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20 SMT007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2025 S M A RT AU TO M AT I O N When It's Time to Replace SMT Equipment Preventive maintenance is a foundation of a strong electronics manufacturing operation. It keeps pro- duction stable, ensures uptime, and protects a manufacturer's investment. But even with the best maintenance programs, every machine reaches a point where reliability alone isn't enough. The chal- lenge isn't whether your line can keep running; it's knowing when it's time to modernize. Maintenance and Downtime An early sign that a machine is aging shows up in the maintenance logs. If preventive maintenance increases or repairs are more repetitive, that's not necessarily a sign of poor upkeep, but that the equipment is in a later stage of its lifecycle. A common warning sign comes from outside the building: OEM service support. Once a platform reaches end-of-life status, spare parts become harder to source, regular software updates stop, and response times from service teams stretch out. Even if your internal maintenance crew can keep it running, the loss of factory support turns every repair into a risk. When maintenance hours and downtime trend together, it's a strong indicator the machine is costing more in productivity than it's saving. by J os h Ca s pe r, H o rizo n Sa l es Capability vs. Reliability The second signal isn't mechanical; it's technolog- ical. Electronics manufacturing equipment evolves quickly, and not all machines age at the same pace. Even perfectly maintained systems can fall behind as components get smaller, board designs denser, and customer expectations grow, such as in the following: Pick and place machines: Modern placement heads, vision systems, and software outperform older platforms that struggle with today's ultra- fine pitch and micro-BGA packages. Feeder intelli- gence, traceability, and line integration capabilities have also advanced significantly. AOI and SPI systems: Optical and software improvements happen yearly. Machine learning defect recognition, improved sensor heads, and rapidly growing programming software make older systems harder to justify. Screen printers: Mechanically robust and often capable of 10–15 years of service; nonetheless, many defects can still be traced back to this pro- cess. Screen printer upgrades can certainly pay off in the long run. Reflow ovens: These units age gracefully, but modern models are more energy-efficient, featuring