By Srabani Sen
At a recently held international trade fair in Munich (Germany), SIPLACE, a major global player dealing in SMT machines, showcased its innovations in a unique manner through live demonstrations. Some manufacturing challenges were given to the SIPLACE team at their expo booth, and through live demonstrations, SIPLACE resolved the problems within a certain timeframe using its customised solutions for different customer applications. “It is indeed a unique way of marketing SMT machines, which makes clear the different features of an SMT machine in a simple way,” said Yap Seng Thong, manufacturing manager, Pepperl+Fuchs Pte Ltd, Singapore.
Machine manufacturers have recognised that rigid placement machines can no longer meet the demands of flexible electronics production. What is needed are solutions that can perform in many different circumstances. These requirements brought about modern placement platforms like SIPLACE SX, which can adapt to a wide range of tasks with modular hardware, intelligent software and customised services offerings.
“Many electronics manufacturers are still struggling with challenges for which SIPLACE has the answers. With an optimally coordinated combination of hardware, software and service modules, SIPLACE offers electronics manufacturers the advances in flexibility, speed and efficiency that they need across the entire production cycle,” said Gabriela Reckewerth, head, global marketing, SIPLACE.
Solutions to manufacturing challenges
Berhard Rindt, a member of the management board, SRI Radio Systems GmbH, Germany, wanted to introduce a new product for which he had spent a lot of time programming a new component in the SMT line. He threw the challenge to the SIPLACE team to program the new component offline in two minutes or less.
Accepting the challenge, the SIPLACE team provided a solution—with the SIPLACE Vision Teaching Station, new components can be measured and described offline, without interfering with the running production. If the component is unusual or odd shaped, these descriptions can be transmitted to SIPLACE and an expert will then recommend appropriate nozzles. If necessary, the company can also develop and produce customer specific nozzles. SIPLACE also offers to lease out this machine instead of selling it, keeping the budget of customers in mind.
Another manufacturer, Matthew Goeringer, vice president, Manufacturing, Arc-Tronics, ELK Grove Village, USA, received an order to produce dual sided boards. Since a heavy component on top of the board fell off when the board was running through the oven, he had to glue it, and a new glue station is a major investment. He, therefore, wanted the SIPLACE team to apply glue to a component during the placement process with no placement head modification.
The SIPLACE team provided the solution with its glue feeder, which converted the SIPLACE placement platform into a cost effective glue station, without reducing its performance, and hence, solved the problem. SIPLACE’s glue feeder is mounted on the machine like any other X-feeder module. Instead of applying glue to the board, the SIPLACE glue feeder applies adhesive to the component in a precise location during the placement process. Since the SIPLACE glue feeder turns any machine into a glue station, electronics manufacturers gain additional freedom in assigning production jobs and utilising their lines.
“Our machines have advanced into placement platforms to meet the needs of modern electronics production. The development of software and service concepts is as important as the progress we are making in hardware,” concludes Bernhard Fritz, head, product marketing, SIPLACE.
