By Jeren Holman, Design Technologist

In the small, historic town of West Jefferson, nestled within the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, you’ll find a small but versatile company going on its 30th year in business.  Global Manufacturing Services, Inc. (GMS) was founded in 1987 as a father/daughter company.  Building and testing sophisticated electronics, which vary from big LED arrays to small boards with more than 500 parts, GMS delivers top quality products at reasonable prices and with the least negative impact on the environment as possible.

As of January 1, 2016, GMS is a woman-owned business run by Andria Keith Morgan, who founded the company with her father Arlie Keith. GMS is currently operating out of a 20,000 sq. ft. purpose build facility and has the processes and capacity to perform various manufacturing functions, including serving customers in a wide array of industries including the music industry, heating & cooling, door openers, electric boats, and LEDs for many different industries.

GMS CEO Andria Keith Morgan and an SMT technician work on the SAMSUNG SM482, which is configured for 24″ long board LED applications.

When GMS set out to ensure their customers would receive the best customer service and the best product possible, they knew they needed a strong partner, which they found in SAMSUNG C&T Automation. “SAMSUNG gave us the best bang for our buck, the capabilities we were looking for, and possibilities for expansion-which is important when looking towards the future,” commented Andria Keith Morgan, CEO of GMS.

SAMSUNG C&T Automation offered GMS the low-cost, flexible, high-speed solution they were looking for for a specific project. GMS purchased an SM482 system configured for 24” long board LED applications.  The unit has been running phenomenally and GMS is now considering a longer board opportunity (48”), as well as 48” PCB capable placement systems, a printer, and PCB handling gear. GMS has been able to use the SM482 on several other projects as well and are looking forward to reconfiguring it to break into another niche market up and coming in the industry.

SAMSUNG’s SM482 is a flexible mounting platform ideally suited for prototyping and NPI environments where flexibility, easy programming, quick setups and fast changeovers directly influence profitability. Featuring a full vision overhead gantry system with 6-precision placement spindles, the SM482 delivers auto-teach, polygon recognition, and placement angle preview capabilities. The platform is compatible with various feeder types including SAMSUNG’s exclusive side tray feeder for zero-impact on feeder capacity. Optional configurations include intelligence system, docking feeder carts, and large board processing.

“At first, we were nervous to buy a brand new machine from a company we hadn’t previously done business with,” added Morgan. “However Jonny Nichols eased our fears and really made the decision a simple one, without a hard press sales pitch. He worked diligently to get us what we needed quickly to meet some immediate needs.  When our trainer arrived, we were exposed to yet another level of excellent customer service and were immediately impressed by the machine itself.  SAMSUNG goes above and beyond to make your team a successful one.  We look forward to a long and mutually prosperous relationship with SAMSUNG.”

SAMSUNG’s SM482 is a flexible mounting platform for prototyping and NPI environments. It has been running well at GMS and the company is considering purchasing more SAMSUNG systems. GMS has been able to use the SM482 on several other projects and looks forward to reconfiguring it to break into another niche market in the industry.

The feeling is mutual, as SAMSUNG C&T Automation feels their equipment is best used in the hands of companies like GMS with world-class customer service, technological know-how and longevity.

“GMS is a great company staffed and run by great folks. Andria is a real mover and shaker and her vision for the company’s future shows she’s innovative and has real business acumen,” commented Johnny Nichols, National Sales Manager, SAMSUNG C&T Automation. “We hope to continue to partner with GMS on the new projects on the horizon, and their timing couldn’t be better as we’ve just introduced the NPS-1200 printer at APEX in March.”

SAMSUNG C&T’s NPS-1200 printer perfectly complements large board configured SAMSUNG placement systems with industry leading pricing, performance, and quality.  Features include inline processing, high accuracy auto stencil alignment, print pressure monitoring, programmable under stencil cleaning, and post print inspection for up to 1.2m PCBs.

As for the future of Global Manufacturing Services, Inc., the entire company is energized and hopeful for the new doors that receiving their Women Owned Business certification will open.  The certification will bring national recognition to the company.

For more information on Global Manufacturing Services, Inc., visit www.gblms.com. For more information about SAMSUNG C&T Automation, visit. www.SAMSUNGsmt.com.