Different supplier, same process
In a joint project with Viscom, ASMPT has implemented an innovative solution for automatically adapting SMT and inspection processes at Schaeffler AG. The goal was to network the SMT production lines in such a way that they would be able to flexibly react to components from different suppliers without the need for manual intervention.
Schaeffler AG, a leading motion technology company headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, manufactures innovative products in the fields of electromobility, chassis technology, CO2-efficient drivetrain technology, and renewable energies.
The project focused on setting up a fully networked and data-driven SMT line with SIPLACE SX placement machines from ASMPT and AOI systems from Viscom that would be able to automatically adapt to equivalent components with different component shapes or from different suppliers without any manual assists. The technical basis for the solution is provided by the ‘Alternative Components’ function of the SIPLACE SX in combination with the traceability functionality in ASMPT’s WORKS Integration software, which provides complete track-and-trace data for each individual component, including supplier information.
Viscom’s AOI systems process the data in real time and automatically generate an adapted inspection program for the respective component. The result is a fully automatic, continuous production process that can handle changes in suppliers of equivalent components.
Technology partnership that sends a message
The joint project of Schaeffler, ASMPT, the market and technology leader for hardware and software solutions in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, and Viscom as a specialist for high-precision AOI systems impressively demonstrates how modern connectivity and data-based process control can make electronics production more efficient, flexible, and future-proof.
“The success of this cooperation clearly shows how acting in partnership on an equal footing leads to practical and intelligent automation solutions with tangible added value for quality, process stability, and the future viability of our production,” said Thomas Marktscheffel, Director Product Management Software Solutions at ASMPT SMT Solutions.
