Mechanical, electronic, chemical and industrial engineers work in their facilities, and they are responsable of the desing and production of their products. SolidWorks CAD and Windchill equipment is used for project management. In the last three years they have created more than 250 new references per year, and they currently maintain more than 4500 in the catalogue.
The research and innovation programs performed in engineering and R+D+Innovation departments have taken FAE to be a recognized leader in the desing of ceramic applications.
Current research is done in the following areas:
Nanomaterials.
Biochemical sensors.
Medical applications.
Advanced sensors.
Smart textiles.
Testing laboratory for internal use
They have a 250m2 laboratory, exclusively dedicated to the homologation of all their products under the automotive norms. For special products fabrication they respect the norms their clients have previously established.
It is divided into 3 rooms: metrology area, climate and life tests area, and the area of salt spray tests, vibration and special.
In the precision workshop they manufacture their own machines, designed by their engineers, and with a specific software for each. This allows them to optimize their needs at short times and ensures a good control of the product in the test.
FAE laboratory includes:
Optical and contact three-dimensional measurement systems.
X-ray equipment, with CT module.
Electron microscope (30.000x magnification).
DSC / TGA (Differential Calorimetry Scanner).
High temperature microscope and dilatometer.
4 Climatic chambers; +200ºC to -50ºC.
1 Thermal shock chamber; +180°C to -70°C.
2 Vibration tests, including random test assay.
1 Salt spray and corrosion chamber.
Life test benches for all FAE products.
RAMAN equipment.
Universal testing machine.
Production
Production and packaging areas are equipped with automatic equipments for packing, marking, barcoding and laser engraving. All systems have been designed and built by FAE, both hardware and control software.
Depending on needs, parts finish can be:
FAE.
Bulk.
Personalized, to costumer specifications.
They have:
3 Automatic case packing machines.
Automatic Bulk packing machine with weight control.
Laser Engraving Machine.
Clean Room
ISO-7 700m2 Exclusively dedicated to flexible substrate processing, such as multilayer ceramic technology applied in electronic ceramics (Gas Sensors).
Divided into two main areas: Devices Area and Materials Area.
On Devices area, sensors are built by screen printing, punching, via filling and stacking processes.
On Materials area, inks and slurries are prepared. This Area is equipped with technology for impregnation, electrodeposition, cathalyst precursor synthesis and nanomaterial processing.
Systems available:
Tape casting machine from 50 to 800 microns, for tapes up to 20 inches wide.
Automatic bleaching machine for substrate creation.
Automatic punching machine.
Substrate stacking machine.
Automatic screen printing systems up to 8x8 inches substrates, with vision system.
Manual screening system for 2x2 inches substrates.
Automatic and manual machines for substrate cutting up to 6x6 inches.
Two muffle furnaces, 1100°C and 1700°C, and a tube furnace from 1500°C.
Semiautomatic ultrasound microwelding system (wedge bonding).
Laser equipment for trimming and cutting substrates.
Manual equipment pick and place and reflow oven for mounting electronic components on ceramic substrates, PCBs and flexible.
Chemical laboratory:
Water purification system, 18 megohm per centimeter.
Particle size distribution and zeta potential measuring equipment.
Viscometers and rheometers for rheological characterization.
Stoves and ovens of 200°C, 1100°C and 1500°C.
Precision scales of 0.1 g and 0.0001 g.
Magnetic thermoshakers and mechanical stirrers.
Thermoshaken bath.
Gloves cabin for safe handling of nanomaterials.
Safety bell for chemical handling.
Nanomaterial synthesis reactors and impregnation processes.
Dispersion equipment.
ESD Room
The 180m2 ESD (ElectroStatic Discharge) room with dissipative floor is dedicated exclusively to the manufacture of pressure sensors, exhaust gas pressure sensors, GPS (Gear Position Sensor) and other electronic components.
There are four systems available:
2 Cartesian material dosing systems.
1 Cartesian system with 500 watt tin welding.
1 line of 3 dosing stations including a UV LED lamp curing area.
1 preheating zone to facilitate the dosage of the material at 120º.
The material is dosed at room temperature. The pieces are preheated to 50º.
Automatic flow dosing stations:
1 coating station: 3-axis Cartesian with camera systems to ensure the correct dispensing of the material in the components of the PCB. The dosing is carried out by means of an innovative jetting valve.
2 stations for potting and sealing: via a 3-axis Cartesian plus dispensation by means of volumetric valve. This valve provides greater accuracy in the dosed quantity.
The room also includes:
2 ovens up to 200º.
1 machine for calibrating and testing pressure sensors and differential pressure sensors (designed and manufactured by FAE).
1 varnishing station with forced extraction (reduces odours).
1 manual welding station for pressure sensors and differential pressure sensors.
1 ultrasonic station for welding pressure sensors and differential pressure sensors.
1 two-component resin dosing machine.
Nailing press station for GPS.
GPS operation test station.
Vision camera to check the presence of GPS components.
Station for de-panelling circuits.
Test Car
FAE has seven test cars, one motorbike and two test benches for product testing in a real vehicle, and obtaining more accurate data for a better understanding of the product.