-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueComing to Terms With AI
In this issue, we examine the profound effect artificial intelligence and machine learning are having on manufacturing and business processes. We follow technology, innovation, and money as automation becomes the new key indicator of growth in our industry.
Box Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Technical Track Opportunities at IPC APEX EXPO 2022
December 14, 2021 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
Matt Kelly, IPC chief technologist, discusses the growth of the technical conference tracks in this year’s IPC APEX EXPO program, as well as market dynamics that are influencing the topics presented at this year’s event.
Nolan Johnson: Matt, thanks for taking the time to talk with us about what’s coming up at IPC APEX EXPO 2022. The theme is the drive for digital transcendence. Can you walk us through your thinking on that theme?
Matt Kelly: Sure. When you look at the breadth of the technical topics embedded within Industry 4.0 or Factory of the Future, the number one topic that’s long overdue and ready for operational execution is digital transformation. For example, it’s amazing how many different processes within a factory are still monitored and controlled using basic software functionality such as Microsoft Excel.
Let’s break it into a couple of different areas. One area is the manufacturing floor where most people think to apply digital transformation. This is where products are built using statistical process control methods. There is tremendous opportunity to improve all process steps and to significantly improve key production metrics including productivity, efficiency, increased yields, reduction of scrap, and, most importantly, highest quality/reliability product assurance.
There’s also logistical digitization, things like track and trace, so you can understand where things were built and when, so you can track when things go wrong. On the positive side, people are looking for demand forecasts: “I need to ship X number of pieces by these dates. Where are the parts in my line, how far into are we in that job or build?” But on the opposite side, and this happens a lot, (albeit not widely communicated), these cases are generally quiet, because this is where task forces get initiated. It’s problem resolution and containment; an issue will be found, and the line may be stopped. “When was it built? How much of this problem affects what I already have now sitting at the end of line?” There is a lot happening. There is work in progress (WIP), in addition to what has already gone through the line. There’s containment and maverick lot containment. The value of digitization is that collected data can help engineers and operations management understand where things are and quality impacts of what’s happening.
Lastly, the supply chain management portion of this is coming to the forefront because of electronic component and mechanical part shortages. “Where are my components? What are my lead times? Who are my approved vendors? Has there been a natural disaster and I need to engage second source supply? Which suppliers have been qualified? Am I getting hit with tariffs? Should I consider switching to a regional or alternate geography source?
Believe it or not, digitization at an industry level is still in its infancy. It needs to be utilized and applied in the factory, in the supply chain management, and most importantly, between companies. This is where things really start to gain value.
If you look at topics that encompass Industry 4.0, specifically things like digital twin, AI, and machine learning, they are wonderful enablers that will provide value. But they cannot—and will not—happen if you don’t have a proper data infrastructure. These are prerequisites. Industry 4.0 will take off when we can digitize and have the data collected. Digitization is the number one topic for Industry 4.0.
Johnson: Can we expect to see more research papers submitted on Factory of the Future type topics on digital transformation at the APEX EXPO Technical Conference?
Kelly: We are thrilled with the number of abstract submissions we have received. As of today, we have over 150 submissions, which may be the highest number we’ve ever received. It shows the appetite and the interest people have to present and share their knowledge.
Last year was our first year for Factory of the Future, and it was offered in a virtual format. This year, we have a full track of 29 papers with contributions from IBM, Omron, MTC, Lockheed Martin, Continental, and ASM to name a few.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the December 2021 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
RELATED VIDEO
Suggested Items
Shane Whiteside of Summit Reflects on Today's PCB Landscape
05/08/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamSummit Interconnect began as a printed circuit board manufacturing company just eight years ago and has seen impressive growth organically and through acquisition. Summit President and CEO Shane Whiteside takes a few moments to share his thoughts on the growing PCB industry in the United States.
AIM Solder Signs Shinil Fl Ltd. as New Distributor for Korea
05/08/2024 | AIM SolderAIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce a new distribution partnership with Shinil Fl Ltd., a prominent supplier of technological solutions in the SMT and semiconductor sectors.
Micross, Sital Announce Global Manufacturing & Distribution Partnership
05/07/2024 | Micross Components, Inc.Micross Components, Inc., a leading global provider of mission-critical microelectronic components and services for high-reliability aerospace, defense, space and industrial applications, is pleased to announce our exclusive partnership with Sital Technology (sitaltech.com), the leader in MIL-STD-1553 IP cores, specializing in integrated FPGA solutions.
Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipments Dip 5% in Q1 2024
05/07/2024 | SEMIWorldwide silicon wafer shipments decreased 5.4% quarter-over-quarter to 2,834 million square inches in the first quarter of 2024, a 13.2% drop from the 3,265 million square inches recorded during the same quarter last year, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.
Nolan’s Notes: Coming to Terms With AI
05/07/2024 | Nolan Johnson -- Column: Nolan's NotesHow fast do things move in the world of data analytics? Here’s an example. We’ve been planning this issue on artificial intelligence for the past few months, and, in fact, I had already written this column about a month ago. Then I went to IPC APEX EXPO and upended it all. I originally had compared AI to drag racing in that (CPU) horsepower and new (data) vehicles have steadily delivered higher performance competition. That seemed pretty accurate given how generative AI models dominated the popular media with amazing results—and sometimes spectacular crashes.