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www.us-tech.com


March, 2018 Transitioning the Factory from “Smart” to “Intelligent” Continued from page 74


port for a human to grab, an intelli- gent storage system automatically places the reels into feeders that are already assembled on a cart. The bot- tom of this cart is a robot that drives the feeders to the pick-and-place machines. After the assembly run is com-


plete, the robot drives from the pick- and-place machine back to the stor- age unit. Once the cart arrives inside the intelligent storage unit, its inter- nal robot removes the reels from the feeders and places them on the X-ray parts counter. After counting is com- plete, the reel is placed in the proper slot inside the storage unit. It is possible that the cycle time


inside the X-ray parts counter is too long for the quick turnaround time required for the feeders. If that is the case, the reels can be stored initially without being counted. Once the new set of reels is loaded into the feeders, the intelligent storage unit can start counting the reels not counted yet. In that mode, the intelligent storage unit can keep on counting parts whenever it is idle.


X-Ray Parts Counting Creative Electron designs and


builds X-ray inspection systems. These systems are typically installed at the end of the SMT line, after the PCB is fully assembled and optically inspected. This position offers a strategic perspective on the assembly process. X-ray inspection can often determine which specific process in the assembly line is faulty. The X-ray image of a PCB can


show if the solder mask is defective, if a stencil is broken or if solder paste has been improperly stored. A good X-ray inspection can also provide powerful diagnostic insights into the health of the reflow oven or the accu- racy of the pick-and-place machine. Our view of the SMT factory


often revolves solely around the SMT line. After Creative Electron launched its TruView™ parts count- er, we gained valuable insight into SMT inventory and material man- agement. The material management


team receives parts from external suppliers. This team is in charge of making sure everything looks correct before being placed into inventory. These are the parts used to prepare the kits for each assembly run. These kits are pulled from inventory and assembled on the feeders that load the components into the pick-and- place machines. When the run is complete, the


material management team disas- sembles the feeders. The team’s job is then to count each of the partially used reels before placing them back into storage. This step is referred to as a “count back.” Why is a count back needed?


After all, if we know how many parts there were to begin with and how many we needed to use, why not just subtract to find the difference? In an ideal world, this would work. But, very often, components are lost dur- ing assembly, making a count back necessary. X-ray parts counters are far


more reliable than manual counting. Reels can be counted without the


need to open them. However, a human operator is still required to unload the reels from the feeders and place them into storage. In the intelligent factory, the X-


ray parts counter will be integrated with the storage system. A natural next step is the ability to dock the X- ray parts counter into the storage unit. While not a complete integra- tion, it will smooth the transition toward the lights-out factory.


The dockable X-ray parts count-


er could be connected to a smart stor- age unit, so that the robot inside the storage unit can feed and remove reels from the parts counter. When not needed at the storage unit, the same X-ray machine could be deployed to other locations around the factory. It will also be possible to dock more than one X-ray parts counter to


Continued on next page


Intelligent, High-Speed Component Counting...


Continued from previous page


use and handling of counting. The software helps operators to avoid mis- takes and to ensure correct counting results and consistent data. The com- pany specifically concentrated on making counting as fail-safe as possi- ble to prevent transferring the wrong results to an ERP system. The CCX also offers multiple possibilities for results post-processing and handling, including an option for full customer- specific logic. With an X-ray system, radiation


safety is one of the most important considerations. The company has taken no chances — all OC-SCAN CCX models exceed the safety requirements of the FDA and the German RoV. The FDA requires an emission of


less than 0.5 mR/h (approximately 5 µSv/h) at any accessible surface. The German regulations are more strict, setting the limit at 3 µSv/h. The com-


pany’s internal acceptance limit is set even lower than that, to 0.5 µSv/h, and any OC-SCAN CCX that exceeds this value at any point during typical operation will not be cleared for deliv- ery. Actual measurements show that the radiation leakage of the OC- SCAN CCX is nearly zero. From the beginning, optical con-


trol has been a pioneer in the field of automatic X-ray component counting. Cooperating with the experts from Fraunhofer EZRT and the German Federal Ministry of Economics, the company brought its X-ray technology to the market for electronic and SMT logistics. Now manufacturers of all sizes can benefit from fast, accurate component counting. Contact: optical control GmbH


& Co. KG, P.O. Box 182, Atkinson, New Hampshire 03811 % 833-932-6868 E-mail: infona@optical-control.com Web: www.optical-control.de r


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See at APEX, Booth 2301


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