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40 SMT Magazine • October 2015 and suggest parameter sets for the integration of dispensing, joining and curing of the adhe- sive in an assembly line. This proposal normal- ly leads to an optimal flow with reduced cycle times, enabling the customer to quickly evalu- ate and select the fastest, most secure process from its suppliers. Las Marias: what about equipment downtime? how does that contribute to cycle times, and how do you think should assemblers address that? Weigel: Obviously, the number of pieces pro- duced shrinks if there is downtime. It is essen- tial to closely evaluate the process before imple- mentation. It is advantageous to work closely with the adhesive manufacturer because they are a wealth of knowledge on their products and how they will work with yours. From the assembler's perspective, it is a good idea to re- serve process capacities so that adjustments can be made if necessary. Dimensioning a machine correctly can largely avoid downtimes due to overload or functional deficits. A periodic maintenance and service are as indispensable as continuously checking the system components and their per- formance. Las Marias: what about quality? how do you en- sure that quality remains the same throughout the assembly line as you strive to reduce cycle times? Weigel: Our goal is to not only preserve, but also to help our customers to increase quality following best practices. Apart from reducing cycle time, quality and reliability are the main focuses of all of our activities. As the mentioned earlier when we discussed the die placer, Delo has very well equipped labs in which we have plenty of opportunities to simulate dispensing and curing as it is done in the factories of our customers. We have also developed analytical methods and suitable test techniques to support customers in their adhe- sive selection. Quality also depends on the educational lev- el of the operators. That's why we have recently founded the Delo Academy that is supposed to train our customers in-house or at their facili- ties. It's no coincidence that one module covers short processes. Not-qualified and decreased cycle times that do not match the chemical process of curing can lead to a loss in quality and reliability. That said, it makes much more sense for an assem- bler to connect with an adhesive manufacturer from the start. Las Marias: gudrun, thank you for your time to- day. Weigel: Thank you, Stephen. SMt in this example, curing a casting compound by infrared radiation speeds up production when compared to conventional heat-curing. pcb housing. FeATure inTerview reducInG cycLe tIMeS WIth InnoVAtIVe bondInG SoLutIonS