ASM to Feature Smart Workflows at IPC APEX EXPO 2018

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Expanding on last year’s show floor Smart Factory tour, ASM Assembly Systems will leverage IPC APEX EXPO 2018 to detail Smart Factory implementation through an augmented reality (AR) experience, followed by video of real-world success at leading global manufacturers. Visitors to ASM's Booth 1001 during the February 27–March 1 event will take part in an AR tour through the Smart Factory, during which the data and material flows that occur in a plant setting will be superimposed over corresponding equipment, giving show delegates a view into the efficiencies that can be gained through workflow optimization.

Visitors to the ASM booth will take part in an AR tour through the Smart Factory, during which data and material flows will be superimposed over corresponding equipment, giving a view into the efficiencies that can be gained through workflow optimization.

After the tour, guests are invited to the ASM café, where top electronics companies will share their stories in a series of videos about successful implementation of ASM workflow solutions. "Understanding specific workflows and integrating them across the factory can raise efficiency exponentially," explains Mark Ogden, ASM Senior Manager, Regional Marketing for the Americas. "And, while optimizing one line or area of the manufacturing floor for greater productivity is an excellent start, isolated efficiencies may no longer be enough to remain competitive in electronics manufacturing. ASM’s technologies provide a comprehensive approach to workflow management for the entire factory operation to raise efficiency, increase quality and provide extreme flexibility."

At the ASM  exhibit, highlighted workflow solutions will include:

• Planning – High yield outcomes begin with solid planning. Demonstrations of SiCluster Professional and Line Planner software illustrate the benefits of logical family set-ups based on commonality and order due dates.
• Virtual Production – Avoid unnecessary scrap during NPI production. SIPLACE Pro software with vision teach allows creation and verification of placement programs offline before valuable production resource is utilized. This powerful tool is now also available for DEK printer programming and will be demonstrated at APEX 2018.
• Preparation – Know what you need and when you need it. SIPLACE Material Set Up Assistant provides operator guidance for material logistics, enabling easy separation of production material that should be returned to stock and those parts needed for immediate use on the line. 
• Production – See the latest in best-in-class printing and placement equipment.  DEK NeoHorizon and DEK Horizon 8 printers; and SIPLACE SX and SIPLACE TX placement platforms will be on show. With no hardware constraints and industry-leading line software, ASM machine platforms provide the industry’s most flexible production solutions. At APEX EXPO, see the award-winning MultiStar placement head which, when combined with line optimization, delivers the industry’s best Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). DEK print platforms will feature ASM’s latest operational software, DEK Instinctiv Version 10.
• Factory Monitoring – Maximize uptime and improve output. SIPLACE Line Monitor alerts of pending component replenishment requirements and now also includes oversight of printer consumable levels.
• Process Optimization – A breakthrough in predictive, analytic, stabilizing and optimizing technology, ASM ProcessExpert uses stencil Gerber data and its broad knowledge base to make print process input (stencil type, solder paste, squeegee length, PCB support tooling and clamping) and parameter (print speed, print pressure, separation speed and cleaning rate) recommendations. During production, the system continually optimizes printing in real-time. Comprised of two components, the ASM ProcessEngine software and the ASM ProcessLens Solder Paste Measurement system, ASM ProcessExpert holistically improves print performance on DEK printers.
• Material Management – Know the factory location of all SMT material at all times. SIPLACE Material Manager provides 100% visibility of materials, and can also automate material storage in manual shelves, the ASM Material Tower or third party systems.
• Factory Integration – Take automation to the next level with complete factory oversight. Talk to our team at APEX about ASM tools that network all machine data into higher-level systems for total control and maximum operational efficiency.

Putting these workflow technologies into practice, the SMT Smart Network reference customer videos illustrate how an ASM partnership is paying dividends. Across applications as diverse as automotive, LED lighting, industrial and power storage, and integrating different workflow systems like preparation, virtual production and material management, the customer videos detail in concrete, bottom-line terms what workflow optimization can deliver in resource savings, reduced downtime and yield improvement.

“With the combination of the augmented reality tour and actual experiences of our customers, visitors to the ASM booth will get the rare opportunity to see the conceptual through to the practical all in one go,” says Ogden in summary. 

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