Courtesy: ASMPT

Info is more and more changing into important for fulfillment in fashionable SMT manufacturing. To get probably the most out of your manufacturing gear, you need to accumulate information throughout the board, course of it in a user-oriented method, and make it obtainable in the precise place. Advances in SMT manufacturing are characterised by will increase in automation, standardization, and integration. Whereas the early days of electronics manufacturing had been marked by an strategy that featured a lot of guide help and was insular and closed-off by way of data know-how, a robust development in the direction of automation has developed lately that’s pushed by excessive personnel prices and a scarcity of expert staff attributable to demographic components.

The people-free “lights out” manufacturing facility, nonetheless, turned out to not be a wise optimization aim for financial causes alone as a result of automation lowers unit prices solely to a sure diploma. Over-automation, alternatively, drives up prices. In observe, the Pareto precept, which states that 80 % of the outcomes are achieved with 20 % of the assets employed, applies right here as nicely. Every further share level of enchancment requires a disproportionate enhance in assets. ASMPT acknowledged this early on and reached the primary stage with the Built-in Sensible Manufacturing unit, which targeted on maximizing the return on funding as an alternative of automation.

Interfaces as improvement drivers

The introduction of standardized interfaces to enhance the manufacturing processes within the Built-in Sensible Manufacturing unit was an important issue for the growing integration of present {hardware} and software program options. Of specific significance are:
•    IPC-HERMES-9852 for the seamless machine-to-machine (M2M) communication
•    IPC-2591 CFX for linking machines and autonomous storage and transport programs to higher-level programs corresponding to MES and ERP
The worldwide innovation and market chief makes use of these customary industrial interfaces for its open and versatile automation idea which simply integrates third-party programs, permits retrofits, and offers electronics producers the liberty to decide on how, when and to what extent they wish to automate their manufacturing. With this technique, electronics producers are exactly geared to the wants of customers and the market by way of their diploma of digitalization and automation. The strategy was subsequently complemented with software program options for personnel deployment, high quality assurance and materials logistics.
The Built-in Sensible Manufacturing unit already options direct machine-to-machine communication – for instance, the SPI system can set off offset corrections or cleansing cycles within the solder paste printer with out person intervention. The person manufacturing and high quality assurance levels, nonetheless, are nonetheless largely remoted from one another. As well as, an vital useful resource is hardly utilized in an integrative approach: the info that the quite a few cameras, sensors and readers on the person machines constantly produce.
In distinction to pure machine producers or pure software program builders, ASMPT as a system provider covers nearly the complete SMT manufacturing with its merchandise, has distinctive course of know-how, and is aware of from a few years of expertise which information from the manufacturing ‘information lake’ is actually related.
By advancing the Built-in Sensible Manufacturing unit into the clever manufacturing facility, ASMPT is now leveraging this treasure trove of knowledge and constantly utilizing massive information to optimize the return on funding each in depth, i.e., within the type of extra detailed manufacturing course of evaluation and optimization, and throughout the board via the data-based integration of manufacturing areas corresponding to the corporate’s intralogistics.
It’s now not simply the person course of step, the person machine, the person setup, the person product or the person materials requirement that’s being thought of, however the SMT manufacturing in its totality. This new idea of integrative information use within the clever manufacturing facility brings advantages on a number of ranges.

Course of optimization and fault analyses

The premise of any enchancment in SMT manufacturing is the continual assortment and presentation of key efficiency indicators (KPIs). These embody, for instance, the road’s throughput price, total gear effectivity (OEE), utilization, and stability. To make this attainable, the clever manufacturing facility accumulates machine information in a monitoring software that’s a part of ASMPT’s Works software program suite and makes it obtainable in a approach that’s role-specific and device-independent.
With their SPI and AOI programs, fashionable manufacturing strains have already got extremely highly effective high quality assurance programs. Sadly, lots of the faults they detect don’t originate the place they’re first found. Whereas these programs had been capable of reject defective merchandise, they typically didn’t assist in eliminating the underlying issues. Within the clever manufacturing facility, alternatively, easy-to-use overarching dashboards shortly reveal what led to those errors. The info integration extends past the road. By evaluating planning, reference and real-time manufacturing information, manufacturing obstacles are recognized and may be eradicated – once more via complete analyses.
The M2M information movement delivers one other plus in user-friendliness: Since faults which were detected by WORKS’ multi-line evaluation capabilities seem on the show of the affected machine, the upkeep employees is aware of instantly the place they should take motion.

Materials movement based mostly on the 4R precept

Since offering the precise materials in the precise amount on the proper time in the precise place has all the time been the aim of intralogistics, the integrative use of knowledge within the clever manufacturing facility has additionally revolutionized the movement of supplies. For instance, it’s now attainable to constantly compute the fabric consumption on the road in actual time in freely definable time slices. The system combines and correlates information on deliberate and precise materials consumption together with information on materials at present alongside the road. Based mostly on this data, WORKS generates materials requests to the central and native storage websites together with time-controlled transportation orders. On this approach, space-consuming “emergency inventory” on the road may be averted, and the fabric is out there on time and precisely the place it’s really wanted.
Materials buffering within the setup preparation space will also be optimized simply and effectively with WORKS. As soon as a manufacturing order has been accomplished, the software program gives the staff on the road with detailed directions as to which part reels have to be returned to the warehouse and which ought to stay within the setup preparation space as a result of they are going to be wanted once more for a number of subsequent orders. This protects time and pointless materials journey between the store flooring and the central warehouse.
The factory-encompassing administration and coordination of autonomous storage and transport programs for all production-relevant supplies and instruments – from the receiving of supplies to the delivery of completed merchandise – is now data-based as nicely.

PCB-induced program changeovers

sensible instance of the advantages of the integrative use of knowledge is the setup changeover for a brand new product. Within the clever manufacturing facility, the road now not must be emptied – this system changeover may be executed robotically by passing the info of the circuit board being processed from machine to machine by way of the standardized IPC-HERMES-9852 interface.
As quickly because the PCBs are unloaded from the journal firstly of the road, all related information is distributed to the DEK TQ solder paste printer from ASMPT. This may be performed by way of labels and a barcode reader or immediately from the manufacturing planning system. The machine then compares the info with the knowledge saved within the planning system. If vital, it triggers an computerized program obtain and any setup adjustments that could be required. As soon as printed, the circuit board is handed alongside to the Course of Lens SPI system together with its IPC-HERMES-9852 information and subsequently to the SIPLACE placement machines. Every manufacturing station executes a brand new comparability between the loaded and the required program and makes any vital updates. Thanks to those PCB-induced program changeovers, a number of merchandise may be manufactured concurrently on a single line. Even the conveyors adapt robotically to the width of the circuit boards being transported. And in case of a household setup, these product changeovers may be executed with no operator help by any means.

Human-machine interplay

The clever manufacturing facility does greater than management the machines based mostly on information – it additionally helps a very powerful manufacturing useful resource of all: individuals. Scarce specialists are now not tied to a particular line however may be deployed throughout the complete store flooring based mostly on their soles and {qualifications}. To do that, the state-of-the-art employees administration software in WORKS interfaces with the fabric movement planning system. If, for instance, guide help is required for a setup change, a corresponding request seems on an operator’s system robotically and with adequate lead time. And if the duty may be carried out remotely, that is performed conveniently by way of a distant cockpit. On this approach, SMT strains may be saved working constantly, making the entire manufacturing facility extra productive. With software program for the entire manufacturing facility’s upkeep and restore duties, groups of technicians can simply stability on-demand upkeep and ongoing manufacturing duties, successfully managing all property from entire machines to particular person nozzles. When unexpected issues come up, an AI- and NLP-based digital assistant with an in depth data base helps root trigger analysis and troubleshooting – and better of all, you may merely ask it questions utilizing your voice, similar to speaking with an skilled colleague.
“Due to standardized interfaces, what belongs collectively is now rising collectively within the clever manufacturing facility,” says Bernhard Fritz, Head of World Advertising and marketing at ASMPT SMT Options. “Materials movement and high quality administration, planning and the manufacturing facility flooring, man and machine – all manufacturing components are merging into an integrative entire. And the overarching enchancment aim is all the time the absolute best utilization of present capacities – and above all, the utmost return on funding.”