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30 PCB007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2020 Automation Matrix When both measures are applied to any ac- tivity in the process to tool or build a printed circuit, an automation matrix is created about that work center. This matrix allows for the cur- rent situation and future objectives or plans to be appraised, even if it is all manual (Figure 1). It is quite common for automation objectives to be made up of a number of steps or phases, allowing each step to be stabilized before the next one is taken. The automation matrix lends itself to this step approach. Automation Methodology Automation methodology is a formal pro- cedure for planning, designing, and imple- menting automation. It is particularly im- portant when you want to start integrating several previously indepen- dent production tasks into one or more automated sys- tems. The methodology stems from the previously defined automation matrix (Figure 1). Additional axes are added to the matrix to cover material handling (mechanization) and network communication (sys- tematization) between cells or work centers, as seen in Figure 1b. A simplified diagram is illustrated in Figure 2. The actual methodology will take up several drawings and uti- lize a number of worksheets to analyze and plan the data. This methodology was used to design the automat- ed Hewlett-Packard's printed circuit facilities for Hewlett- Packard in Sunnyvale and Palo Alto, California; Boise, Idaho; Loveland, Colorado; Waltham, Massachusetts; Boeblingen, Germany; Tokyo, Japan; and Puerto Rico. It was also used to plan and implement the 37 SMT assembly facilities world- wide. PCB007 For more details on automation, download Automation and Advanced Procedures in PCB Fabrication. Visit I-007eBooks.com to download this and other free, educational titles. Figure 1: (a) Automation vector is defined as systemization and mechanization, (b) including material handling and networking between work centers. Figure 2: The automation methodology consists of automation plans for each work center plus plans for material flow and information flow between work centers. a. b.