Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1523387
30 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2024 they were looking for. It's either a lack of or no documentation at all. It could be because of little things like solder mask or silkscreen color; they're stupid things that they don't define in their notes but that the fabricator needs to know before they start the job. It's rare to see holds in assembly unless there is some kind of really bad error that's preventing you from getting a good board tested. It does happen, no doubt, but you can't always equate it to a design issue. ere are all kinds of things that can go wrong in the assembly portion. Some could be based on the design, while others could be based on the fab. Some could be based on your process. at's when you dig deep and you have staff who are knowledgeable. ey can detect an issue or drill down to a root cause. Johnson: That's very insightful. Charlie, thank you for the conversation. Anytime. Great talking with all of you. SMT007 difference. It also speaks to that culture of collaboration. You're the designer and the experienced manufacturer. But it's not always like that; sometimes, they will be two separate people. Had the customer started with that idea in mind, they could have avoided the problems they had. That's po ssible, but there's not much collaboration between PCB designers and the assembly shop. ere may be more of a connection between the designer and the fab house, but that's just half the story. Matties: I was talking to a board designer at IPC APEX EXPO, and I asked him how many times he has jobs that get put on hold. What is the case for you? On average, do jobs get put on hold as you're going through the process for clarification with the designer or the customer? It's very rare. Most of the holds will be from the fabricator because the designer did not clearly define in their notes the exact specs By Julie Cliche-Dubois, Cogiscan Chapter 1: Getting and Processing Factory Data Despite being a widely discussed topic since the advent of Industry 4.0 initiatives, the implementation and utilization of analytics tools by electronics manufacturers has been slow, with an adoption rate significantly lower than anticipated. Most of this stagnation can be attributed to the fact that getting data from the factory floor simply isn't as straightforward as it should be. This "connectivity conundrum" plagues circuit board assembly manufacturers; worldwide, there is an enormous install base of a variety of machines of varying brands, models, and legacies that communicate and output data in different formats and protocols. Further compounding the complica- tion of shop-floor data extraction is the large enterprise software ecosystem that relies on access to that data. Electronics manufacturers are using a wider variety of software systems, including MES/MOM, PLM, ERP, IIoT, and APS, to effectively run and manage their production operations. All these systems need shop-floor data and an effective way to seamlessly share and exchange that data, oftentimes simultaneously, to both perform properly and provide meaningful insights. This labyrinth of data exchange requires a strong, open, and flexible connectivity platform with the ability to send factory data in a variety of output formats to multiple hosts concurrently. The factory floor is a gold mine of data; every machine produces key information that can help provide a clear picture of real-time production status as well as reveal insights on potential issues. It's just there, at your fingertips, but feels out of reach. Continue reading... BOOK EXCERPT: The Printed Circuit Assembler's Guide to... Factory Analytics