Pletronics Company Info

Pletronics Unsurpassed Quality

Our goal is to be responsive to the needs of our customers by supplying the highest possible quality products on time with the best possible pricing and value.

Pletronics is committed to continuous quality improvement by improving production yields, reducing costs, increasing customer satisfaction and meeting our employees' expectations for training, safety and morale.

September 8, 2006

Qualification of Offshore Foundries

Pletronics offers a broad range of frequency control devices, from simple watch crystals to high frequency PECL and LVDS oscillators, OCXO, VCXO, TCVCXO, quick-start oscillators, and other specialty products. Ensuring top quality for these products is of prime importance, and Pletronics maintains close ties with our foundries in Asia and Europe. The relationships that we have with these foundries include joint ventures, partnerships, and manufacturing agreements. We qualify at least two foundries for the majority of our products to be assured of meeting customer requirements, and, with few exceptions, we maintain the same suppliers for each product family throughout the life cycle of the particular type of oscillator.

For each product, Pletronics defines the BOM and supervises setting-up the manufacturing and QA processes. QA audits are performed to assure adherence to each foundry quality plan per our ISO9001 standards. The specific qualification process flow for all of our products has been established based on empirical data collected over many years. This flow has proven its value in the identification of defects and understanding of excess process variation.

Qualification sequence:

  • 1. Initial Electrical Test (at room temperature)
  • 2. Elevated Temperature Storage (Passive Aging at 85C for 24 hours)
  • 3. Thermal Shock (liquid to liquid 100C to -55C ; five cycles)
  • 4. Mechanical Shock (drop test, 1m onto hardwood)
  • 5. Reflow #1 (simulates customer reflow profile)
Reflow simulation:

  • 6. Reflow#2 (simulates customer reflow profile)
  • 7. Temp-humidity (125C ; 1.5 to 2.5 atmospheres at 100% relative humidity for 4 hours)
  • 8. Frequency versus Temperature Stability Test

After Qualification has been established, an AQL sample is taken from each production lot and 100% tested for operational parameters.