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December, 2019 ElEctronic Mfg SErvicES


Automating Incoming Materials Processing Contributes to Implementing Industry 4.0


By Robert J. Black Jr., Essegi Automation S.r.l.


ment manufacturers are making steady progress toward the goal of the “smart factory” and “lights-out manufacturing.” One of the key requirements for


W


achieving these goals is a compre- hensive database of all materials, processes and procedures necessary to manufacture these products. Many companies have several soft- ware systems that must work togeth- er to successfully achieve their man- ufacturing goals. While most companies use an


enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to help manage the business, they may also be using a manufac- turing execution software (MES) sys- tem on the factory floor. In addition, the many pieces of


equipment used in the manufactur- ing lines may have their own operat- ing software, maintenance software, individual machine controllers, and


Incoming material station.


ith the growing interest in Industry 4.0, many OEM and EMS electronics equip-


line controllers. The integration and manage-


ment of these systems is a challeng- ing task. Perhaps the first important requirement to achieving this inte- gration is to have accurate and com-


plete data in the database of materi- als, processes and procedures.


Electronic Components The data collected on electronic


components includes component part


number, manufacturer’s lot number, date code, and possibly an internal reference number. Currently the ma- jority of components are surface mount and most of them are pack- aged in pocketed tape delivered in reels. Though some components can come in tubes, JEDEC trays or boxes. When these parts are received,


the traditional procedure is to enter the component part number and quantity manually, which can lead to errors in the data entry process. Many of the components are pack- aged with barcode labels, and in that case, the receiving process can in- clude reading by a barcode scanner to automatically enter the component data. There is a problem that can arise during this procedure caused by the fact that many component reels or boxes may contain multiple barcodes. These can be a manufacturers


barcode, a distributor’s barcode, a forwarders barcode, and the cus-


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