CI Electronics designs and manufactures all types of tooling and machined parts. The teams, sales representatives, and design and production offices, utilise their know-how to serve customers in many industrial fields, including electronics, plastics, aeronautics, defence, and the marine industry.
Interview with Pierre-François TUNIER, Export Sales Manager at CI Electronics.
Brief description of the company and its activities
P.F.T: Based in Torcé, France, CI Electronics is proudly celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. For three decades, we have been a specialist in the design and manufacture of custom technical tooling. We integrate the entire value chain—from our in-house design office to production—to provide high-precision solutions that optimize industrial processes for the electronics industry.
What are the main areas of activity of the company?
P.F.T: Our core activity is the designing of specialized production tooling that secures the entire electronic board assembly process. We intervene at every critical step: from the initial screen printing and reflow stages to complex wave or selective soldering processes, and finally to depanelling and conformal coating operations. Our mission is to ensure maximum yield and component safety.
What’s the news about new products/services?
P.F.T: Our current focus is the growing diversification of our tooling solutions to address increasingly varied industrial challenges. We will be showcasing these innovations during our participation at Evertiq Expo in Zurich on April 23, 2026. This event is a key opportunity to demonstrate our expertise—specifically our latest advancements in stress-free depanelling and high-temperature soldering fixtures—designed to solve unique production bottlenecks in high-tech markets.
What are the ranges of products/services?
P.F.T: Our tooling range is structured around production phases:
- Screen Printing: High-precision magnetic or vacuum supports that guarantee perfect flatness for accurate solder paste deposition.
- Reflow Soldering: Composite carriers designed to prevent PCB warping during thermal cycles.
- Wave & Selective Soldering: We design robust soldering pallets (using composite or titanium) that protect sensitive components while ensuring optimal solder flow for both wave and selective processes.
- Depanelling: Customized fixtures for routing or sawing that hold the PCB securely to eliminate mechanical stress on the components during separation.
- Coating (Varnishing): A complete range of masking solutions and carriers to ensure precise conformal coating application without contaminating connectors.
What is the state of the market where you are currently active?
P.F.T: The market demands extreme precision. As electronic components continue to miniaturize, the quality of the tooling becomes the deciding factor in avoiding production defects. Our clients are currently looking for partners who can guarantee repeatable quality in high-stress industrial environments where precision is non-negotiable.
What can you tell us about market trends?
P.F.T: We are seeing a major shift toward versatility and smart integration. Companies now face very diverse production batches, requiring tooling that is either highly specialized for a complex task or modular enough to handle different products. There is also an increased focus on ergonomics and ESD safety to protect both the operators and the sensitive components.
What are the most innovative products/services marketed?
P.F.T: Our most innovative strength lies in our custom-developed specific tools. By using high-performance composite materials and our ‘Design for Manufacturing’ expertise, we create unique tools for unique problems. Our ability to solve a specific technical hurdle—whether it’s a complex thermal constraint during selective soldering or a difficult angle for coating—is our core innovation.
What estimations do you have for the beginning of 2026?
P.F.T: As we enter 2026, marking our 30th year in business, we anticipate strong international expansion. A major priority is the further development of our strategic distribution partnerships with CIPSA Laser and Scanditron. These collaborations are essential for strengthening our presence in the Iberian, Nordic, and Eastern European markets. Our goal for this milestone year is to consolidate our role as a long-term strategic consultant, helping our global partners ramp up their production rates with smarter, more diversified tooling solutions.
