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Happy’s Tech Talk #45: Designing the Smart Factory 

Automation and computers have been my passion for the last 55 years, even when I was a student. The methodologies that have served me over the years in automating electronics manufacturing include highlights from several free resources with important characteristics of the smart factory.

The late, great Michael Ford and I created a free nine-hour online seminar, “Automation Basics and the Journey to the Smart Factory,” for the Institute of Circuit Technology (ICT), organized into nine one-hour modules using the following free resources:

• 24 Essential Skills for Engineers by Happy Holden
• Engineering Statistics Handbook, NIST
• Automation and Advanced PCB Fabrication by Happy Holden
• Advanced Manufacturing in the Digital Age by Orin Manor
• Your Company’s Favorite PLC Book, AutomationDirect.com
• Additional Sensor Introduction and Advanced Sensors, Keysight

As far as implementing automation, the hardest step is getting started, which I know all too well, as I have designed and built almost nine automated PCB factories and a dozen more automated process factories. When you are creating a smart factory, focus on who should design it, what they need to learn, how to analyze and plan the automation, how long it will take, when is the right time, and how much will it cost.

To familiarize yourself with digitization and smart factories, I recommend an article from Deloitte Insights¹ and a white paper² from the Global Electronics Association. In both, you will learn:

• Rapidly increasing technological demands
• Increased supply chain complexity and global fragmentation of production and demand 
• Growing competitive pressure from unexpected sources 
• Organizational realignments from the marriage of IT/OT and IoT
• Ongoing talent challenges

Planning Methodology
The first link in planning your smart factory is the human link. The high-level objectives are: 

1. Commitment to achieving some of the smart factory goals.
2. Selecting the right team.
3. Providing additional team training.
4. Analyzing and benchmarking current processes.
5. Thinking long-term but starting small.
6. Compensating appropriately for success.

You must have a thorough knowledge of the manufacturing process, equipment, and materials. Current employees are the experts and can become the plant’s automation architects. The training is not complex, and experienced maintenance technicians typically possess most of the skills required to plan and execute automation, with additional training needed in some cases.

Automation
Early in my career, I discovered that automation is based on a thorough understanding of the process, and particularly the work cell. The second requirement is a methodology that breaks down all the work cell’s actions and information into simple levels. Figure 1illustrates that a work cell and automation can be broken down into two vectors: mechanization and systemization.

Automation Methodology
The simple automation methodology (Figure 1) has six levels of systemization and six classes of mechanization.  The method is the total time spent on information retrieval and control settings by humans and machines. The same method is used to evaluate the mechanization: how long the human spends at the work cell vs. the total time spent (human + machine).

Smart Factory
Implementing your smart factory requires:  

• Sensing/collecting the data in real time. Examples include: 
• Happy’s Tech Talk #33: Route, tool, recipe info
• SECS/GEM tool/process state
• WIP location tracking
• Defect metrology tools
• Product yields
• SPC, APC, roll to roll, FDC
• RGAs and other IoT sensors: RF, QCM, vibration, fluid flow
• Sub-floor tool status and environment

Connecting/uniting unique data sources. This may require some ingenuity to collect data from bar-code readers, BCD displays, PLCs, controllers, or other islands of automation. A smart PCB design database like IPC-2581 (Figure 2a) will feed the PCB fabrication network (like SEMI SECSII) or assemblies IPC-CFX Network (IPC-2591 as seen in Figure 2b).

Predicting. Using models to predict the outcome of machine/process events for alerting operators, to predict machine downtime for maintenance, and to improve processes.

Examples
After selecting the new automation team, it’s best to try a few simple projects. In my Happy's Tech Talk #33, I proposed the construction of a simple process monitoring or control system. Phase 1 may be the proposal, plan, and budget, as buying a system can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $8,000. My DIY option will cost less than $150 but involves many steps, which are important for more complex projects.

The next phase is to add more sensors (water conductivity, plating amp-hours, temp, etc.) and a data acquisition system. Eventually, you could add a total plant quality system from X-ACT, as illustrated in Figure 3. 

A more complex and expensive project may involve automating the material handling of a manual process line for desmear, electroless plating, oxide treatment, or pre-plate etch.

Summary
Automation need not be as complex or as expensive as it first appears. However, the skills and knowledge to plan and succeed are not that common. I have found success with upskilled manufacturing staff and local machine shops. It’s all a matter of commitment and training. If you need any help, I am always available by phone or email.

Remember:

• Use your staff. Recruiting or consultants will be costly.
• Training is available for sensors, data collection, networking, and software.
• The documentation includes many examples.
• Start small and simple. Let success drive more complex projects. Prioritizing success will pay for the next steps.
• Use the resources provided by the Global Electronics Association and SMTA for help and networking solutions.

References

1. “The Smart Factory,” by Rick Burke, Stephen Laaper, Martin Hartigan, Brenna Sniderman, Deloitte Insights, August 2017.
2. “The Evolution of Factories of the Future: What You Need to Know,” Global Electronics Association.

Happy Holden has worked in printed circuit technology since 1970 with Hewlett-Packard, NanYa Westwood, Merix, Foxconn, and Gentex. He is a contributing technical editor with I-Connect007, and the author of Automation and Advanced Procedures in PCB Fabrication, and 24 Essential Skills for Engineers.

This column originally appeared in the December 2025 issue of PCB007 Magazine.