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The Need for More Than Speed
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
By Michelle M. Boisvert, SMT
Pick-and-place equipment providers often highlight capabilities such as component-per-hour (CPH) placement metrics, flexibility, and placement accuracy. While these capabilities are still critical parameters, asset utilization in terms of productivity, ease of use, etc., have been recognized as key parameters as well. The capital equipment replacement cycle has broadened in the last 10 years. Electronics manufacturers need more than speed to achieve and maintain a high level of productivity. And equipment providers must also broaden to meet customers’ requests.
“Previously, capital equipment purchases included equipment determination, installation, and training,” said M. Faisal Pandit, director of solutions, Panasonic Factory Solutions Company of America (PFSA). “Requests for advanced services for atypical. Instead, a typical purchase included the support to get a machine up and running - it did not include advanced services such as failure analysis, process development, and enterprise software.”
But the mentality is changing. “Performance metrics such as CPH and accuracy have become decision constants or table stakes,” added Pandit. “Productivity and enterprise software solutions are the new differentiators. The landscape is changing, especially in North America. Electronics manufacturers focus on productivity, ease of use, and getting the best return on their investment (ROI).
This is where software fits in, often picking up where hardware leaves off. Theoretical metrics on CPH may be very high, but customers could experience a slowdown on their systems in less-than-ideal conditions. Therefore, there is an increasing need toward software tools that can help manufacturers become more productive. “There are several areas that Panasonic’s Solutions Group focuses on for customers to help increase productivity,” said Pandit. “We take a holistic approach in developing solutions by analyzing the customer’s enterprise, supply chain, process, and products. It’s much more than solely the machine.”
Ease of use becomes an issue when dealing with customers outside of North America. Customers want to know what level of training their system operators must obtain to run machines properly. With productivity, manufacturers want to know how many operators are required on a line, what types of tools are needed for preventive maintenance, and how to avoid downtime and increase machine utilization.
“Enterprise software solutions complement manufacturing equipment with tools for everything from statistical analysis to component verification to automatic changeover to generating programs and monitoring productivity from nearly any location,” noted Pandit. “In more cases, customers come want full shop-floor automation - enterprise-inclusive integration. Our solutions’ development includes integrating MRP, inventory management, and web-centric systems.” Enterprise-wide integration often involves multiple groups as well, including engineering, production and IT, each with differing requirements.
The concept of ROI has grown more complex. Pandit affirmed. “ROI becomes multi-dimensional. A focus on quality is one driver; productivity issues, especially among North American customers looking to reduce costs, is another. Additionally, regulatory issues such as RoHS are also key.” Regulatory issues require additional investment in systems and more elaborate processes, adding to operating costs and up-front investment, he added.
Conclusion
Purchasing a high-speed placement machine may seem like the solution to increase production capabilities. But if your system is less-than-optimized, you may not be getting the most out of your equipment. Software tools and services can give manufacturers a competitive advantage. In the shifting archetype of capital equipment sales, software and support services also give vendors an advantage. Initially changing the mind-set of manufacturers to à la carte services may be difficult. Once they see how the combination of machine and software tools, each administered by a trained team member, can improve their processes, manufacturers and vendors can showcase full system benefits.
Michelle M. Boisvert, managing editor, SMT, may be contacted at (603) 891-9310; mboisvert@pennwell.com.