Markham, ON-based XPtronics Inc., a contract electronic assembly company founded in the summer of 2011, now has the SMT and through-hole equipment and expertise in place to handle short-run and rapid turnaround board designs.

XPtronics president Thomas Zhao with the company's Topaz X SMT programmable pick and place machine. The specifications include a nominal placement rate of 12,000 to 14,000 cph, PCB dimension range from 50 x 50 mm to 460 x 440 mm and PCB thickness range from 0.4 to 4.0 mm.

Founder and president Thomas Zhao imagined starting his own electronics company while still at university. As engineering quality manager for close to four years at automation module and interconnect manufacturer Emphatec, his idea for XPtronics (www.xptronicsinc.com) began to take hold. Emphatec (www.emphatec.com), also located in Markham, has become the first customer of XPtronics.

Zhao, a quality professional with 15 years of manufacturing experience, sees his company as the "designer's partner" because he personally knows the frustration that designers at electronics OEMs face day-to-day. "When a design project gets halted for a couple of weeks, momentum is lost as the thoughts of the designer get lost and wasted, whether it's a PCB design layout or schematic design," said Zhao.


SEHO GoWave wave soldering machine specs include high-grade soldering due to innovative nozzle designs, soldering width of 340 mm, spray fluxer with HVLP technology, IR preheater with ceramic glass covers (600 mm) and MIS following ISO 9001.

"At larger ODMs and contract manufacturers, customers can also get lost in the shuffle where short runs get pushed back for 'more important customers.'"

As a local contractor, XPtronics can provide a cost-effective service, Zhao explained. "A Chinese company can't really make money from an order for 10 boards -- and the set up time there is the same set up time here.

"Our goal is to provide good quality, a quick turnaround and engineering support." XPtronics can provide a prototype in under a week or even less than 24 hours, Zhao said. Besides prototypes, the company is structured to provide low volume, high variety production.


The Conceptronics HVA 102, with 7 heating zones, is a microprocessor-controlled reflow machine that employs a high volume, high velocity forced convection, air atmosphere only, heat transfer method.

Design for manufacturing (DFM) is a critical part of the support equation for XPtronics. "We can provide recommendations and point out design flaws that can save a customers money and reduce its time-to-market."

Capabilities at XPtronics include RoHS compliance in both surface mount and through-hole assembly technologies, along with PCB design and functional testing.

In total, XPtronics can provide:
* SMT assembly, chip size down to 0201, IC size up 32 mm SOP, SOJ, PLCC;
* BGA, Flex, mixed technologies and double sided;
* One through hole line and one SMT flexible assembly line;
* Prototype PCB assembly in as quick as 24 hours;
* Functional testing, wiring and box build services;
* Repair and rework;
* Component sourcing for full or partial turn-key;
* Bare PCB design, layout and sourcing; and,
* Consignment inventory management.
Thomas Zhao can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and 905-940-5656.