Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1000349
JULY 2018 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 83 new operators to get to grips with the system quickly, thanks to integrated information messages, images and videos. The inspection system can also be controlled and operated remotely using a tablet. "Even at my workstation in the office, I have all the information that I would have otherwise only had at the machine itself," says Manuel Sehr, AOI/AXI technician at Limtronik. "I can monitor and control the system, thus enabling me to avoid downtimes and diagnose prob- lems remotely. I can even chat with the system operator from the comfort of my office. It may sound trivial, but it helps clear up questions and problems quickly." Limtronik Smart Factory The terms "Industry 4.0" and smart factory have been circulating for many years in the electronics industry. There is barely a company in existence that doesn't adorn itself with these particular feathers. Although it is only applied to machine labelling in some areas, Limtronik is one of the most cutting-edge EMS compa- nies in the country and is a pioneer of smart manufacturing. Concrete implementation is based on the interconnectedness of all elements and on creating added value by leveraging useful information from a large data pool. Gerd Ohl, director at Limtronik, refers to it as "turn- ing big data into smart data". It's not simply a matter of collecting data—it's more about data mining. This is understood to mean using statistical methods to obtain empirical relationships from a database—recognizing patterns and trends and prompting machines to take action as required. A project such as this is implemented in collaboration with part- ners from research and IT fields. All the data— from the assembly process or the manufactur- ing execution system (MES), for example—is relayed to the project partners, validated and verified. The X Line·3D also plays a role in this. In addition to the full results of an inspec- tion, machine statuses and operating times are also relayed. Among other things, this is intended to enable better planning and integra- tion of future maintenance cycles. At Limtronik, the aim of data mining is to discover factors that influence subsequent manufacturing results. For example, relation- ships can be established between solder paste application, the soldering process and any defects subsequently found in the X-ray system so that the processes can then be adapted. In the long term, this leads to a reduction both in the pseudo-fault rate and in the number of rejects due to faulty components. In addi- tion to this vertical connectivity in the smart factory, Ohl also sees horizontal connectiv- ity as a forward-looking concept. "We want to involve our customers more and provide them with more data upstream," he says. In concrete terms, preprocessed data can be used to accelerate bid processes and the customer can be provided with a virtual simu- lation of the assembly in advance, for exam- ple. New product lines should be up and running even faster, thanks to much more effi- cient creation of test programs. This is also supported by the AXI system from Goepel elec- tronic, since it supports the latest ODB++ standard and loads panels which are already Figure 4: Gerd Ohl, director at Limtronik GmbH.