A revolution in wave soldering
Modules
these tight economical climates that we increasing variety, but it is also now a
• A truly modular system will allow
find ourselves in, it is still sensible to mature environment that has gone past
easy expansion, or even contraction
go through a proper cost-of-ownership
its panic modes of rapid expansion when
if necessary, but because it is modu-
analysis.
equipment investments were often made as
lar, it will be easy to re-locate to new
an instinctive reaction to a perceived need.
positions within a factory. Even if the
With modern times exerting modern pres-
new location is on an upper floor, a sures such as lean manufacturing to make
Today, we must carefully consider every
module is small and light enough to fit us more efficient, it is vital to truly under-
cent we spend which makes the choice of
in a service lift. Once in position, the
stand the costs of any investment and the
equipment both more difficult to make but
machine’s modules are bolted together
ramifications that such investments will
also makes it necessary to fully understand
again to achieve a rigid and robust
bring. Any equipment that is low cost over
ALL aspects of acquiring and owning a
platform once more. This is also true
time, reliable and can produce high quality
machine.
of new machine deliveries.
at high speed must be an essential part of
an investment strategy.
Peter Grundy is a consultant to the elec-
cost of ownership
•
Technically, we are seeing more and
tronic manufacturing industry and on the staff
Most equipment buyers start by com-
paring initial purchase prices but fail to
more products that must be made by
of ITM Consulting. Mr. Grundy is also well
perform a complete cost-of-ownership
automated means rather than assembled by
known for his expertise in training in SMT and
analysis. Machines can range in price
hand because of output or quality. PCBs,
assembly related processes. He has published
from as low as €20,000 to as high as
which were once considered either very
numerous articles and papers and has presented
€250,000, so a cheap machine looks
difficult or impossible to make, are now
at major conferences in North America and
initially attractive. If, however, that
regular occurrences in many companies,
Europe. He is a member of SMART Group and
cheap machine requires regular mainte- and the equipment required to make them
is chairman of its Technical Committee and
nance or a huge investment in materi- automatically must also match this level of
is also active with IEC and Intellect and has
als (e.g. solder) or it is very difficult to
innovation and sophistication.
been a member of the Institution of Mechanical
get support for it, it will end up costing
Our world of electronics manufactur-
Engineers since graduating in 1975.
more time, effort and money than any
ing is changing so that it accommodates
seemingly expensive machine. Even in
!
Figure 1. The THE modula wave soldering system from Kirsten Soldering.
www.globalsmt.net Global SMT & Packaging – June 2009 – 25
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