Elexon Electronics: Embarking on a Transformation Journey

At Elexon Electronics, we believe in pushing the boundaries of innovation and quality in the manufacturing industry. As part of the post-fire recovery era of the business, we enter the new Elexon 2.0 episode and we are excited to introduce our transformative Elexon2Zero initiative, a quality enhancement program with three ambitious goals: zero defects, zero delays, and zero returns.

 

The Birth of Elexon 2.0

After a devastating fire in August last year reduced our site of almost twenty years to rubble, we took the opportunity to revolutionise the way they design, manufacture and support customers now and into the future. Rising from the ashes, Elexon Electronics acquired a new facility twice as large, just 1.5km from the old site in Brendale, on Brisbane’s northside. The team, alongside industry partners and machinery suppliers like Mycronic Technologies AB, Suba Engineering and HW Technologies worked day and night, to create a new industry 4.0 facility that was up and running just four months after the fire.

 

Our Vision: Zero Defects, Zero Delays, Zero Returns

Embarking on the Elexon 2.0 journey, we are shifting our focus from recovery towards quality and continuous improvement, setting the stage for the future in alignment with the innovative Elexon2Zero program. As a showcase of our dedication to elevating standards, this quality enhancement program is an ambitious pursuit of zero defects, zero delays, and zero returns, underscoring our commitment to setting new benchmarks in excellence and customer satisfaction.

 

Smart Factory

The first piece of the Elexon2Zero puzzle is a new Industry 4.0 facility featuring the latest manufacturing equipment and technology from around the world. The Elexon 2.0 site has become now Queensland’s most advanced electronics manufacturing facility, including two surface mount technology (SMT) lines for the manufacture of high-performance and reliable Printed Circuit Board Assemblies (PCBAs) mounts.

 

Restructure and Team skilling

The other essential component is the Elexon team. Elexon Electronics has embraced Six Sigma, Lean, and Agile methodologies to enhance responsiveness, efficiency, and customer focus within the business. This was accompanied by a comprehensive internal restructuring of teams and processes, emphasizing ownership and empowering staff to drive independent improvement initiatives. Zero Defects, Zero Delays, Zero Returns.

“We decided to take Elexon Electronics into the future as a zero-faults, high- quality precision design and manufacturing leader, always with the customers success in mind, offering complete peace of mind to the customer,” said Elexon Electronics CEO Frank Faller.

“Our new Elexon2Zero continuous improvement program is central in our evolution to ELEXON 2.0 as we redefine manufacturing standards in Australia, collectively striving to achieve a net-zero future.

“This zero-fault approach to manufacturing is the standard at leading automotive manufacturers and their suppliers like VW, Mercedes, Audi or Porsche, which is where my background is, so we are introducing it here in Brendale.

“This goes beyond just being the best company we can be. This is about taking Australia’s manufacturing industry to the global stage, onshoring high-mix, low- volume manufacturing for sectors like defence, mining, IoT, aerospace and communications,” he said.

 

A Commitment to Quality and Sustainability

As Australia pursues net-zero by 2050, Elexon Electronics is acutely aware of the responsibility shared across the entire supply chain, which is why its systems and equipment have been integrated to ensure the highest possible quality, responsible sourcing and sustainable production. The quality improvement and traceability initiatives were put in place by Elexon Electronics Quality Manager, Kylie Warren, who turned her sights to exploring how the manufacturer can enhance efficiency and traceability into the future.

“We were already a leading manufacturer of precision electronic components, but in order to stay ahead of the competition from offshore manufacturers we focused on becoming even more,” said Dr Warren.

“High-end precision manufacturing requires complex capability matrix. Our strength is in the well-balanced combination of automated processes and the work of the specialized and skilled team.”

 

Championing Australian Manufacturing

By overcoming challenges of the last year, we have taken our second chance seriously and solidified its position, showcasing Elexon Electronics’ potential as a leading Australian manufacturer for specialized projects.” Said Mr Faller.

“Driving the success of the wider manufacturing industry is an overarching goal for Elexon Electronics, as the manufacturer remains committed to leading by example to improve Australia’s sovereign industrial capability.

“The ability for Australia to sustainably compete with cheaper offshore manufacturers is important because if we don’t step up to the plate now, it will hurt the entire industry in the long run,” said Mr Faller.

“We are committed to showcasing the best of Australian manufacturing, showing global players that we have one of the most robust, sustainable and dependable manufacturing industries in the world. “Together, as an industry, we plan to take Australia’s manufacturing industry to a new level.”