ASMPT at IPC APEX EXPO 2025

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

ASMPT, the leading provider of hardware and software for semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, will again demonstrate its technology leadership in component flexibility and software solutions at this year’s IPC APEX EXPO being held March 18-20 in Anaheim, California. Also present at booth 1813 will be Critical Manufacturing, a member of the ASMPT Group, with its pioneering manufacturing execution systems.

At the center of ASMPT’s trade fair presence will be a highly flexible production line consisting of a DEK TQ solder paste printer, a Process Lens SPI system, and SIPLACE TX and SIPLACE SX placement machines. A DEK TQ L printer will also be shown at the booth.

“Today, a modern SMT production line must operate with maximum speed and precision across the entire component spectrum,” explained Mark Ogden, Senior Manager Marketing Americas at ASMPT. “Modern hybrid circuit boards hold everything from super-miniaturized 0201m components to large and heavy ball grid arrays (BGAs). We will demonstrate to trade visitors at our booth how effectively ASMPT is able to master these challenges.”

Precision and flexibility in a single line

The SIPLACE machines’ ability to measure very small as well as very large components individually with a head-mounted camera is critically important. Rotating segments ensure the high-precision assembly of even the smallest components with exceptional placement densities.

Size, weight and center of gravity play increasingly important roles at the opposite end of the component scale. SIPLACE placement machines measure the inertia of heavy BGA components with precisely defined rotating motions to determine the maximum permissible acceleration, while specially shaped nozzles ensure a reliable pickup. The component is then subjected to a precise coplanarity check so that all balls make optimal contact with the solder paste even on large-area shapes.

With the help of PCB cameras that are integrated into the placement machine, both the solder pads and the presence and correct placement of spacer pins can be checked. Foreign bodies and/or contaminants in the placement area are also reliably detected. Only when all prerequisites regarding the component and the PCB have been fully met will the often very expensive BGA component get placed with a precisely defined force.

“Large and heavy BGAs are particularly common on server boards used for AI (artificial intelligence) applications. These BGAs require very special handling, and ASMPT is the master of this process,” said Mark Ogden.

Seamlessly optimized material management

A major highlight of our software solutions being presented at the IPC APEX EXPO will be our seamlessly automated material flow optimization for the intelligent factory with its multi-location connectivity and consistent information exchange via open interfaces in accordance with the IPC industry standard. Using this data, intelligent software solutions combine inventory and demand data in real time to ensure efficient and automated material supplies. With the Factory Material Manager and WORKS Logistics applications, ASMPT enables seamless material tracking, optimized inventory management and demand-based replenishments on the SMT line – without excess inventories and material bottlenecks.

MES for Industry 4.0

Critical Manufacturing will present at the same booth its industry-leading manufacturing execution system. The MES, which is specially tailored to the needs of electronics manufacturers, features process orchestration and standardization based on Industry 4.0 as well as maximum degrees of freedom for speedy product innovations.