FEATURE EMS & PRODUCT DESIGN
Maturing with time: Technology to improve EMS
Listing the positives and negatives for contemporary EMS and how autonomous applications are influencing the way in which these services are provided, Newbury Electronics picks apart the focal points to smoothen our understanding
T
he electronics industry is recognised as a sector that embraces new approaches, materials and technologies. This is driven by the sector’s engineers, pushing the boundaries, but also in response to clients’ requests to provide electronics components that will take their latest design from the page to the shelf. With printed circuit boards having been in production for over eighty years, electronics manufacturing services (EMS) have extensive experience and knowledge of how to work with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), and other designers, to produce components that will deliver the operational efficiencies they are seeking.
ANOTHER REVOLUTION? Current thinking is that we are on the cusp of the fourth industrial revolution, (although some dismiss this as mere marketing hype). Looking back to the first industrial revolution, where steam was quite literally the driving force, it seems that each subsequent revolution has come quicker than the last. It took nearly a century for steam engines to be replaced by combustion engines. But it was only 50 years until the mid-20th century, when the rise of electronics is credited with being a key component of the third industrial revolution. Perhaps a better definition for what is happening at the moment across manufacturing, industry and design would be evolution rather than revolution. The latter smacks of insurgence and mutiny, whilst evolution implies development, progression and maturation. But what does this maturing mean for the EMS sector and what is it that designers need to consider when selecting or working with their electronics provider?
16 OCTOBER 2019 | ELECTRONICS
WHAT ARE THE DRIVERS FOR CHANGE FOR THE EMS PROVIDER? There is a steady progression towards the use of smaller surface mount devices: easily and efficiently dealt with by precise, up-to-date SMD (surface mount devices) placement machines. On the other hand, traditional leaded devices remain popular, such as connectors and large capacitors, and continue to require hand assembly at a consequently higher cost. More wholly surface mount electronic assemblies are appearing; the entire assembly process is completed automatically with one pass through the SMD placement machine. Customers expect to get 100 per cent pass on power up, even when the EMS has not been allowed to electrically test the assembly. To achieve this necessitates sophisticated, three-dimensional AOI (automatic optical inspection) techniques. There is no doubt that designs for EMS are becoming more complex, with faster turnaround required, in smaller batches. Specialist EMS suppliers can deal with this with multiple SMD process paths. One thing that has not changed is the need for careful checking of BOMs (bill of materials) which frequently requires email ping-pong with clients to resolve errors. However, many of these problems are now being tempered and eliminated by the wider use of automated BOM checking software.
Due to the complexity of the customer’s designs, components should be kept readily available, to ensure a quick turnaround: the autonomous machinery will do the rest
THE DREAM VS. REALITY - EVOLVING WITH THE TIMES The Industry 4.0 concept is as yet miles away from the world of the EMS contractor. There are ‘islands of automation’ where production machines are efficient and productive, but can produce just as much scrap, if there is an error in their set-up. Consequently, constant human checking is required to mitigate this risk; BOMs must be treated to ensure that a functional electronic assembly is manufactured. However, since the start of the 21st century, new approaches to manufacturing, such as continuous improvement, Six Sigma and SPC (Statistical Process Control), have helped to deliver more effective approaches to manufacturing. Continuous improvement, a methodology which covers definition, measurement, analysis, improvement and control of the manufacturing process, has the capacity to deliver incremental and breakthrough improvements for organisations. This evolution is not just about the physical aspects of electronics design and manufacturing. It also requires a far more mature approach to the business relationships that exist between a supplier and their customer. Whilst software may go some way in enabling this sharing of data, it may require personnel other than the designers and manufacturers to be more open to collaboration and sharing than would previously have been expected. This new, collaborative approach is already being adopted in other sectors, such as construction. There is no doubt that change is occurring in the electronics sector, but what the long-term effect and benefits may be will only become clearer with the passage of time.
Newbury Electronics
www.newburyelectronics.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1635 40347
/ ELECTRONICS
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