Target Condition: Are Autorouters Friend or Foe?
Fresh PCB Concepts: Assembly Challenges with Micro Components and Standard Solder Mask Practices
Elementary Mr. Watson: Retro Routers vs. Modern Boards—The Silent Struggle on Your Screen
Schmoll: Pushing Drilling Forward
October 3, 2023 | Nolan Johnson, PCB007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Automation is everywhere, and nowhere is that more evident than the machines from Schmoll used in the new captive facility for Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories. Schmoll Maschinen GmbH Executive Director Stephan Kunz, and Evan Howard, service manager for Schmoll products, Burkle North America, discuss how their machines are perfectly suited for SEL’s production lines.
Nolan Johnson: Evan and Stephan, what Schmoll equipment did Schweitzer install in its new facility?
Stephan Kunz: Schweitzer decided on fully automated direct imaging for inner layer. We have the inner layer punch, and an X-ray target driller, including traceability functions by wave. After that, we have drilling machines, routing machines, and outer layer imaging. We also installed professional measuring equipment.
Evan Howard: The two MDI machines are our TTG model. This is a tandem table machine with automation arms. With the design of the open tables, automation arms are easily installed, whether they're provided by us or another company. The machine uses tandem tables to allow registration on one table, while exposing on the other. This creates a very streamlined process in an automated environment like Schweitzer. We achieve cycle times of less than 10 seconds, which is quite impressive.
Johnson: What are the advantages that Schmoll brings to a new production line project?
Kunz: Schmoll has a lot of experience in automated processes which are common in Europe, and more of those will be seen in America. When you look at all the processes, including X-ray, it's fully automated. Obviously, you need a certain quality, which we have.
With direct imaging, routing, and drilling, automation is adapted perfectly to these machines. The same applies to punch and X-ray, as well as drilling machines to routing machines, and outer layer imaging. On each individual piece, we do everything to deliver a high productivity machine. We have more than 500 machines with automation that have been installed in Europe.
To read the rest of this interview, which appeared in the September 2023 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Technica USA Announces New Strategic Partnership with I.T.C. Intercircuit Production GmbH
06/24/2025 | Technica USATechnica USA is pleased to announce a new distribution and representative agreement with I.T.C. Intercircuit Production GmbH, a globally recognized manufacturer of advanced equipment for the PCB manufacturing industry.
Smart Automation: The Power of Data Integration in Electronics Manufacturing
06/24/2025 | Josh Casper -- Column: Smart AutomationAs EMS companies adopt automation, machine data collection and integration are among the biggest challenges. It’s now commonplace for equipment to collect and output vast amounts of data, sometimes more than a manufacturer knows what to do with. While many OEM equipment vendors offer full-line solutions, most EMS companies still take a vendor-agnostic approach, selecting the equipment companies that best serve their needs rather than a single-vendor solution.
Sierra Circuits Boosts High Precision PCB Manufacturing with Schmoll Technology
06/16/2025 | Schmoll MaschinenSierra Circuits has seen increased success in production of multilayer HDI boards and high-speed signal architectures through the integration of a range of Schmoll Maschinen systems. The company’s current setup includes four MXY-6 drilling machines, two LM2 routing models, and a semi-automatic Optiflex II innerlayer punch.
UHDI Fundamentals: UHDI Drives Unique IoT Innovation—Smart Homes
06/03/2025 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsThe combination of UHDI's high-bandwidth capabilities and IoT's real-time data processing can lead to more efficient, immersive, and smarter IoT systems. This convergence of two revolutionary technologies is enabling quantum advancements in some very “unconventional” applications.
Smart Automation: AI—Revolutionizing Inspection in Electronics Manufacturing
05/27/2025 | Josh Casper -- Column: Smart AutomationArtificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a staple in our personal and professional lives. In electronics manufacturing, integrating AI to combat common inefficiencies and to contextualize data will open new doors into how we supplement our traditional processes. In some specific areas of the electronics manufacturing process, integration of AI on the factory floor is already having a tremendous effect. One such area is PCBA inspection, particularly 3D automated optical inspection (AOI) systems.