Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/960594
APRIL 2018 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 63 "The importance of this demo is to show people that there is a standard developing, but people don't really know the benefits yet of having the standard," said Fenton. "The reaction to the demo has been mixed; nobody is getting too excited about it yet. But that is because I think people haven't given it enough thought at the moment. Industry 4.0 is just a buzzword for everybody. But for me, there is a big opportunity for machine integrators. Right now, if you want to talk to a storage system, you must develop your own interface proto - cols; whereas in the future with CFX, it will be very easy to integrate another manufactur- er's equipment into a line because we won't have to develop a communications protocol. A common protocol would make a big difference." Today, all the information that is necessary for operating a production line, and then controlling and moni - toring it, is available in all machines and equipment in the electronics assembly supply chain. But unfortu- nately, all these machines are talk- ing in different languages. With CFX, the industry is getting to one common language. "The big benefit of CFX would be that all the vendors, all the machines, will speak the same language, and we can easily build appli - cations," said Thomas Marktscheffel, Director Product Management SW-Integration Platform, SMT Solutions, at ASM Assembly Systems. "So, software companies can easily build appli - cations that will work with all the machines. They don't need to focus on just translating data. They can focus on features. That's the opportunity we have for CFX." "The information is already there. As far as our equipment and machines are involved, that information is harnessed, and then we could give more guidance to our customers," noted Tom Foley, quality manager, SMT Solutions, at ASM Assembly Systems. "One analogy can be the tracking services of couriers. If a customer wants to know about their order, for instance 50 circuit boards for a job add, they can just go to a web portal and they can see where their order is in the factory, and if there are any issues, problems, or delays. And they can find that out through their phones. But that's just a small example of it. It is a brand-new standard that is developing, so, more to come!" Impact of the CFX Demo The demo has generated a huge amount of interest, and according to Smith, there have been a lot of vendors that have come up and talked to them about their interest to get involved. "The CFX demonstration in APEX is not just unique for APEX; it is unique as a demonstra- tion in any exhibition floor anywhere in the world, in any industry. It has not been done before; but we have done it in a very short period. It shows that the indus - try can pull together for a common aim," said Smith. "We are showing people what can be done—and they are quite impressed," says Fenton. "But at the moment, it is us telling them what the future is, rather than the customers asking us what we can do. I think we will be pushing CFX as opposed to the end-user pulling it. As it develops, maybe by the end of the year, our potential customers will be asking us what we can do." Challenges Remain Of course, there are still many issues to iron out with the CFX standard. According to Smith, the specification is quite a big document. "The most important thing to move the CFX forward now is if all of the other vendors will step up and provide the information, and the help to create the package of information and the spec - ification. We want to be sitting here 12 months from now and saying not only is CFX is work- ing, but CFX is a ratified standard that the industry accepts and applauds. To do that in what would be under two and a half years from concept to standard finish is unheard of in IPC terms." Technically, the transport is not that difficult as it is just making use of the AMQP. But Khoo Tom Foley