A new and rising Start-Up eloprint from Esslingen, Germany is the first company to catch the gist of producing electronic testing jigs using mostly 3D printing. Eloprint was founded by Georg Proepper in 2018 and its focus is to supply the needed testing jigs for new inventions, prototypes, and small series production.
Due to the rapid digitalization of our age to an extent that most current products require electronics of different geometry to be smarter and more efficient. Such complex electronics have PCBs that require different testing jigs which led Georg Proepper and his young team of engineers to capitalize fully on that opportunity by producing testing jigs according to the customers’ wishes using 3D-Printing.
Traditional ways of producing testing jigs are costly and time-consuming. That is not the case with eloprint which is able to optimize the opportunity of using 3D printing instead. Eloprint is now able to produce such testing jigs for not only a favourable price but also much faster than its competitors.
With such a transparent relationship with the customer and the eagerness to learn and improve, the young engineers at eloprint can develop effective testing jigs such as PRL, BAL, and POL, each of which is used for a specific role.
The standard testing jig at eloprint is PRL, which is used to test most PCBs. It is the most sought-after of our products because it is the first to enter the German market, and it is well known among our customers for its ease of use and its compatibility with most surface-mounted components. Unlike most testing jigs, the ones at eloprint use an innovative lever mechanic, with just the use of a lever you can push the test probes up to the PCB.
The BAL testing jig is designed specifically to test small electronics and to protect the user from (ESD)electrostatic discharge. It can also be modified to test both sides of the PCB. With BAL all you need to do is set the PCB on the mounting plate and pull the yellow lever down to move the hold-down clamp along the rail which will push down the PCB upon the test probes.
The POL testing jig is ideally requested for large and complex PCBs and is frequently requested to test both sides of the PCB. Despite its complexity, the engineers at eloprint designed the POL with dampers so that regardless of the size of the PCB, it will not require that much effort to move the hold-down-clamp down which upon reaching the PCB will push it down against the test probes. Surface-mounted components are always taken into consideration withal the geometry. By the end of 2021, eloprint will introduce the new POL testing jig, designed specifically for contact on both sides of the PCB.
The individual testing jig is designed entirely according to your wishes, and in whichever material is required such as ceramic and aluminium. It can be designed to contact more sides of the PCB, and with the help of 3D-Printing, it can also be modified so that most of the parts are easily replaceable.
All testing jigs at eloprint can be modified to fulfil all its customers’ wishes, from the interface to the type of motion. It is also possible to integrate the testing jig with fans, sensors, display elements, and many more. With the use of locking pins, the PCB can easily be set upon the mounting plate and correctly aligned for the testing probes. With such a convenient approach and the use of high-quality test probes, those testing jigs can last more than 1 million test cycles. Regardless of which testing jig is requested, at eloprint, it will be designed to be unique for the customer. All testing jigs have rubber supports to make them easy to transport and to place on the desk, workbench, or even in the conference room.
One of eloprint’s core principles is making it easier and quicker for the customer by creating the price calculator at the website to calculate the price and time needed for the customer’s request. After making an order, the customer can send the PCB data in DXF, STEP, or even an image to eloprint for the young team to commence with the design of the testing jig. Eloprint thrives to be precise by asking for a list of coordinates and the pin assignment for the test points of the PCB and once done with the design, eloprint has a 3D-printing farm, which helps speed up the manufacturing process to the point of delivering its product in a matter of weeks.
Eloprint’s core principles are to be flexible with customers’ requirements, quick to fulfil their wishes, tactful and transparent when handling customer feedback, and to produce testing jigs that are compact, require low maintenance, and are ESD-secured for a bargain.
The founder Georg Proepper promises that prices that are set for eloprint’s services and testing jigs are at a much lower cost than their competitors to prove that innovation does not always involve high costs.
Eloprint’s current customer base ranges from big corporations such as Siemens, Bosch, Thyssenkrupp to well-known companies such as Festo, Eberspaecher, V-Zug and ZF. With such customers not only was eloprint able to maximize its profits but also increase its working force in 2020. Eloprint’s next step is taking its business to the next level by setting a foothold into new markets in Europe and beyond.
