Feature
Whatever device is specified, SMS can place it
Easy as aBC
Modern production lines are expensive investments, but with an activity based cost (ABC)model, customers literally pay by the second. SMS sales andmarketing director, Chris Hunt, explains
Following an investment of around 1.5 million pounds, SMS Electronics has completed installation of a new high speed assembly line featuring the latest Siplace X seriesmachine fromASM Assembly Systems. The equipment is configured to use a combination of the MultiStar, SpeedStar and TwinStar heads, which can process all component types ranging from01005 to 200 by 125mmsquare. This configuration allows the vastmajority of SMT components to be placed bymachine with no hand placement required.
As a result, quality ismaintained at
track and trace capability for each component, in line with strict requirements of the aerospace, automotive andmedical equipment industries.
This and other enhancements have also
been retrofitted to SMS Electronics' existing X Seriesmachines to ensure compatibility and tomaintain the flexibility required to rapidly respond to peaks in customer requirements.
Problem-busting quality
Themore efficiently products are built, the less the customer pays
the highest level while keeping placement costs to an absoluteminimumfor customers. The new line has a placement speed of 120,000 components per hour, bringing SMS Electronics placement capacity to over sevenmillion placements per day.
Efficiency cuts costs
State of the art production lines are expensive, but SMS has adopted an activity based cost (ABC)model where the customer literally pays by the second. Effectively, themore efficiently the products are built, the less the customer pays.
As set up is an integral cost of all SMTmachines, SMS has
invested in Siplace Setup Centre. This application allows the company to setup and verify thematerial loading offline, thereby saving time andmoney.
Coupled with Setup Centre, SMS has also deployed in-line barcode scanners and Siplace Traceability, which provides a full
44 | August 2011
Tomaintain and enhance production quality, the lines have also been equipped with Cyberoptic SE300 / SE350 paste inspection systems and Cyberoptic Flex HR in-line AOI
systems. The output fromallmachines is networked and stored on a central server using processmonitor software. This enables the data for every individual board to be recorded, giving instant feedback and in depth batch results, should a problemoccur.
With its investment working hard, SMS believes it offers
customers one of themost advancedmanufacturing capabilities in the UK, capable of placing any currently available components quickly, efficiently, and as a result, cost effectively.
Its output today includes complex, high density boards and
systems with great quality levels. Customers are safe in the knowledge that whatever device and package type they specify - if it’s available, then SMS has the capability to place it, thanks to its policy of consistently investing in the latest equipment to maintain its capability at the leading edge of electronic manufacturing technology.
www.smselectronics.co.uk www.electronics-sourcing.co.uk
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