Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1493797
38 SMT007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2023 easier, and costs are lowered in terms of both labor and consumables. Soware consistency means programs and operations are improved; training time and costs are reduced, day-to-day operations are smoother, equipment becomes simpler to use, and productivity increases. Collaborations with major solder print and pick-and-place machine manufacturers have ensured inte- grated operations and improved efficiency of not just the inspection machine alone, but the entire line. For EMS companies, the variety of prod- ucts produced is increasing, and with it comes a demand for greater flexibility in production planning as well as mass-producing the same product. We have entered an era where cus- tom requests are driving the need for flexibility in the production itself. e conventional wis- dom of setting specifications for AOI, AXI, and SPI at the time of purchase and simply allow- ing operations to continue for 10 years unad- justed is being overturned. Flexibility in pro- duction forces inspection machines to be flexi- ble, too. It is driving the development for next- generation inspection machines, with models entering the market that allow customers to switch camera heads with ease, without hav- ing to change the machine configura- tion of the line. As a result, when the manufactur- er's product changes, it is possible to change the resolution of the opti- cal head of the inspection machine to match the inspection object require- ments. is interchangeable camera ensures that the product life of the inspection machines is significantly extended beyond the previously typ- ical 10 years. For example, it is cur- rently possible to exchange two mod- els of a camera—an 8 µm model ideal for use with 0201 mm components, and a 15 µm high-speed model—both with an extended height-measure- ment range; but of course, the latest camera heads will be immediately installable as they are released. is adaptability allows the high-speed 3D inspection of a variety of component types and ensures Saki's inspec- tion machines are never a bottleneck. e realization of a highly accurate prod- uct platform improves the integrity of inspec- tion. By applying this platform to the entire line, it is possible to reduce user labor-hours while maintaining the high-quality, high-per- formance results. Further, cost reductions can be achieved aer the initial equipment intro- duction with the flexibility to upgrade, accord- ing to the customer's production situation and quality requirements. All these sensibilities form the impetus for the development of total line inspection solu- tions. Available product ranges are increas- ingly being designed with hardware and so- ware cohesion to provide a full product line quality assurance solution that is low mainte- nance, future-proof, easy to operate, and inte- grated with the third-party machines in the process. e final piece of the puzzle? Artificial intel- ligence. AI has become such a focus for many indus- tries, including EMS companies, but under- Norihiro Koike