To meet new federal standards, a city electronics manufacturer has invested about $30,000 in new equipment.

AMS Electronics on Pillow Street bought a new automatic soldering machine to use on the circuit boards it ships out.

The machine, which is valued at $20,000, heats to 560 degrees, which melts the lead-free soldering paste.

The federal government requires the process be lead free by July 1. The lead-free paste needs to heat to about 45 degrees hotter than old soldering machines.

Installing the new machine and the $10,000 electrical system with it is just the latest new equipment at the plant, according to president Bill Bajcz Sr.

It has invested in other equipment, and the company has grown to a 32-person operation now from just two employees in 1989, Bajcz said.

New equipment has made the process more efficient. An optical visual inspector scans the circuit boards and identifies possible quality problems quickly.

"It does the work of five people," Bajcz said.

Where the electronics are manually pieced together, a lazy Susan-like machine feeds the laborer the correct part at the right time.

Bajcz said he relies on local businesses for parts and supplies electronic boards to businesses that make finished products.

"You're not going to see our name on things," Bajcz said. "We sell parts that go inside."

Those parts end up in nationally known products such as Caterpillar bulldozers and locally completed products such as traffic wands manufactured at RCC Industries.