- Customer Success with Koh Young
How Process Control, Not Promises, Doubled Revenue & Reduced Risk.
Custom Interconnect Ltd (CIL), a leading UK manufacturer specializing in semiconductor packaging and complex PCBA assembly, has achieved remarkable growth through strategic investment in Koh Young’s 3D AOI inspection systems. Since partnering with Koh Young, CIL has expanded from two offline inspection machines to a comprehensive fleet of six systems across two facilities, supporting the company’s revenue growth from £15 million to a targeted £47 million—with ambitions to reach £100 million within five years.
Custom Interconnect Ltd operates at the intersection of microelectronics and surface mount technology, offering a unique capability in the UK and European markets. Under the leadership of Managing Director John Boston, who brings 45 years of experience in semiconductor packaging and PCBA assembly, CIL serves demanding sectors including:
- Automotive power electronics and premium motorsport (Formula E)
- Defense electronics and space applications
- Downhole oil and gas electronics (operating at 195°C, 20G for 4+ years)
- RF communications (from very low frequency to 122 GHz)
- Medical electronics
As John Boston explains: “There is probably nothing here that an individual can buy in a shop or Amazon or anything like that. It’s all what I would call professional equipment.”
CIL's customer base has undergone a dramatic transformation. About 80% of customers are now either OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers, up from predominantly Tier 2 and Tier 3 customers just a few years ago. This shift brought heightened quality and process control requirements.
The Challenge: Meeting Tier 1 and OEM Requirements
CIL’s customer base has undergone a dramatic transformation. About 80% of customers are now either OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers, up from predominantly Tier 2 and Tier 3 customers just a few years ago. This shift brought heightened quality and process control requirements.
“For me, it’s key that it’s the only 3D measurement system out there. Historically, a lot of other suppliers will give you a 2D system with a camera bolted on, say it’s 3D. These are true 3D measurement systems. It’s 3D from the ground up.”
“They were really good about the return on our investment and where we’d be in the future,” Woolven recalls. “We had some really good demonstrations on products that we were currently running and the step change from where we were with the 2D to the 3D and how we could remove a lot of the human error from our old manual validation of the actual programs.”
Paul Freeman
Head of PCBA Engineering
Scale without Compromise
Custom Interconnect Ltd.’s partnership with Koh Young demonstrates how advanced 3D AOI technology, combined with comprehensive software solutions and strong technical support, can enable a contract manufacturer to scale rapidly while meeting the stringent requirements of Tier 1 and OEM customers.
The combination of true 3D measurement capability, IPC standards integration, comprehensive data management through KSMART, and reliable ongoing support has positioned CIL as a unique capability provider in the UK and European markets that is able to handle everything from silicon wafer processing through final product assembly with world-class quality assurance. As Boston concludes: “Once we’ve decided on equipment like Koh Young, generally we stick with them.” This long-term commitment reflects the strategic value of the partnership in supporting CIL’s ambitious growth plans.
“Originally we had a 2D AOI system and it did us well. But with the new 3D AOI systems coming online and the higher volumes, we wanted to automate things. We went out, did a lot of investigation, saw many different systems.”
Mark Woolven
Process Engineer
digital transformation
Empowering Innovation, Perfecting Production
