Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1440051
18 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2022 Suite of tools. ey're using it to its maximum extent, it's providing them with excellent re- sults, and they're very happy. But then they say, "I need Koh Young to tie all the informa- tion you are providing into a next level MES system, let's say, where all of the data can be seen in a dashboard that's not necessarily spe- cific to Koh Young, but something that encom- passes additional machines up and down the line, non-Koh Young machines specifically." is is very normal and it's the next big step, and the direction we want to go from a smart factory perspective. ere are the communi- cation solutions from providers like us where we maximize the ability for our tools to talk to each other, provide results, and adjust. e next level is talking to and working with oth- er systems on the line. We've created that for, specifically, the screen printer and the mount- er process where we can close-loop both of those processes with our KPO (process opti- mizer) tools. In addition, the results data from both of those processes can be extracted and exported into a next-level system for analysis. Now comes the CFX element. CFX is cur- rently helping us get the data to a central loca- tion. e next step is looking at how that pro- tocol can allow everybody to communicate with everybody else, regardless of make and model, but also allow for customers to contin- ue utilizing the tools that they have and real- ly like, such as our KSMART tools. I sat in on a panel discussion a few weeks ago with some of my competitors, who I know well and re- spect. We talked about this very openly. ere are certainly customers that, for whatever reason, are specific about what they want in terms of make, model, etc., and they want ev- eryone else to provide the same capabilities that we provide when using our own tools, in multiple locations with competitive tools, just as an example. When we've gotten to that point, I think we'll know we have arrived. Now we have ab- solute connectivity up and down the line re- gardless of who the provider is for that specif- ic tool or system. We would then still have the capability to utilize those preferred tools from the providers. It's now all integrated into one seamless operating system, one MES system. From a single point, you can basically control everything. at's the end game. I think CFX is working to move us in that direction. We are seeing results. is is no longer just a concept. Users are taking advantage of and benefiting from it. Now we must continue to expand, and that's the initiative going forward the next few years. Johnson: As an equipment manufacturer in the environment that is embracing interoperabil- ity for equipment from all the manufacturers, how do you compete? Scutchfield: We've done it by aligning ourselves with what we consider to be the top line mar- ket leaders in their specific space for the print process, the mounting process, in particular. at will continue to expand. Likewise, from a soware perspective, being able to pushing