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March 2017 • SMT Magazine 67 execution system (MES). Using the location in- formation in an intelligent way for smart sched- uling and assignment of the slots, the opera- tor handling time and the margin of error with tapes and feeders is reduced substantially. Hav- ing supporting systems like the feeder carrier also prevents loss of tapes which causes search- ing time and mistakes like placing the wrong tape on the machines. The final step before PCB assembly is plac- ing the feeders with the tapes into the pick and place machines. The process has reduced man- ual handling to only two steps, the remainder is completely automatic. The Benefits During the whole process, there is real-time insight of component locations and produc- tion process status. Using real-time information to prepare future production batches not only gives a huge productivity increase, it also helps reducing product lead times and increases flex- ibility. The margin of error is being eliminated by a real-time control of the MES and ERP. By continuously investing in intelligent automa- tion and productivity, the setup of this process is a real-world example of how to build the fac- tory of the future. SMT Rich Heimsch is a director at Protean Inbound and for Super Dry-Totech EU in the Americas. To read past columns or to contact Heimsch, click here. able to automatically recognize tapes using vi- sion technology. With 3D vision, it recognizes specific characteristics of the reels and scans the unique barcode. The reel gets a unique serial number and the component information is au- tomatically logged into the ERP system. Placed in a standardized carrier, they are ready to be transported to storage locations. For the most efficient process, multiple trays are stacked by a robot cells. Automated guided vehicles (AGV) were chosen for transportation because they are systems that take care of transportation in both an automated and autonomous way. AGVs deliver reels or trays to the central, ro- botically manned "warehouse." This warehouse is environmentally controlled for both humidi- ty and temperature, enabling the intricate man- agement of all moisture sensitive components. The component tapes are being delivered by the AGVs to selected entry points. Reels are identi- fied and the type and floor life (both exposed and remaining) are immediately known. Five- axis robots then place each reel into a best fit lo- cation. Best fit not only physically, but with re- spect to the components' MSL and floor life ex- posure, which may mean <5% rH or an elevat- ed temperature low rH area for floor life reset. When a reel is needed for production, it will be automatically located, selected and handed out to the operator, who puts it into a feeder that is used to place the tapes in the aforemen- tioned AGVs. Feeder carriers are specially de- signed to increase the tracking and tracing of components throughout the logistic process. Every slot of the feeder carrier has an own iden- tity and is connected with the manufacturing PRODRIVE TECHNOLOGIES: 4.0 IN ACTION During the recent IPC APEX EXPO 2017 in San Diego, Cal- ifornia, Chintan Sutaria, president of CalcuQuote, discusses with I-Connect007 Editor Stephen Las Marias how their RFQ management system, with its risk assessment feature, helps EMS customers improve their supply chain. He also talks about how their new BidCQ solution is improving the bid- ding process. Watch The Interview Here Real Time with...IPC: CalcuQuote on Risk Assessment and RFQ Management