- What we do -
In short, QTS is a manufacturing company. We manufacture a frame that stretches a foil, that is used to print solder paste onto circuit boards.
QTS was started in 1995 when Gunter Erdmann saw the opportunity for a great new product for the Circuit Board Manufacturing Industry. He saw that it took up quite a bit of resource to build a stencil. He knew he could sell this product because it would save companies a lot of money.
Old Industry Method,
First you have to cast the aluminum frame (or extrude, cut and weld). Then stretch a poly mesh in a stretching device. The next step is to epoxy this cast or tubular frame to the poly mesh. Wait approximately 12 hrs and then cut it out. Then you epoxy the stainless steel foil into the center of the poly mesh. After curing they cut out the center of the poly leaving a stretched stainless steel foil. Now they can put this foil into the laser and cut out the arpatures and ship it off to the customer. When the customer is done with this frame they will need to send it back to the stencil supplier to have it refurbished, and all new poly and stainless applied. Resulting in 2 shipping charges, added handling and extra work for the stencil company.
QTS Method,
stencil on it.
Lay the stainless steel into the laser. Cut out the customers arpatures and the QTS pattern on the outside of the foil. Then take the foil and lay it onto the plastic boarder (QTS supplies the stencil company with this). Ship it to the customer and from there, the customer will stretch the foil on the Wizard Master Stretch Frame previously purchased from QTS. When the customer is done with this plastic boarder and foil and will no longer run this job the plastic frame can be thrown out and the stainless recycled. If the job will run again the frame can be easily stored for its future use.
As you can see, there is quite a difference in how the stencils are manufactured. One method has a great deal of time and steps involved in it. The other, has very little over head. Thus making the stencil significantly cheaper and translating that savings directly to your company.
One customer saw the advantage of this frame right away:
In 1997 the owner of Printed Circuit Assemblies in CA stopped by the QTS booth and wrote a check for $10,000 on the spot for 10 new frames. Now, he has 22 QTS Master Stretch Frames in his facility. He loves these frames and he has saved millions. That is just one example.