Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1477844
SEPTEMBER 2022 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 57 Lin: We have a team dedicated to this process. Once a week we meet and review the gating parts. We decide how to balance the produc- tion with our purchasing, inventory, and deliv- ery. Matties: How do you make sure your yield is high enough so that we are not wasting resources? Zhang: We use 100% of our inspection equip- ment like SPI, AOI, X-ray and flying probe so we can catch the yield in the process. Ghalili: More in-process inspection, more in- process testing. We also have an extensive DFM system at the NPI level, which initially looks at the process. ey have developed certain tools and use them to ensure the pro- cesses are tightly controlled before we release it to MP. It's an active team that meets weekly, looks at the details in the process, and identi- fies what needs to be cleared up before it hits the MP stage. Johnson: Does that mean you are testing more of the components as they go through the line to the point where we're testing all of them or did you need to add new testing into the line? Ghalili: We are utilizing the in-line testing a lot more now, as some of the pick-and-place machines have LCR meters on them as well. We rely on the SPI, AOI, and X-ray machines. We may have done more sample tests in the past, but now we are running 100% on prod- ucts. Matties: Does this slow down your process? Ghalili: Yes, somewhat, but in the long run, it doesn't because you are reducing the load on your rework station. Matties: Do you have any final thoughts? Ghalili: For the customers, I recommend doing the design far in advance. We have customers that are designing one day, and they want the product the next day. at's a challenge. ey need to be getting the components into their design and implementation phase, and that takes more time. In the old days, you could design it and want validation by the next week. But not anymore. Zou: From my point of view, I hope customers can allow longer lead times with more accurate demands. For example, many of the IC com- ponents have lead times extended to over 50 weeks. A full year forecast is needed. If we can- not get that information from customers, we will do our own rough estimate demand fore- cast to make sure we can get at least some of the components. Matties: We appreciate your time and input today. Zou: ank you. Lin: ank you. SMT007 Crystal Zhang