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60 SMT007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2022 The Mannifest by Chris Ellis, MANNCORP Tips for Today's SMT Challenges As the supply challenges continue, we see a trend in taking control of manufacturing. Many companies that have been contracting out their assemblies are battling both the supply and labor shortages by buying their own compo- nents and acquiring SMT lines to bring man- ufacturing in-house. Companies already doing assembly in-house are now updating their pro- duction lines to reduce labor hours needed and investing in tools to get the most out of their inventory. Tightening Inventory Control Preserving parts is critical to secure SMT production. If you don't account for and pro- tect your company's investment in compo- nents, you can lose any advantage you hoped to gain. Pro Tip 1: Track your components through- out your production cycle. Don't guess; use a component counter to provide an accurate accounting of your reeled parts. Inventory should be taken at incoming inspection and again in the stockroom for spot checks of ongoing inventory. It's recommended to use a component coun- ter with pocket check verification to ensure there are no missing components in the mid- dle of the reels. Pocket check verification also guarantees the counter will stop when it reaches the empty pockets at the end of the reels, giving a 100% accurate count. Component counters are also available with bar code readers and label printers to make the job more efficient. Pro Tip 2: Protect your moisture-sensitive com- ponents from moisture damage. When mois- ture-damaged components are exposed to reflow oven temperatures, the moisture trapped inside the component expands, causing internal damage that can lead to early product failure in the field. To prevent this outcome and save your com- pany money in warranty repairs, you simply need a dry box or cabinet that meets J-STD- 033 standards. With an IPC-Standard dry box, your components are safely stored below 5% Figure 1: Component counter with pocket check.