A leading policy of IVAS Tech is to offer high quality at a competitive price

Aleksey Bogomilov Stratev,
Manager of IVAS TECH

Please share with our readers some information about IVAS Tech and the company’s main scope of activity.
IVAS Tech Company - Sofia was established in November 2000 with headquarters and management address in Bulgaria, Sofia, bul. Asen Yordanov 10. The company is managed and represented by Alexey Bogomilov Stratev. Our main activity is the production of equipment for Surface Mounting Technology (SMT) according to the requirements of EN ISO 9001:2008.

What is your position within the Bulgarian market?
IVAS Tech Ltd is the only Bulgarian manufacturer of electronic equipment for automatic assembly of printed circuit boards with electronic components. Ever since our establishment we have been a determined and market-oriented company focused on developing equipment for the middle and lower market segment.

We rely on the greater flexibility, higher precision and of course greater performance of such equipment. The target group of IVAS Tech Ltd are small and medium-sized OEMs (Original Electronic Manufacturers), companies that develop and offer their own products or CEM (Contract Electronic Manufacturers) - Suppliers, offering services such as "Surface mounting of PCB", specialized in automated implementation of electronic components of other manufacturers/products.

All machines offered by IVAS Tech Ltd have been developed based on the best technology for positioning and recognition of electronic components. The company is one of the first and still a few companies not only in Europe, but also globally, combining a linear motor and CMOS digital camera for middle and lower class equipment. In practice, the organization has no competition in the Bulgarian market from local producers.

What quality do you think gives you an advantage over your international competitors then?
IVAS Tech Ltd equipment has been installed in factories not only in Bulgaria but also in Italy, Spain, Germany, England, France, China and Taiwan. As Bulgarian customers we have to enumerate: AQ Plastronics - Veliko Tarnovo, Micron 20 - Sofia, Daisy Technology - Sofia Primateh pro - Sofia and others. Customers from abroad: Estanflux - Spain; Europlacer - Gr. Britain; Gemmy Tek - Taiwan; RTS - Russia; Solar GB - Gr. Britain; Spacecannon - Italy; TabeRU - Russia; SMT Solutions - Argentina; MTC - Germany.

We believe that this is a testament of the advantages of IVAS Tech as a Bulgarian producer, in addition to: our highly qualified engineers and programmers of the company, that can offer flexible solutions to meet the specific requirements of each customer; our guaranteed high-quality technical support; our customer support for software use, and development of new programs and applications for the customer’s needs; our ability to provide new developments and software upgrades; our desire for market growth and technological development.
Additionally, a leading marketing policy of IVAS Tech is to offer high quality at a competitive price.

Another advantage of the company is the low cost of its production as a result, both used in company developments, and the smaller cost of benefits (compared with those in the European Union).

How many people do you currently employ and what are some of the highlights of your portfolio?
At present there are 12 employees working in the company, who are all highly qualified and meet the requirements of our main activity. The responsibilities and powers of the officials in the organization are defined and regulated in the job descriptions, which are in turn approved by the manager and included in the official record for each employee.

The main products we produce for the domestic and international market are PLM2000 - Automatic Pick and place machine for surface mounting of printed circuit boards; HBSM - Automation for mounting and soldering of Power LEDs type "Luxeon "; AFM - Automatic Feeder magazine for components on rolls; VFM - Vibratory Feeder magazine for components on stick; SPM100 - Manual stencil printer for solder paste; BTO -Reflow ovens for soldering of printed circuit boards; TSM200 - Termode soldering machine for SMD connectors and cables; ASH300 - Heat sealing machine for flat cables.

The first product we placed on the market is PLM2000 - Automatic Pick and place machine for surface mounting of printed circuit boards. This product conforms with the global trends in surface mounting equipment, the economic situation in Bulgaria (the pace of market and industry) and the needs, expectations and requirements of the Bulgarian manufacturers of electronic products.

Designed as a mid-range machine, developed based on the latest technologies in positioning systems using Linear Motors, Motor Control System with DSP and Vision system using a CMOS Digital camera, PLM2000 is a flexible solution for any enterprise with a diverse range of products and medium volume production. Running the X and Y axis is achieved by servo motors with linear encoders with a precision of 1 micron and a digital motion controller, providing high speed and extreme precision in the placement of each component. Using linear motors significantly increases the reliability and life of the machine while dramatically reducing maintenance costs.

High speed and accurate positioning enables the speed of 4200 components per hour. Despite its compact dimensions, the machine has a large number of feeder slots, which allow the simultaneous loading of 210 different components. Machine control is built on recognized as extremely reliable and fast CAN interface.

In 2010 the company put into operation a line for production of laser metal masks (SMT stencils) for easy application of solder paste and glue. IVAS Tech Ltd uses two precision laser cutting machines. Our stencils are highly appreciated by all Bulgarian companies producing electronic devices.

Our production is presented as its own trademark, protected by the Patent Office of Republic of Bulgaria.

Have you experienced any significant challenges in your work on the market?
The company currently cannot compete effectively enough with large European manufacturers, and therefore seeks to provide flexibility in production processes and product range. It is able to make adjustments in the technological process and respond to demand and market requirements easier than larger companies in the industry, so for the purpose company created a special engineering team.

To overcome the challenge of realizing our main products in the Balkan region and the countries of Eastern Europe, export sales are realized by a well-developed distribution network comprising at least one representative of each country. We have trained technicians who have completed a special course for service maintenance.

Do you take part in any specialized events where your current and potential customers can meet you and view your products?
Yes, IVAS Tech participates in one of the world’s largest exhibitions in the manufacture of machinery for the electronics - productronica in Munich, Germany. We also traditionally participate in the International Technical Fair - Plovdiv. We maintain our company website with an advertising and technical section.

IVAS Tech provides a comprehensive range of complementary, integrated systems and services that span the electronics manufacturing value chain, helping your company to increase quality and flexibility, resulting in lower overall costs.