’ migration to Industry 4.0. It gives them the flexibility to monitor their SMT equipment performance remotely and take corrective actions through predictive analytics. Its SMT reflow oven series also boasts high repeatability and flexibility during configuration. Repeatability is a critical purchase criterion for electronic devices from ultra-high-volume production. Heller is the only market participant that focuses on developing intelligent SMT soldering equipment, offering product advantages such as increased connectivity, automation, and minimal manual intervention.
“Heller operates in a price-sensitive market, which places heavy emphasis on product innovations. In line with this demand, it delivers a range of curing and back-end semiconductor solutions, voidless/vacuum reflow soldering, and the flux-free formic reflow soldering process,” noted Samantha Fisher, Best Practices Research Analyst, Frost & Sullivan. “This dedication to technology advancement results in a robust and continually evolving technology roadmap, earning the company a loyal clientele. By building value into each product through unmatched features, it ensures that customers enjoy unmatched performance throughout the life cycle.”
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents a Company of the Year award to the organization that demonstrates excellence in growth strategy and implementation in its field. The award recognizes high innovation in products and technologies and the resulting leadership in customer value and market penetration.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in various regional and global markets for outstanding achievement and superior performance, such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Its industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify industry best practices.
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