Virtual production – Making the unknown predictable
Having a ‘digital twin’ of your SMT production is a great way to simulate your manufacturing processes.
Mastering NPI process gives you a clear competitive advantage – also in the smart SMT factory. With modern tools and simulations, new products are first produced virtually these days – offline on a ‘digital twin’ of your SMT lines, without tests, and without having to interrupt valuable production operations. Long before the first board enters the line, you can define program parameters, teach components, generate setup and pick lists, calculate throughput times, and optimize entire production processes.
When the new products hit the real line after being optimized virtually, your machines and processes operate from the start with the same level of reliability and productivity as with a long-established product.
Virtual production creates reliability, drastically reduces non-productive activities, improves yields, and maximizes your line utilization.
Indicators of weaknesses in virtual production
- New product introductions generate hectic activity as well as high costs in terms of time and labor
- Low or merely average first-yield rates
- Significant deviations between target and actual throughput times
- Line standstills of productivity fluctuations
- Classic shakedowns with frequent adjustments of parameters and programs required
- Design and program weaknesses are only detected after the start of production
KPI improvements at other ASM customers
Reduction of design and optimization costs
Reduction of set-up times
Reduction of material costs
Virtual production at electronics manufacturer RENA (Netherlands)
RENA Electronica B.V. is a specialist for customer-specific LED lighting solutions. The company also develops and manufactures high-quality controllers and industrial electronics. In its high-mix/low-volume production running in three shifts, the company executes on average up to 10 new product introductions in addition to ten setup changeovers per day. To carry these out seamlessly and with as little line downtime as possible, RENA depends on virtual production. The company optimized its NPI processes and introduced modern simulation tools with help from ASM.
The most important products/solutions
ASM DFM HealthCheck
Is the stencil design and material suitable for a reliable printing and placement process? The ASM ProcessExpert with its ASM DFM HealthCheck function makes this easy to check – all you need is the stencil’s Gerber data.
SIPLACE Pro
Our SIPLACE Pro programming system guides you safely through new product introductions. Virtual Product Build makes it easy to create reliable placement programs offline. Next you visualize and test the results step by step by simulating the placement process.
ASM Printer Programming
Our software for the central creation and storage of printing programs. Programs are generated, tested and optimized offline irrespective of the individual printer.