Matter provides a common 'language' to make smart home products from different manufacturers work better together, regardless of brand. E.D.&A. implements for its customers -if required- Matter on the electronic controllers of their home appliance applications.
Do you want to launch a product on the European market with a wireless radio connection (including WiFi and Bluetooth)? Then from August 2025 it must comply with the Radio Equipment Directive (RED, Radio Equipment Directive) issued by the European Commission. Read more about the increased focus on cyber security and certification.
In early February, we implemented new internal software systems. Both the new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system and the MES-Manufacturing Execution System give us a foothold to continue growing as a manufacturing company in an even more structured way. This allows us to focus even more on what is really important for the organisation: putting the customer even more at the heart of our business.
The downside of digitisation and the connection machines and devices to the internet is that they become more vulnerable to cyber attacks and other risks. Cyber security will demand more and more attention from both electronics developers (like us) and machine and appliance constructors (like you) in the coming years. What is E.D.&A.'s role in cybersecurity?
We are extremely pleased to once again be awarded -for the sixth time in a row- the Best Managed Company quality label in Belgium. This is recognition for the years of commitment by the entire team.
We use various standards and tools to ensure the quality of the written software code. The 'continuous build server' automatically checks every night whether the code is in line with the standard and with our own house style. Besides the static code analyses, we also have a Python framework that allows us to continuously test the code against customer specifications.
Our innovative electronic controllers form a solid foundation for the stable operation of various HVAC & Water products, such as heating and ventilation systems, pumps, ventilation valves, etc.
For several months now, the AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) has been automatically moving containers between our various electronics production machines in the PCBA department.
With electronics in your machine or device becoming increasingly sophisticated and important, EMC (ElectroMagnetic Compatibility) is gaining in importance. But, EMC sometimes gets attention quite late in a design, resulting in longer design times and higher costs. Download now the slides of the webinar dd 14.12.2022 on the importance of EMC in an electronics design.
E.D.&A. will not send out Christmas cards or gifts by the end of 2022. We prefer to donate this budget to charity projects. The organization Villa Max came out of the vote as the favorite among E.D.&A. colleagues.
More and more companies are choosing to bring back production and development from low-wage countries. E.D.&A. took this reshoring step in 2012. Now ten years later, this does certainly not do any harm to us as a Belgian electronics manufacturer. Our customers need flexibility, speed and quality, and so do we.
Our hardware and software form the basis of diverse applications. Electronics from A to Z, all in-house. With great enthusiasm, we show you that innovation and quality are at the heart of our company and that every day we are building our and your future. Let's make products better together!
Our Continuous Improvement Team consisting of operators, manufacturing engineers and production management continues to focus on reducing lead times. The production process was further mapped and the first actions regarding the running times of various machines are already yielding results.
We are now cautiously positive regarding the availability of electronics components. Certain components are delivered to us earlier than anticipated, but in addition, there are still components that are very difficult to obtain! For instance, we feel that power components -which are also widely used for electric cars or charging stations- are hard to get hold of and also still have very long delivery times.
Innovex (remote monitoring solar systems) asked us to help and guide them in developing hardware and software and starting their SMD production. During their internship, we supported them by answering questions, providing feedback on machine choices and reviewing procedures.
The supply chain is quite a challenge today. One crisis hasn't left yet and the next one is already happening. How will the Corona crisis and the war between Russia and Ukraine affect the supply of electronic controls for your machine or application? In this free webinar (May 31st, in English) we would like to share with you what we are doing to mitigate the consequences. Register now.
To keep up with the still increasing demand for production, an additional selective soldering machine was commissioned last month for soldering through hole components.
E.D.&A. has been awarded for the third time as Factory of the Future. Every day we show that production in Belgium is possible, provided you make smart investments in people and automation.
E.D.&A. is committed to customer satisfaction, continuous improvement and process and product innovation. In 2016 we were one of the first companies in the world to achieve the new ISO 9001:2015 standard. Both in 2019 and now in 2022 we passed with flying colors during the triennial recertification audit.
The recently purchased data platform supports our engineers even better in choosing certain components during the hardware development process. All products are checked for compliance with the applicable REACH and RoHS legislation, among other things.
Not only powerful car manufacturers are experiencing shortages of electronic components. We, too, feel that the strong upswing in the market is increasing the scarcity in the components market.
The inline laser marker now applies the unique serial number to the PCB. The available capacity at our SMD machines is eagerly used for placing additional SMD components.
Wireless charging has been around for a while, although we do not immediately think about it. For consumer applications, 'wireless charging' has gradually become commonplace and its use in industrial and automotive applications can therefore no longer be ignored. At this moment, E.D.&A. is applying wireless charging to a new development of a control unit with touch display.
This month E.D.&A. celebrates its 40th anniversary. 'A big party for E.D.&A.'s fortieth anniversary is not yet on the program in view of the corona measures, but there is reason enough to celebrate', echoes Gert D'Handschotter, owner and managing director at E.D.&A. Even in these strange times, we at E.D.&A. did not sit still. Our company building was doubled in size to 8.000 m². This was necessary to steer our growth in the right direction and to create sufficient space for all our (new) colleagues and additional machine lines.
Do you already bike to/from work? Or have you always wanted to try this? Especially for this, the '#ikfietsnaarhetwerk' week (I bike to work) is organized from June 14th-June 18th. Also for all home workers, so no excuse :-).
To manage our growth, we have invested in new machinery for an additional SMD line. The installation will take place as soon as the new building is completed in Q2 2021. The heart of the new SMD line consists of the NXT III from Fuji.
We see it as our social responsibility to involve social enterprises for customised work. On the one hand, the social enterprises carry out tasks for us at their own workplace, and on the other hand, their people work for us on site. In the latter case, they come to our location in Kalmthout every day, just like other E.D.&A. employees.
Even in these strange times, we at E.D.&A. don't sit still. For example, our premises will be doubled in surface area to 8,000 m² by the end of March 2021. This is necessary to manage our growth and to create enough space for all our (new) colleagues and additional electronics production lines that will be delivered in April next year.
For a European manufacturer of automatic swimming pool covers, E.D.&A. provides not only the controller board but also the assembly in a high-quality stainless steel cabinet.
E.D.&A. has fine-tuned the proof of concept of the electronics for their electric, holographic fireplace. Our team is responsible for the design optimisation, the expansion, the complete production and the testing of the electronic controllers.
As part of our vision on thorough quality control, we have invested in an additional 3D AOI. This new machine is placed at the end of the THT(Through Hole Technology) line.
The Omron TM5-900 CoBot is used to relieve our operators of certain pick-and-place operations and other time-consuming, repetitive tasks. In this way we can automate more flexibly.
Our company building in Kalmthout will be doubled in surface area by the end of 2020/early 2021. This is necessary to be able to continue to grow and to create enough space for all our (new) colleagues and machines. At the moment the works are at a standstill due to the annual construction holidays, but everything will start again at the beginning of August.
It is not hard to see what makes 'voice' so attractive to both consumers and businesses to control machines and devices. It is user-friendly and the technology is getting better. What steps should be taken?
Production in China is not required. In order to follow the rapidly evolving market, Western European manufacturers of machines and appliances have different needs and challenges. E.D.&A. thinks ahead and explains how they do this.
At E.D.&A. we take various ESD measures (special coats, tables, etc) in and around our production room. What impact does ESD have on electronics? How can you control ESD in your workplace? What preventive actions should you take?
The installation of an additional ‘full compliant 3m SAC’ (Semi Anechoic Chamber) in the new building will enable our engineers to also take 'radiated emission' measurements in-house in full accordance with the applicable standards such as EN61000-6-3 or -4, CISPR14-1, CISPR32 and others.
Following national security council guidelines, E.D.&A. has decided to switch to working remotely as much as possible as of coming Monday. Our production facilities in Kalmthout guarantee the continuity of your deliveries.
E.D.&A. is seeing the demand for voice control increase among its customers and their end users. In other words, this means the integration of smart speakers for machine and appliance manufacturers.
Over the past year, we have invested heavily in a further automation of our production. In addition to a through-hole placement machine, the first real robot has found its way to our production.
Artificial Intelligence is currently a hot topic in the world of technology. E.D.&A. carried out research into “neural networks” to find out how they can make the electronic controllers smarter.
For E.D.&A., the waste and recycling policy is not a new commitment; we remain dedicated to promoting a greener environment and creating less waste. E.D.&A. regularly acts in the interests of optimising the recycling policy.
Machine and equipment manufacturers do not buy ‘Internet of Things’, they buy a solution to a problem. Is the operation efficient enough? Is there sufficient communication speed for your application? Important questions in the step-by-step plan for a future-proof product.
E.D.&A. has developed a new and patented technology. No need for external LED drivers anymore. All required functionality combined into one controller board. (EC fan control, dimmable LED driver, RF communication, Wifi, Bluetooth, IoT, etc.)
When we think of computerisation, it may well be the further digitisation of the production process that first comes to mind. However, automation within other departments is also here to stay. Our accounting department is using Robotic Process Automation (RPA).
A manufacturer of water softeners wanted to make its devices accessible via the Cloud for dealers, end users and service technicians alike. Download the presentation and discover the process flow for this new custom electronic controller with an integrated Wi-Fi module. Tips & tricks for IoT applications.
One of our customers wanted to use the renowned VDE label on its end product. In this way, it can guarantee the end user that the operation of the product remains safe. As an important link in the supply chain of their end product, E.D.&A. underwent an extensive VDE factory audit for this purpose.
Four colleagues can officially call themselves 'certified IPC Specialist (CIS) ' for the IPC-A-610 standard. A formalization of a standard that has been used by E.D.&A. for years now.
Custom-made electronics within HVAC. The Internet of Things (IoT) provides added possibilities for the manufacturer, the installer and the end user of the ventilation system.
E.D.&A. again received the Factory of the Future Award. Every day we prove that manufacturing in Belgium is possible as long as you are willing to invest in people and automation. The jury was extremely impressed.
We’re building our future. And by that, we don’t just mean building up our experience and knowledge as to the development and manufacturing of custom electronics, but also literal building.
In addition to the electronic controller, we also supply custom-made housings, cabling, packaging, customer labels, etc. One address for all your controller solutions.
In early July, we replaced the selective soldering machine - for mechanical soldering of through-hole components on the circuit board - with a new, more elaborate model. This new selective soldering machine obviously increases capacity, but also flexibility.
When developing new electronic controllers, we are not only talking about technology but also about responding to the needs of users, environment and society. In the field of wireless communication, many technologies are available, each with their own pros and cons. We will walk through them briefly.
E.D.&A. is now also transitioning to inline functional testing. This step ties in with the further optimisation of the production process for our controllers. The result is reduced total turnaround time.
Together with E.D.&A., DiBO has developed an innovative control panel with burglar-resistant and touch-sensitive glass (capacitive buttons). We are now working together on a 4th generation of electronic controllers.
Production in Belgium? For years it seemed it was dying off, but recently the tide has turned. The Belgian approach to the manufacturing industry will soon be followed elsewhere in Europe.
We are particularly pleased to be one of the first companies in Belgium to carry Belgium’s Best Managed Company quality label. This is an acknowledgement of the many years of effort made by the entire team.
E.D.&A. has registred the mechanism for obtaining two independently regulated voltages from one single supply circuit. The solution turned out to be unique. Working on the applications of tomorrow.
SMPS (Switched Mode Power Supply) makes electronic products lighter, more compact and flexible. The reduced standby consumption is in accordance with the EuP regulations.
E.D.&A. has bought a new 3D AOI machine and an X-ray machine. We are firmly committed to extensive process control for the production of our electronic controllers. That makes product quality an inherent part of the process.
In 2015 E.D.&A. launched the “Ultimate Platform”, which can be used as a solid basis for the operation and control of machinery and appliances. Now E.D.&A. has developed the first custom-made version of this new electronics platform, at the request of a renowned machine manufacturer.
Functional safety measures must protect people and the environment against faults in or failures of the electronic controller. This safety can be guaranteed by the correct design and testing methods, knowledge and extensive testing and certification programmes.
