Frequency Electronics Inc. is a non-traditional, vertically integrated, small business.
FEI provides a unique product suite including master clocks, GPS timing systems, and multi-frequency generation systems to a diverse base of government and commercial customers.
With a proven track record with a 50-year legacy in space, FEI’s products are used in mission critical systems where accuracy and reliability of time and frequency products are vital to the entire platform.
Manufacturing Capabilities
- FEI manufactures all quartz crystal resonators for space applications at this facility
- Quartz material procured from select qualified suppliers (premium Q, swept quartz)
- All processing performed at FEI (cutting, x-ray crystallography, lapping, polishing, contouring, plating, tuning, and sealing)
- FEI has invested over $1,000,000 in capital equipment in the last 3 years
- Improved x-ray capabilities
- Improved cutting equipment
- FEI manufactures all rubidium lamps and cells at this facility
- Glassblowers trained in specific materials and tasks associated with Rb cells
- Fully equipped facility (glass lathes, glass annealing furnaces, vacuum processing stations
- Rb cell manufacturing is continuous, independent of GPS and other space programs; commercial production utilizes the same trained staff and processes
- Test ATE
- 1 DC/DC Converter test set on-site
- 3 Module/subassembly semi – automatic test sets on-site
- 5 System level test sets
- Environmental Tests Performed In-House
- Thermal Cycling Performed
- Thermal Vacuum Performed
- 15 TVac Chambers currently on-site
- Vibration Performed (Qty 5 Vibration Platforms)
Engineering Capabilities
- In-house Resources
- Technical staff in place to execute the program with over 1000+ years of space/high-reliability experience
- All Critical Analyses Performed In-House
- Worst Case
- Component Stress
- Thermal
- Radiation
- Structural
- Reliability/FMECA
- EMC
- Phase Noise and Spurious Signals
- Fatigue
Manufacturing Equipment
- MyData MY100 LXe-10 Automatic Pick & Place Machine
- Capacity to hold 112 8mm feeders
- 6,500 CPH ( 22 LCV Module/hour vs 3 Modules/day using the semi- automatic machine)
- Electrical verification on resistors, capacitors, diodes before placing parts on PCBs
- Ability to use barcode for faster feeder set-up time
- Essemtec EXPERT Semi-Automatic Pick & Place Machine
- Manual and semiautomatic models
- Smooth gliding arm system
- Air suspended pick-and-place head
- Integrated placement illumination
- x/y/t fine-adjustment
- Automatic component lowering to PCB
- Microprocessor control with LCD
- Glue and solder paste dispensing system
- Essemtec FINO Semi-automatic Stencil Printer
- FEI has upgraded to a Semi Automatic machine to improve solder consistency
- Software Control functionality:
- The speed at which squeegees movement across the stencil apertures
- The force applied onto the squeegees blades during the printing of the solder paste
- The releasing of stencil from the PCB after paste being applied
- Aqueous Technologies Trident-XLD Automatic De-Fluxing and Cleanliness Testing System
- Flagship model of the Trident Series
- Automatic De-Fluxing
- Improves solder ball and flux removal.
- Real Time cleanliness testing
- Controlled by a Windows-based PC computer
- Automatically captures all relevant process data including cleanliness testing results (SPC)
- Metcal Scorpion APR-1200-SRS Advanced Package Rework
- Station meets the challenges of array package rework and the accurate placement required for the smallest BGAs, QFNs and Micro SMDs
- It can create specifically tailored reflow profiles through unique convection heating technology with nozzle and dual-zone pre-heater in one user-friendly, single platform rework system
- Precision Valve & Automation PVA350 Automatic Dispensing System
- Little or no masking of PCB is required
- Flexible dispense and spray head
- Very easy to program
- Process is very accurate and repeatable
- Automatic Optical Inspection – ALeader ALD525 i3D
- i3D Height Analyzing, coplanarity check, and Shape Analysis. Able to analyze wetting angles, height, and overall topography of PCB
- Debug-Free Technology (Including flexible packages)
- Escape-Free Technology
- False Calls Control Technology
- Small Chip: Coplanarity, offset, cold soldering, no solder, missing, tombstone and more
- Production Process Control SW: prevent defects in real time, improve and control production
- Real Time x-ray – Investigating systems similar to Unicomp Technology Ax-8600HR
- 100 KV 5um X-ray Tube (130 KV option)”Arc” Motion
- High-resolution Detector with 60 o tilt
- 2 mega pixel CCD camera with navigation
- Multi-function work station with 360o rotation
- Wide detection area up to 550mm*500mm with 420x Geometry Magnification
- Automatic rising-lowering and scale mark
- Intuitive interface, Ease of Operation
Facility
FEI’s Hi-Rel assembly and test areas include:
- Six class 10,000 clean rooms – 7,500 Sq. Ft
- Critical processes under class 100 laminar flow
- High reliability assembly and test areas – approx. 13,000 Sq. Ft (10,000 + 3,000 lower level)
- Environmentally controlled
- Particle arrestment and count, temperature, relative humidity, ESD
- Monitored as class 100,000 (typically 50 – 60K)
- Environmentally controlled
Technologies
- Crystal fabrication and test
- Rubidium lamp and cell fabrication and test
- Thick and Thin Film Hybrid assembly and test
- Multi-technology modules
- Surface Mount Technology (SMT)
- Automatic and semi-automatic assembly
- Automatic Optical Inspection
- Real Time X-Ray
Parts, Materials and Processes (PMP)
- FEI maintains an extensive Inventory of Hi-Reliability parts
- Over $12.5 million
- Ensures meeting schedule requirements on current programs as well as newly bid Programs
- The Materials and Processes FEI incorporates in the manufacture of space hardware has been approved by every major Aerospace Customer
Testing Approach for Production
- Testing will be accomplish using manual and automated system as required.
- All technicians are trained to test space programs
Operator Certification & Ongoing Training
- Assemblers are certified to NASA STD 8739 and WSM-100
- Trainer Certified to NASA STD -1, -2, -3 (Conformal Coating & Staking, Surface Mt Soldering, Hand Soldering respectively)
- Assemblers and Technicians are ESD trained in accordance with 33770-PRO
- Employees are trained to WSM-100 FEI Workmanship Specification
- Operators are certified to all processes they are assigned to.
- In-house NASA-STD-8739.1, .2, .3 Level B Instructor
- Manufacturing personnel have received the proper training to build the assemblies.
- Certified Operators and Inspectors per :
- NASA-STD-8739
- NHB 5300.4 (3J)
- WSM 100
- Training records are available (on-site review only)
Test Equipment
- System ATE
- EPC ATE Test Rack
- Input bus source from 20V to 120V pulse command (positive & negative)
- EPC with 1 to 5 outputs, output power from 5W TO 200W, output voltages from 1.5V TO 50V
- EPC test capacity (Isolation, Continuity, Output Ripple, Load Switching, Low Bus Latchoff, Command Turn-on/Overshoot, Inrush Current, Switching Spikes, Minimum Load Margin, High Speed Bus Fluctuation, Voltage Regulation, Efficiency, Status Telemetry, Switching Frequency, Undervoltage Lockout, Frequency Domain Ripple, Short Circuit Test)
Hybrid Equipment
- West Bond
- Semi-automatic wire bonder and thermosonic ribbon bonder
- Eutectic/Epoxy Pick & Place die bonder
- SST International Eutectic Reflow Station
- Void-Free Eutectic Die Attach
- Fiber Optic Package Assembly
- Ceramic Package Sealing
- Flux-Free Solder Process Development
- Assembly of Microelectronic Packages
- Hybrid Microelectronic Circuit Assembly
Quality Equipment
- Nitron and Fisherscope x-ray incoming inspection equipment to analyze parts for prohibited content such as pure tin, cadmium, and zinc
- Thermo Scientific Niton Metal & Alloy Analyzer
- 50 kV x-ray tube provides approximately 2x the x-ray flux of a 40 kV x-ray tube
- Fast, nondestructive verification of high-temp, nickel, titanium, aluminum alloys & superalloys
- Confirmation of presence / absence of high-purity Sn – prevent Sn whiskers before they start
- Identify Se, Cd, and Zn coatings for space applications – don’t let them sublimate in a vacuum
- Shorter measurement times
- Lab-quality accuracy and precision
- Fisherscope x-ray XDAL
- Spectrometer with silicon PIN detectors provide reliable analysis results and coating thickness readings even with a small concentration and very thin coatings
- Designed for electronics and semiconductor industries
- Analysis of very thin coatings, e.g. gold and palladium coatings of = 0.1 μm
- Fast and highly precise XY(Z) measuring stage
- Excellent long-term stability, which is reflected in a reduced calibration effort
