34 SMT Magazine • August 2016
American Standard Circuits' Unique Offer-
ings Contribute to Long-term Success
Anaya Vardya, American Standard Circuits
June 11, 2015
In 3D Inspection, can "Length = Height"
Mean No Escapes?
Kobi Ventura, ALeader Europe
June 8, 2015
Reducing Cycle Times with
Innovative Bonding Solutions
Gudrun Weigel, Delo Industrial
Adhesives
SMT Magazine October 2015
Stencils: Why They Still Matter
Eric Weissmann, Photo Stencil
SMT Magazine August 2015
Process Improvements for Cycle Time
Reduction
Randall Williams, B&P Automation Inc.
SMT Magazine October 2015
Valtronic Highlights Vital Com-
ponents in Medical Electronics
Manufacturing
Jay Wimer, Valtronic USA
SMT Magazine January 2016
What You Need to Know About Dispensing
Garrett Wong, Nordson ASYMTEK
January 19, 2016
Tremol SMD Talks EMS Trends and
Industry Outlook
Kiril Yanneff, Tremol SMD
November 19, 2015
In our recent survey,
we asked what is more
important: automating
a process or eliminat-
ing process steps.
Reducing a process
step in an assembly line, which may result in a more
efficient process—by taking the waste out of the
value stream—is a key factor towards lean manu-
facturing. Automation, meanwhile, takes the man-
ual aspect out of the process and replaces it with
a system that works 24/7. Of course, automation
requires heavy investment; and a challenge here, as
pointed out in one of the responses in the survey, is
justifying the need for automation.
Interestingly, the results are 50-50. Half of our
respondents say automating a process is more im-
portant, while the remaining 50% consider elimi-
nating a process step a key strategy.
One comment is that both are important—and
that they go hand in hand. However, while automa-
tion can be done in most process areas, eliminat-
ing process steps is not possible in many areas. Also,
in the case of smaller manufacturers, their facilities
most of the time do not lend themselves well to
either: some respondents say they have islands of
automation rather than
a real, end-to-end pro
-
cess automation.
Reducing handling
errors is one of the big-
gest factors that require
the need for automation. This is followed by faster
throughput and lower labor costs. Another reason
to automate, according to the survey, is to deliver
more consistent quality results.
Respondents highlighted some of the key pro-
cesses that they consider important to automate:
drilling and routing, installing fasteners, wet pro-
cess, via fill, image transfer, lamination, and inspec-
tion, particularly AOI.
When it comes to eliminating process steps, the
following are some of the key processes that respon-
dents consider eliminating: plating, lamination, sol-
der mask, repetitive measurements, and inventory
management. Apart from eliminating steps in the
process, respondents say reducing takt time is the
next best thing.
Eliminating process steps, however, requires sev-
eral justifications. Survey respondents highlight the
ROI, cost, timeframe, and testing considerations
when it comes to reducing process steps.
I-Connect Survey: Automation or Reducing Process Steps?
The SMT007 Interview Index
Source: I-Connect007 Survey
