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www.us-tech.com


June, 2018


Expanded ASM and RIT Partnership Delivering Results


By Mark Ogden, Senior Manager — Regional Marketing Americas, ASM Assembly Systems


decade-long partnership, installing an advanced SIPLACE SX placement platform and a DEK Horizon 01iX stencil printer at RIT’s Center for Electronics Manufacturing and Assembly (CEMA) lab. Since June 2017, this new equipment, and the ongoing presence of ASM senior engi- neer Jeff Schake, have taken the col- laboration to a new level. “Our relationship with RIT has


O


always been productive, but I would argue that the expanded affiliation over the last twelve months has more than delivered on our ambitious objectives,” says Jeff Timms, ASM general manager, Americas. “In addition to other advantages, ASM benefits from the training opportuni- ties, R&D capabilities and customer application development tools that are available to us.” The RIT facility and faculty


assists with process training of ASM staff, affords the company access to a complete production line and state- of-the-art analysis equipment for R&D work, and allows it to evaluate customer processes using RIT’s extensive set of test and measure- ment equipment. This is well beyond the capability of measurement tools normally found in SMT production environments.


Close Collaboration “A relationship is only productive


if it works both ways,” says Dr. S. Manian Ramkumar, interim dean of RIT’s College of Applied Science and Technology (CAST). “We need to sup- ply what ASM requires and vice versa. Honestly, the broadened collaboration has exceeded my expectations.” Ramkumar describes that the


regular communication between RIT and ASM about project design and deliverables, as well as an intense commitment to success, has created excellent results. ASM and RIT are not the only ones that gain from the partnership, but the industry as a whole will benefit from some of the work being done at the CEMA lab. RIT has also become part of


Jeff Schake, ASM senior engineer, demos the DEK Horizon 01iX printer to CEMA guests.


terize squeegee and solder paste scooping behavior through large apertures — from greater than 0.08 in. (2 mm) per side up to 0.3 in. (8 mm) per side. This project enlisted the assistance of one of RIT’s gradu- ate students and addressed the uncertainty surrounding an IPC guideline. Results will be supplied to IPC with the goal of having them written into the standard, which will benefit ASM, the graduate student and the electronics community. The company also investigated


the behavior of different sized adhe- sive deposits using jet dispense tech- nology onboard the SIPLACE SX placement platform. The outcomes are useful for ASM’s development work and the project satisfied an RIT student’s research paper require- ments, helping the student gain employment at a blue chip company. RIT took on a project funded by


the National Institute of Health for a new medical application. Access to the SIPLACE SX platform enabled a manual process to be managed with


RIT now also offers improved


training and workforce development. The addition of advanced printing and placement equipment has increased the hands-on SMT competency at CEMA for both external industry training and internal/external work- force development for local and national corporations. This last project, work-


force development, is an important one for the U.S. electronics assembly overall. With an aging labor force and the loss of employees with “tribal knowledge” of the SMT process, the industry is strug- gling to attract and retain tal- ented young professionals. RIT helps to provide a


ne year ago, ASM and Roches - ter Institute of Technology (RIT) expanded a nearly two-


ASM’s Smart SMT Network, which gives its team and students the oppor- tunity to collaborate with other ASM reference customers on manufacturing best practices. “There are benefits on all sides,” says Ramkumar.


Variety of Projects ASM and RIT planned a range


of projects and have collaborated on many. ASM initiated work to charac-


automated placement for a very-fine- pitch device and resulted in a high- quality product. One of RIT’s students is also


working on a project for machine pro- gramming. The student has funding from a major manufacturer to inves- tigate the implementation of the IPC-2581 file format using UniCAM software on the SIPLACE SX place- ment platform.


and problem-solving experiences, is an excellent resource for RIT’s students.


Training the Next Generation While some industry skeptics


are less than optimistic about career opportunities for SMT engineers in the Americas, Dr. Martin K. Anselm, director of the CEMA lab, is more bullish on the possibilities. “If you look at the domestic elec-


tronics assembly industry in terms of markets, such as automotive, mili- tary, aerospace, telecom, industrial, and medical, in my view it’s quite robust,” he says. “Especially when you consider the automation advan- tages that ASM delivers, products can be built in the U.S. at close to the same cost as having been produced in Asia. The region’s competitiveness, combined with labor force attrition, is opening up some great prospects for well-trained SMT professionals and graduates of RIT. This year’s CEMA graduates will all stay in the U.S.”


With a year under their belts


and having achieved meaningful results, ASM and RIT are forging ahead with future projects and big aspirations. “We are already actively working on a study to understand


pathway to employment for its students and ASM is an important contributor. Not only does the ASM equipment afford invaluable practical application, but Schake, who has over 20 years of printing expertise and countless real-world customer NPI


ASM executives and RIT faculty leaders celebrate the installation of a new DEK Horizon 01iX printer and SIPLACE SX placement system at RIT’s CEMA lab.


the impact of stencil tension, as well as a project to evaluate component behavior with off-pad printing,” says Timms. “Beyond the coming year’s research initiatives, I envision that


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