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14 SMT Magazine • February 2017 ing open the packaging and exposing the en- capsulated die and its interconnections to per- meating oxygen, typically resulting in field fail- ures (often not end-of-line defects). There are eight different levels of moisture sensitivity, expressed in hours of available floor life ranging from unlimited, to less than 24 hours. It is imperative that floor life exposure be known at all times, in order to prevent mois- ture induced damage. It is possible to "reset" de- vice floor life by removing the moisture, but it must be done under carefully controlled condi- tions in order to retain its solder-ability and use- fulness. For instance, oxidation and intermetal- lic growth are both detrimental to the intercon- nection process and both are induced by high- temperature baking to remove moisture. The documented management of these is- sues is critical to avoiding field failures and product liability nightmares. This management is frequently accomplished with fully automat- ed warehouse robotics, as introduced earlier, but also sealed within low humidity environ- ments (<5%). As parts are moved to and from the assembly floor, real-time reporting of the whereabouts and condition (floor life exposure) of each device needs to be available, for opti- mum inventory utilization and moisture safety. Not all manufacturing businesses feel that they can afford such large-scale automation, or have not yet or will not grow enough to warrant the associated investment. Their MSD manage- ment consists of one or many desiccant dry cab- inets and heated floor life reset cabinets, which are manually loaded and unloaded. Nonetheless, the key essence of the 4.0 so- lution is available to them. The same software that tracks and traces devices robotically moved on and off the assembly floor is available for less automated environments as well. Dry stor- age cabinets can be located at different points across a factory floor, or in different buildings across a manufacturing campus. At any loca- tion, operators are able to scan components and PCBs into and out of discrete safe storage cabinets, as well as floor life reset cabinets. The software automatically maintains accurate sta- tus of their location and floor life exposure and/ or floor life reset status. These various locations can also include ambient atmosphere inventory warehouses storing unlimited floor life devices or components still in their MBBs. Discrete dry cabinets can be networked to- gether, with all operating parameters avail- able for tracking in real time and tracing back in time. This information automation enables manufacturers of any size to comprehensively maintain control of all their component inven- tory, and particularly their moisture sensitive devices. Whether integrated with existing ERP and MES systems or used in a standalone fashion, real time monitoring and traceability of mois- ture sensitive inventory helps manufacturers of any size on the path to achieving their 4.0 goals. SMT Richard Heimsch is a director at Protean Inbound and for Super Dry- Totech EU in the Americas. IN PURSUIT OF 4.0 In his recent columns, Dan Feinberg wrote about the many new products showcased at CES 2017, including drones, autonomous cars, robots, IoT devices, and even smart trash cans. But what about truly disruptive technologies that will radically change the way things are made and used and the way we live? In this column, he discusses three of the most disruptive tech- nologies that will change the way we design and make electronic (and other) devices, the way we commute and the way we are entertained as well as the way we travel. Over the next five to ten years these areas will undergo radical and disrup- tive change and that change will be happening rapidly. To read Dan's article, please click here. CES 2017: Disruptive Technologies