Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1539960
24 SMT007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2025 Integrations with existing software (WHM, ERP, MES) can be factored in, but only when necessary to reduce human interactions and to provide addi- tional control functionality. Integrations can also be done through the use of standard APIs. What is the ideal approach when a customer's IT team is small and overstretched? Aren't they all? This is all too common. We have clear documenta- tion to help guide our customers through the pre- requisites. The more information we have about the IT capabilities and resources up front, the better the guidance we can provide. That said, at a minimum, the customer needs to provide a server with the required network connectivity, workstations, and network information. Once we have all that, we han- dle the configuration. Then, start small. Deploy a few machines, a few lines, then grow as you can handle it. Make sure the software provider allows you to scale your installa- tion as your needs change. It's also possible to start without fully integrating your existing software. The data exchange can be implemented later in the process. Depending on the scenario, we also partner with our customers to work out any required licenses with the equipment vendors. Thanks, Davina. That takes some of the mystery out of it. SMT007 As the central workhorse of the PCB assembly pro- cess, the SMT line is where most of the action hap- pens for electronics manufacturers. While there are a variety of different configurations possible for an SMT line, for the purposes of this book, let's assume an SMT line consists of the following: solder paste dispensing machine fol- lowed by a screen print- er machine, solder paste inspection machine, two placement machines, a reflow oven, ending with an automated optical in- spection (AOI) machine. The SMT line contains a treasure chest of ana- lytics: ripe with rich data, the different analytics available within this pro- cess likely number some- where in the hundreds (depending on your prefer- ences for nuances and slicing and dicing numbers). In the same vein as a vendor agnostic connectiv- ity solution, the most effective analytics platform will also be vendor neutral. And while multiple tools may be used throughout the factory, it is critical that, within each of these tools, the data is being normal- ized the same. Regardless of the type of analytics tool in use, es- pecially considering the chosen platform will likely evolve over time, the data must be normalized and labelled uniformly. Snapshots from each machine interface will not be enough, nor will it be efficient when looking to better understand the comprehen- sive performance of the factory—or for many manu- facturers' factories. In this chapter, we'll focus on the most important analytics at the forefront of SMT, from the solder paste machine to placement machines, and break- down these metrics from the perspectives of the dif- ferent decision makers involved in the process. The lead SMT shift manager isn't going to have the same concerns as a quality manager, so it's important to look at how each machine and operation contains valuable KPIs for each role. Continue reading... The Printed Circuit Assembler's Guide to... Factory Analytics BOOK EXCERPT Chapter 2: SMT Process: A Treasure Trove of Data By Julie Cliche-Dubois, Cogiscan