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Transitioning the Factory from “Smart” to “Intelligent”
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robotic interfaces. In the end, humans still walk around the SMT lines and perform a number of low- value-add tasks. The large set of dedicated tasks
done by humans in a SMT factory must be standardized before they can be automated. Like the robots in Amazon’s warehouses, some efforts have been made in SMT factories to automate the movement of reels in and out of smart storage systems. This movement, thus far, does not include the X-ray parts counter. Thus, a fully integrated system would require an embedded X-ray parts counter so reels to and from the smart storage systems can be accu- rately accounted for.
SMT lines with multiple
layers could become reality, moving boards up and down using elevators or cross- bridges. This multilayer arrangement would greatly help in line equalization cal- culations, as the optimiza- tion problem is independent of the cycle time for each piece of equipment.
We are discussing the automa-
tion of a single first step in a very complex process. Once robots can move reels from the smart storage system to the pick-and-place machine, and from there to an X-ray parts counter, we still need to auto-
mate the loading and unloading of feeders. We still need a human to place the feeders inside the pick-and- place machine, and to remove them once the run is over. However, even this first small first step is still under development today. Full deployment of these simple, reel-carrying robots is expected to take a matter of years.
New Line Configurations Material movement has the
largest automation deficit in the SMT factory. Therefore, robots will play a major role in the early stages of the intelligent factory. The complexity of the robotic systems required will decrease as more of the equipment in the SMT factory is designed for human-free operation. Robots will likely get less complex as the SMT fac- tory becomes more automated. To understand this seemingly
contradictory statement, let’s use as an example the simple process of placing a new stencil inside the printer. Imagine you need to design a robot to perform this task. If you are familiar with all the steps required to complete this today, the robot you design would appear fairly
human.Now imagine that as the factory gets more automat- ed, the printers are adapted so that stencils are mounted on a cartridge. Replacing the stencil could become as easy as replacing a VHS cassette. Another aspect of the intelligent
factory is that equipment does not have to be at human operation height. IPC-SMEMA-9851 stipulates a standard height of 37 to 38 in. (94 to 96.5 cm) that will become obsolete.
This would allow SMT lines to be stacked vertically, with robots feed- ing the machines at various heights. It is easy to imagine two lines
stacked on top of each other and working together. The bottom line could assemble the bottom of the board and at the end of the line, the board could be fed up to the top line for further assembly. The lines could run opposite each other in direction, returning the finished, tested board back to where it began. SMT lines with multiple layers could become reality, moving boards
to the reflow oven every 140 seconds (40 + 80 + 20). However, if we stack two printers and four SPI machines, the overall cycle time is reduced to 60 seconds (20 + 20 + 20). This signifi- cant increase in efficiency is achieved with a negligible increase in the hor- izontal footprint of the SMT line.
Intelligent Storage The much-acclaimed Toyota
production system and just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing of the 1980s preached the elimination of much of material inventory. Although concep-
March, 2018
Stacked SMT line in an intelligent factory.
up and down using elevators or cross- bridges. This multilayer arrangement would greatly help in line equalization calculations, as the optimization prob- lem is independent of the cycle time for each piece of equipment. For example, if the printer
takes 40 seconds to print solder paste onto the board, the SPI takes 80 sec- onds to inspect the solder on the board, and the pick-and-place takes 20 seconds to assemble each side, one SMT line will present a single board
tually intriguing, the reality of parts shortages in an ever-changing supply chain environment has since relegat- ed JIT to textbooks. As a result, storage of inventory
is a requirement. For that reason, the other important automation requirement is loading reels into feeders. This process will require the upgrade of smart storage into an intelligent storage system. Instead of offering a stack of reels at an access
Continued on page 76
See at APEX, Booth 2827
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