Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1150604
26 SMT007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2019 optimize for slightly different things. How does a CM adjust the equipment to line up with those mixes? Sybert: It's important for customers to work with somebody who has an array of equipment that is flexible to meet their needs. We offer a variety of solutions, and we create customized solutions to make sure that we address spe- cific needs. We cover the gambit of applica- tor technologies, and our overall system can be customized based on the application. Do you dispense a urethane material and an acrylic material, meaning you should have two dif- ferent applicators on the same system for dif- ferent fluid types? There are a lot of produc- tion accessories too, such as barcode scanning, that can access the correct programs and make automatic adjustments to conveyor width for each board coming down the line. One of the advantages of automated equip- ment is the flexibility to adjust on the fly as needed. Within the software, can you account for those different requirements, organize your valve capabilities, and provide many flexible options on what each application requires. For instance, if you have two different boards— one with many tall components and one that's flatter—you can teach different patterns with the same applicator. Default settings for each pattern are varied: the applicator coating a flat substrate can coat at a high velocity, and the velocity may change when coating a more populated board for contouring around those components. Options like these are associated with the specific program that's developed and associated with a specific board through the barcode. As soon as the board is scanned by the barcode reader, the system automatically makes adjustments to compensate for what this new board requires, such as a wider conveyor, narrower conveyor, switching off between dif- ferent applicators, and adjusting the fluid pres- sure to what the specific board requires. Johnson: That sets up my next question as we talk about applicators and fluids. There's a lot of innovation going on right now, includ- ing many new types of solutions that pro- vide greater extreme environmental protec- tion. With the long-term effects in lead-free, there's a lot of attention on environmental pro- tection. From your perspective, who's the dog and who's the tail? Are you in a place where you're working hard to keep up with different kinds of fluids, or are the new developments in conformal coatings lining up with existing tips and applicators in a way that you don't need to do much? Sybert: We see a lot of the same players. Ulti- mately, the concern of the equipment supplier and fluid manufacturers is to help the customer be successful, whatever their application. As we're working on developing these new flu- ids and the technology to apply those fluids, we see a lot of collaboration between different fluid manufacturers and equipment suppliers to make sure that we're able to provide a holis- tic solution that will enable our customers to be successful. Johnson: So, you're working back and forth with that a lot? Sybert: Yes, and often, it's iterative. A new pro- cess requires iteration both on the fluid side and the equipment side. We're both adjusting and evolving to provide the solution that meets the final customer needs. One great example of collaboration most recently falls within what we're working on for EMI. In the past few years, Nordson ASYMTEK published a couple of different white papers partnered with different fluid manufacturers to address new developments with EMI-type applications. This is a collaborative effort with many iterations and a lot of research behind it. As a company researching new technologies, it is critical to the industry's ongoing success that we dedicate a significant amount of our time and resources to investigate those solutions. Johnson: What are the differences you're see- ing in the regions that you're identifying? Sybert: In general, we see all applications and fluids in different regions. In Europe, the focus