Kardex Remstar Smartpick 5200 Software Enhances SMD Handling

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

The components used in the equipping of printed circuit boards may be getting ever smaller, but the cost of procuring and handling these tiny parts is high. Therefore, error-free retrieval of SMD reels is one of the biggest challenges of the production process. Moreover, large quantities of SMD (surface-mounted device) components are processed very quickly. In line with this, Kardex Remstar has launched a new solution for the storage and retrieval of electronics components that aims to combat these costs, increase productivity and throughput.

"Our systems are especially suitable for electronics manufacturers who have numerous production lines in operation at the same time and require a large quantity of different SMD reels," said Wolfgang Zeller, an SMD handling expert at Kardex Remstar.

Even if the entire process is highly complex, the aim of Kardex Remstar is to speed up and simplify the handling of SMD reels. "The simpler the solution, the fewer the mistakes," said Zeller.

Smooth interaction of the storage unit, such as the Megamat RS vertical carousel or the Shuttle XP Vertical Lift Module (VLM), plus software and intelligent process planning, are all success factors associated with the retrieval solution from Kardex Remstar. The storage units can be installed centrally in the production environment and occupy up to 85% less floor space.

The storage and retrieval process is controlled by Kardex Remstar Power Pick Global Smartpick 5200 software, which has been specially designed for electronics production. Smartpick 5200 permanently records the stock levels in the warehouse and monitors the movement data of stored goods as well as the length of time they are used. The system documents the different materials that have been assigned to different production orders, identifies the availability of components, and can reserve goods needed for upcoming orders. Any missing stock is reported immediately and the material is ordered. The result of using the software: simple and clearly structured picking processes and 100% error-free retrieval of SMD reels for the loading/unloading process.

Using Smartpick 5200 also facilitates the parallelization of retrieval and production processes. The pickers can retrieve the SMD reels from the storage units, load them onto a cart for transport to production, and then return them to the storage space once the populating process is complete. Throughput can be increased by roughly 50%.

The Smartpick 5200 version of Power Pick Global was designed purely for the electronics industry, specifically the storage and retrieval of SMD reels. With simultaneous tracking, storing and retrieving SMD reels in a Kardex Remstar Megamat RS or Shuttle XP VLM can monitor every transaction into and out of the machine. A storage and retrieval system can reduce floor space up to 85%, increase productivity and throughput. This pulls the focus from costs and creates more emphasis on the production line.

About Kardex Remstar

Kardex Remstar LLC, a company of the Kardex Group is a leading provider of automated storage and retrieval systems for manufacturing, distribution, warehousing, offices and institutions. For information about our dynamic storage solutions, click here.