With a commitment to quality, ITC has always prioritized advanced manufacturing and production techniques. From our inception, service and product performance have remained key elements to our company values and success.
Our customers require product integration at a high level, and we regularly develop custom assemblies that are curated to an OEM’s specific product needs. With our own manufacturing operations in the US and abroad, we have control over the entire process from concept to delivery, ensuring high quality at each stage of the project.
We employ a variety of specialized manufacturing processes to create durable products with unique finishes. Learn more about our systems and capabilities below.
Surface Mount Technology (SMT)
ITC has four complete SMT production lines. Two of these lines are fully automated and contain solder paste (SPI) and automated optical (AOI) inspected equipment within the production lines themselves.
SPI and AOI equipped machines play an important role in quality and process control by detecting defects that are easily missed by a human visual inspection and providing real-time data on issues during production, making problems quick to locate and correct.
One of our SMT lines is designed to accommodate up to 1200 millimeter printed circuit boards, while the other three accommodate up to 600 millimeter boards. All of our machines populate flame-resistant (FR4) and aluminum printed circuit boards and utilize lead-free components.
Flex Light Production
To make premium flexible lighting, we start with a high-quality printed circuit board and an aluminum screen. For each product, the specific LED placement and size is pre-programmed to ensure accuracy, and we regularly calibrate our SMT machine to maintain stable solder temperature.
Once the LEDs are placed, we run the strip through an 8-zone oven with a product-specific heating and cooling profile, then test for placement and light output.
After inspection, strips are cut to length and lock coated, then soldered together to create a full roll of flexible LED light. Each 18" piece has 2-4 solder pads between boards for a strong connection and to prevent damage when the lights are flexed.
For finishing, the flex light is run through a silicone extrusion machine, then the lights are labeled and plugged in for a two-hour burn-in—a test to catch any failures before the flex light is packaged for shipping.
Wire Terminations & Connectors
We use specialized equipment—including stripping and tinning, overmolding, and crimping—to attach electrical connectors and terminations designed for seamless integration with our customers’ unique assembly requirements.
Our coating, gluing, and ultrasonic welding machines protect components from moisture and dust, while our air pressure equipment tests the seals for completion.
Assembly Packages
With several unique production lines in each of our locations, we utilize power conveyor flow lines, a U-cell station, and one-piece flow processes. These assembly stations contain work instructions, quality criteria, and fixtures to ensure consistent results.
We often combine our printed circuit board assemblies with components from other manufactures to create a finished product. We also offer kitting to create a product or collection exactly fitted to a customer’s needs. We can easily add, subtract, and combine components to customize our existing offerings, or create something entirely new.
Material Processes
We work with a full spread of materials, manufactured to excel in harsh environments. We’re experts in plastics, metals, and LEDs, using advanced processes to create standard and custom product components.
Here are just a few of our material capabilities:
- Injection molding
- Vacuum forming
- Blow molding
- Extrusions
- Stamping
- Die casting
- Sand coating
- Investment casting
- Weldments & Assemblies
Finishing
- Wet coat
- Powder coat
- Anodizing
- Plating
Quality & Testing
ITC has a robust pre and post-production quality control process, ensuring consistent and durable products, delivered on time, every time.
Our pre-production process includes in-person audits of all vendors and key sub vendors to understand their abilities to meet the tolerance and quality criteria for a product’s application. Our own lighting factory and our key vendor partners’ factories are ISO 9001-2015 certified.
After awarding the project to the vendor, we then define the specific quality and testing standards, final product standards, and detailed instructions for each product before it’s released for production. Our pre-production validation plans are product and application specific, and we frequently obtain certifications and listings from third parties, such as UL and CSA.
Our multitiered post-production process to inspect production parts includes in-process and final inspections by the vendor and ITC staff at the manufacturing facility, followed by an additional inspection at our distribution facilities in Michigan and Indiana. All inspections and internal, and external quality complaints are documented, tracked, and followed to ensure resolutions are promptly implemented and sustained.
ITC is committed to continuous improvement, and products are regularly reviewed by our quality, sales, and customer service teams to ensure we’re achieving the best results possible.
Custom Design
Looking for a specific product, but not finding anything that suits your project on the market?
From identifying a customer need to producing the real-world solution, we offer a complete spread of custom services including product design and development, full engineering, sourcing, and manufacturing.
With the versatility to meet your exact needs, we value service above all else. Let ITC be your partner from product concept to delivery.
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