Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1500520
38 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2023 ages that could control the line as well. So, it's a dynamic where the equipment itself can fix problems on the fly, and all that data gets fed into their MES. It then goes into, say, a data- base or a file for future reference. Companies building DoD, medical, or auto- motive products purposely keep this data archived in case there's a recall of a compo- nent or a part. at data is gathered and stored. e communication going "north" to the MES and down to the equipment level is extremely important. With the way manufacturers have open application-specific tools, it's complex but not as difficult as you would think. Most of the time, the complexity is on the company's MES side on how to extract and communicate to the machines using their pro- tocols and data. Matties: All of this obviously will play into increasing yields, less handling, and more information. What can people expect? You're correct. In the automotive indus- try, for example, it's reinforced that no one touches a board throughout the process. e moment that happens, the opportunity for error increases considerably. You have to make sure that everything is done correctly up front, from the correct stencil in the printer, all the way to the correct components being placed on the board. ose processes are all traced and tracked, but the direction is to have less manual handling. Eventually, I can even see where robots can take a bank of feeders and then insert them into the machines. Once that product is com- plete, the robot will come back, take that feeder bank out, bring it to a changeover area, then bring in a new one for the next job. It's so important to minimize the manual handling of a product. at's not to say it doesn't happen, but you just can't do it, or you have to scrap the board. In the past, people always wanted to see or inspect everything aer a printer or aer a pick-and-place machine. ese days, they don't need to do that because you have inspec- tion tools to automate those processes. Matties: Labor cost also goes down. Absolutely. We worked with a company that did a manual spot inspection aer pick-and- place and it was all sub- jective. It depended on the person working on the shi. One per- son was looking for one thing, another person was looking for some- thing different. With an automated robot and inspection system, it will inspect and make sure that the product is sound before going into an oven or to the next p r o c e s s . Th e r e's e v e n p o s t - o v e n i n s p e c - tion to make sure that the parts get reflowed correctly. Matties: With automation, all the same parameters are being checked at every inspection. Correct. With these automation hardware and soware tools, instead of having two or three people per line, now you may have only one person who will manage the inspec- tion process on the line. ey carry a PDA and there's overhead communication boards that tell them of inspection flags, including trends. It means more efficiency for the fac- tory, and for each individual line. Ultimately, it keeps the machines' operational efficiency high and cost of manufacturing lower. at's Eventually, I can even see where robots can take a bank of feeders and then insert them into the machines.