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52 SMT Magazine • September 2015 tronics are needed to optimize energy efficiency. Las Marias: how does sanmina help automotive electronics customers ensure high-reliability in their products? Enser: Sanmina has invested in equipment such as AOI, solder paste inspection (SPI), and AXI, as well as high-speed, high-accuracy pick-and- place machines, reflow ovens and best-in-class printers in order to accommodate the complex- ity and durability required from sophisticated automotive manufacturing. Feature sets in the new equip- ment intended to support in- creased factory automation such as software protocols and machine-to-machine interfac- es are carefully reviewed with- in the context of all the regula- tory requirements of TS 16949. Some of the newer features not only advance the capa- bility to place the more com- plex fine pitch devices now being included in automotive electronics, they also provide features which enable greater traceability and efficiency and more robust manufacturing. Experience is the key. Ex- pertise in the technology, ap- plications, processes and appli- cable supply chains is crucial in a manufacturing environment where OEMs re- quire zero defects from EMS providers. Sanmina pioneered the use of pin-in-paste technology as part of the SMT process for large automotive connectors, which enabled us to reduce cost and improve reliability. We were able to devel- op this technology by leveraging expertise from other industries. Las Marias: high-tech manufacturers are increas- ingly under pressure to shorten product lifecycles and drive innovation. what unique capabilities does sanmina offer to the table to help customers address this challenge? Enser: Sanmina provides expertise in a variety of key areas to help automakers get their prod- ucts to market faster. Our manufacturing sys- tem is already TS 16949 certified, and we have a global network of automotive electronic manu- facturing facilities. We have significant experi- ence in designing and manufacturing electron- ics in other highly regulated industries such as medical and aerospace. We have worked with OEMs in other industries to solve technol- ogy challenges that develop as the electronics content increases. For example, we have been manufacturing electronics PCBAs with BGAs and LGAs in other industries for over a decade. We leverage this exper- tise to solve technical challenges for automotive OEMs. This en- ables them to access technol- ogy faster and speed time-to- market while meeting regula- tory requirements. Another key area is func- tional safety. Automotive de- signs are increasingly using consumer electronic compo- nents that were not originally specified and qualified for use in automotive applications. This means that designers and manufacturers have the ad- ditional challenge of design- ing in "functional safety." At its most basic level, functional safety means that designers and manufacturers need to identify how a component and sub-system will fail and de- sign in mechanisms for it to fail safely. If a car travelling at 60MPH is going to have a failure it must be brought to a stop in a safe manner. An example of this is using components origi- nally specified for consumer or entertainment use. Usually they have a narrower specification and do not need to be able to withstand ex- tremes of temperature or other environmental parameters inherent in a vehicle mission pro- file. When these components are designed into the car, the temperature range they must oper- ate within is much wider—the heat created by the engine as well as the external environment. There's a huge difference in the environment of a car in the north of Sweden in winter to a car experIeNCe Is Key continues FeAture Automotive designs are increasingly using consumer electronic components that were not originally specified and qualified for use in automotive applications. this means that designers and manufacturers have the additional challenge of designing in "functional safety." " "