Dushanbe, Tajikistan – July – A local LED lighting producer successfully brought a new surface-mount technology (SMT) line into full operation following a detailed handover project carried out by I.C.T.
The collaboration began in spring 2024 when the company decided to establish in-house PCB assembly to meet growing demand for indoor tube lights, panel luminaires, and outdoor street fixtures across Central Asia. Key challenges included limited factory floor space, fluctuating grid power, and a workforce still building SMT experience.

I.C.T proposed a tailored smart factory configuration suited to medium-volume LED production. The line featured automatic loading, high-precision solder paste printing, mid-speed multi-function placement capable of handling long aluminum-core boards, multi-zone reflow with controlled atmosphere options, vertical buffering to smooth workflow, and basic AOI for early defect detection. Layout planning accounted for the site’s 30% narrower-than-standard footprint and included voltage stabilizers to protect sensitive electronics during brownouts.

Two senior I.C.T engineers arrived in late May and remained until the first week of July. Their work covered mechanical alignment of every conveyor section, electrical integration, software configuration, and thermal profile optimization specifically for the client’s mix of 0.8–1.5 m linear LED strips and square panel boards. Particular attention went to even heat distribution across aluminum substrates to prevent warping and to maintain consistent color temperature in finished lamps.

Operator training occupied the final three weeks. Sessions moved from basic machine operation to practical topics: daily cleaning routines, solder paste management in a dry Tajik climate, quick changeover procedures between tube and panel jobs, and simple troubleshooting steps for common placement or reflow issues. Local technicians received printed manuals in Russian alongside on-site demonstrations, allowing them to run independent shifts shortly after handover.

Post-commissioning feedback from the factory floor indicates stable daily output in the expected range for the selected equipment, with first-pass yield holding above industry norms for new lines in the region. Early defects—mostly related to paste volume variation—dropped noticeably once operators applied the taught stencil-wipe and profile-adjustment habits.

The project reflects I.C.T’s established practice of sending experienced personnel for extended periods when local conditions require it, combined with modular line designs that permit future additions such as inline 3D SPI or automated warehousing as volumes rise.

For more background on configuring SMT lines for LED lighting applications, see this detailed selection overview.