Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1124788
JUNE 2019 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 9 time. If your floor currently stands idle 70% of the time, you can triple your top-line revenue just by filling your floor until you're at 10% idle time. Now, if that objective means address - ing spots of automation on the floor, great. But how do you get to that kind of productiv- ity? Processes and data. Streamlining for us is about maximizing our current utilization first. The tools you need aren't necessarily more or faster workers or more equipment. The tools you need take into account changing cus- tomer forecasts and route the builds through the shop in the most efficient manner possi- ble. The tools you'll need allow for faster, more nimble corrections to what flows through the shop floor at any given moment. Michael Ford, senior director of emerging industry strategy at Aegis Software, sets the tone in his conversation with Barry Matties. Ford makes a strong case that the easiest way to streamline your facility is to reduce down- time. We follow with Brent Fischthal and Jenny Yuh discussing the role optical inspection can have in streamlining assembly both on the floor and as a process improvement. Yuh and Fischthal showcase Texas-based Suntronic and Senior Manager of Sales Janet Tomor. Columnist Mike Fiorilla follows with his column discussing the importance of a great design when launching in-house assembly at your facility. Next up is a conversation with KIC's Phil Kazmierowicz and MB Allen. KIC has been in the center of the CFX development pro- cess from the early stages. Kaxmiereowicz and Allen discuss with me the impacts and improvements that Industry 4.0 capable reflow processes have on overall efficiencies. Mentor's Zac Elliot also gave me an update on his 2018 white paper, "A Generalized Approach Can Help All Manufacturers Move to Smart Fac- tories." With more and more real-world adop- tions of Industry 4.0, Zac discusses transition strategies for smaller facilities. Spoiler alert— nobody needs to be left out of the transition unless they choose to be. Then, Barry Matties interviews Denis Barbini, general manager at Laserssel, where they've Nolan Johnson is managing editor of SMT007 Magazine. Nolan brings 30 years of career experience focused almost entirely on electron- ics design and manufacturing. To contact Johnson, click here. been raising awareness about their laser-based soldering technology. Alfred Macha's column addresses how to become a preferred supplier and exam- ines Lean Sigma. Closing out the issue is Ray Prasad's column on benchmarking defect lev- els in your products. All of this should explain the poignancy of our cover image this month. As humanity becomes increasingly dependent on sophisti- cated electronics systems that need to work correctly all the time and in all kinds of con- ditions, our benefit will be the ability to move faster and more nimbly through our lives. There is payoff behind all these challenges we face. SMT007