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MAY 2018 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 65 and production facilities that have been connected digitally and feature end-to- end ICT-based integration. In addition to optimizing existing IT-based processes, the new environment will unlock the potential to track much more details about the production process than was able to be gathered before, which in the past was impossible to record and analyze. This does require the develop- ment of some unique IT infrastructure/ protocols to permit the seamless gather- ing and exchange of information. Once deployed, big data can then be gathered, stored and ready for analysis. The next challenge is how and what you do with the data to fully unlock the potential of this new supply chain model. Some examples of using this data to unlock potential improvements on the SMT production lines are already being deployed and piloted, including: feed- ing information from the API machine back to the screener to provide auto-correction of print parameters and using API to automati- cally adjust the placement locations of parts upstream on the SMT pick and place machines in the event of a shift in the actual printing. Many of these solutions are already available today from several of the equipment suppliers; however they tend to only be available if you use equipment from the same supplier. Like most production facilities, individual pieces of equipment including screeners, API, placement, AOI, etc., might come from differ- ent suppliers based on capabilities or require- ments. In that case, the transfer of data up and down the production line might require some custom development of the links and algorithms to perform the real-time correc- tions. This will also require that the individual equipment suppliers make available access to the data on their machines. Much progress has been made in that regard across all equipment vendors. Only then can the full potential of the intelligent supply chain be realized. The future state of electronics manufactur- ing will involve the ability to connect, moni- tor and control every aspect of the produc- tion floor. Integration is key to be able to drive productivity as well as operational efficien- cies in the future. The systems must provide seamless communication with managers, engi- neers, operators, control systems and software applications, thereby enabling automation and remote management to new levels. The recent Hannover Messe automation show showcased many suppliers offering fully integrated connectivity framework and system architecture solutions to allow lots of big data to be gathered. The big challenge, which was yet to be addressed by most of these suppliers, was what to do with the data. In some ways, this makes sense since each industry will have unique needs and requirements for what the critical factors are, which would appear on a production dashboard, or what downstream factors should automatically adjust upstream processes. Only those folks directly involved in the day-to-day operation of their factory will know what those critical factors are. As a case study for how a modern electron- ics manufacturer can leverage the benefits of big data and analytics in their own operations, we will look at the developments and deploy- ment of an IIoT energy management solution within Celestica's factories. Figure 3: Critical factors in EMS production.