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Page 34


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July, 2016


Are We Ready for Reshoring?


Continued from previous page


• Unique display lines • German engineering • Intelligent TFT solutions • ePaper, OLED, LCD • Innovative chip-on-glass • RS232, I2C, SPI, USB • Easy to use • Evaluation Kits • No lead time • Direct support


mated insertion ensures a repeatable and reliable connection that drastical- ly reduces the rate of consumables, and typically provides large time-sav- ings in many applications. The cost involved is minimal in comparison to the time and money saved. The greatest improve-


ments to efficiency are gained as automation is increased be- yond these practices men- tioned. Converting existing ATE equipment to in-line au- tomation can eliminate a test operator, or allow that person to monitor multiple process steps in parallel. The salary savings will drastically bring the cost of test down. The con- sistency in throughput and re- duced handling times allow a greater number of PCBs to be tested per shift. The Circuit Check AFS 5500 is


normal shift. Non-automated line throughput


adds to the board test time ten sec- onds of board handling and six sec- onds of barcode scanning for each test performed in a given hour, then applied to only a 7.5 hour shift, as


In-circuit fixture with auto-insertion of cable connectors.


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ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY GmbH sales@lcd-module.com · www.lcd-module.com


ESD-SAFE™ LABELS & TAPES


a “bridge”-style PCB handler. It is placed over an existing flatbed ATE and bridges the incoming and outgo- ing conveyor lines, which allows for capital investment reuse. The han- dler’s fixture consists of compact upper and lower cassettes, which houses PCB probe plates. Typically, freshly-soldered PCBs


are moved by a conveyor to the han- dler’s incoming rails. Board move- ment is monitored by optical sensors and controlled by the handler’s micro- controller, which also feeds back PCB location to the ATE system. The PCB is cued for test and the barcode is read. The AFS 5500 uses a servo motor to drive a linear press plate that press upper and lower cas- settes together for the probe engagement. This allows for top- and bottom-side probing as well as multi-level testing with precise control of the press position. When the test is completed, the PCB exits on the conveyor within three sec- onds. Boards that pass the test continue down the conveyor while failed PCBs are moved to a separate conveyor or mag- azine. In-line board handlers for PCB


HELP PROTECT STATIC SENSITIVE DEVICES


test can switch easily from product to product in as little as 3.5 minutes. The system has auto-load capability, which lowers the press plate into the “load” position allowing the compact cassette to be slid-in like a drawer. Once the cassette is in place, the handler automatically performs in- tegrity tests and places the upper press into its operating mode posi- tion, allowing rapid cycle times. The mechanical board stop and rear con- veyor rail also automatically move into position. While this is occurring, a test technician can load test soft- ware into the ATE preparing it for the next production run.


ANSI/ESD S20.20 COMPLIANT LABELS & TAPES


Cost-of-Test Improvement In-line automated test through-


Materials for Harsh Environments


1.603.352.1415 polyonics.com


put is calculated by adding three sec- onds to the test time, to account for the conveyor. Divide the number of seconds in an hour by the amount of time it takes for a single board test plus three seconds. Multiply by eight to find the total throughput over a


employees require a lunch break. Simple automation to full au-


tomation of PCB test and validation can increase production line efficien- cies by up to 48 percent. This trans- lates up to 1,427 additional boards tested per 40 hour shift. This in- crease in productivity also allows companies to more easily justify con- tinued reshoring of electronic assem- bly production. The AFS 5500 in-line board handler eliminates handling the PCBs during in-circuit test and reduces board damage from manual handling.


AFS 5500 in-line ICT board handler over in-circuit tester.


Corporate executives have come


full circle and realized that manufac- turing bottom-line cost efficiency is not simply about labor costs, it is about many variables including product logistics, testing process flow, and manufacturing automa- tion. Falling into the mindset of “The way we did it in the past is best for the future” can be dangerous. Reshoring is not happening by


accident; careful planning and cost justifications along many vectors can help position a company to more eas- ily justify local and regional produc- tion. It is possible to automate exist- ing amortized equipment and process flows such as in-circuit PCB testing. Striving towards best-in-class in any industry requires avoiding the trap of allowing the status quo to dictate future actions, and out-of-the-box, imaginative thinking. Contact: Circuit Check, Inc.,


6550 Wedgwood Road, Maple Grove, MN 55311 % 763-694-4100 E-mail: sales@circuitcheck.com Web: www.circuitcheck.com r


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