Standard of Excellence: Speed vs. Quality in Customer Service
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Revamp Your Components with BGA Reballing
Global Sourcing Spotlight: Balancing Speed and Flexibility Without Sacrificing Control
Sanmina: Automation in Production Lines
October 10, 2014 | Richard Ayes, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
There has been much discussion about the increasing amount of automation in the world of electronics assembly. Editor Richard Ayes recently asked Gelston Howell, senior vice president at Sanmina, to provide perspective on the state of manufacturing automation. Sanmina knows something about automation: The company is a $6 billion integrated manufacturing solutions provider with extensive experience in helping OEMs design and manufacture complex electronic products.
In this interview, Howell discusses the current state of automated electronics assembly systems, the inherent risks and challenges, and the future of robotics in manufacturing.
Richard Ayes: Which production operations can be easily automated?
Gelston Howell: Products as diverse as automobiles and consumer products have been produced using various levels of automation for more than 40 years. What’s new is that more complex electronic products, such as some smart phones and sophisticated medical devices, are being produced using factory automation. Apple’s phenomenally successful iPhones and notebook computers for example, traditionally assembled using primarily manual processes, are now beginning to employ more automated assembly lines.
The medical device industry has been going through a similar transition, with disposable medical device manufacturers designing machines to automate complex and precise operations. Of course, driving down costs is a priority, but the evolution is partly due to the desire to improve quality and reduce costs for products with increasing complexity. For example, until recently a respiratory inhaler would have consisted of only mechanical parts, but now electronics are embedded in the product, improving functionality. As a result of the increased complexity, automated lines are being developed to manage costs and produce devices with extremely high quality.
Industrial sectors, such as clean technology and automotive electronics, are also exploring how automation can help them get products to market at lower costs and with better quality. Regardless of the industry segment, applying automation for products manufactured in high volumes can result in substantially reduced costs.
Ayes: Conversely, which operations are difficult to automate?
Howell: Automated assembly can be used to produce new products or replace an existing manual manufacturing process, but not all products will benefit from automation. When evaluating which products are a good fit for automation, there are numerous variables, including financial analysis, time to market, product design and operations considerations.
Read the full article here.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2014 issue of SMT Magazine.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
Henger Microelectronics Expands Global Footprint with Major Equipment Shipment to Southeast Asia
10/31/2025 |Henger Microelectronics has reached a major milestone in its global expansion strategy with the successful shipment of advanced plasma etching and cleaning systems, along with automation equipment, to multiple countries and regions across Southeast Asia. This achievement marks a significant step forward in the company’s international growth and reinforces its position as a leading force in the global plasma equipment industry.
TTCI Brings Hands-On Test Engineering and IPC Training Expertise to PCB Carolina 2025
10/31/2025 | The Test Connection Inc.The Test Connection Inc. (TTCI), a trusted provider of electronic test and manufacturing solutions, and The Training Connection LLC (TTC-LLC) will exhibit at PCB Carolina on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at the McKimmon Center at NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Attendees can visit Table 4 to say hello to Bert Horner and Bill Graver, and learn more about their test engineering services and technical training programs.
Cephia Secures $4M Seed Funding to Revolutionize Multimodal Sensing with Metasurface Technology
10/31/2025 | PRNewswireCephia, a startup building products using advanced AI computational imaging technologies and silicon sensors made from advanced metamaterials, formally launched with several pilot customers and $4 million in seed venture capital funding.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
10/31/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Last week, the IMPACT conference took place in Taipei, bringing together advanced packaging experts from around the globe to share their knowledge. We’ll be bringing you post-conference coverage over the next few weeks, so look for that in our newsletters, and in the Advanced Electronic Packaging Digest. Other news seemed to have the U.S. at the center of the global discussions. My picks start in Phoenix, where TSMC, NVIDIA, and Amkor are all scrambling to establish new capabilities. There’s nothing like a strong demand signal to cause build-out, and AI chips are doing exactly that.
NEDME 2025 Draws Strong Northwest Crowd, Builds on Tradition of Regional Collaboration
10/31/2025 | NEDMEThe NW Electronics Design & Manufacturing Expo (NEDME) 2025 once again brought together the Pacific Northwest community for a full day of learning, networking, and industry connections.