How Do You Effectively Improve PCB SMT Assembly Production Capacity?

In the increasingly competitive market environment, SMT patch processing and assembly manufacturers must
ensure their competitiveness and the first task is to reduce production costs and improve production
efficiency.

To achieve this goal, the key is to improve the efficiency of the production line. The SMT production
line comprises various pieces of equipment, including screen printing machines, patch machines, reflow
soldering, etc. The operating speed of the patch machine determines the efficiency of the entire
production line.

SMT production line

SMT production lines are usually composed of high-speed and high-precision chip patch machines, among
these, high-speed pick-and-place machines are primarily used for mounting standard components, while
high-precision pick-and-place machines are used for mounting integrated circuits (ICs) and custom-shaped
components primarily. When the installation processing time (referred to as installation time) of the
two patch machines is equal and minimized, the entire SMT production line will achieve its maximum
production capacity.

 

To achieve the set goals, we should take the following measures to handle the loading process.

First, carry out the load distribution balance, reasonably arrange the number of components
installed on each device, and strive to make the installation time of each device tend to be consistent.
The number of parts is included in the initial allocation plan for each device, which usually leads to a
time gap. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust according to the installation time of each device on the
production line to ensure that the part production load of all devices is balanced and avoid moving
components from one device to another for a long time to achieve load balance distribution. When
arranging the loader, the same type of components should be arranged in a centralized manner to reduce
the number of nozzles used to pick up components, thereby saving installation time.

For feeders with a large number, priority should be given to placing them near the printed
board. 

During the up and down cycles, operations should be carried out only from the
front and back of the material station as much as possible to shorten the head movement distance. Ensure
that the installation head is fully loaded in each cycle. Since some principles conflict with the
optimization process, it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons and choose the most optimized solution.
When performing load distribution and equipment optimization, you can use optimization software. The
software includes equipment optimization programs and production line balancing software, which are
designed to optimize the placement process and feeder configuration.

In the components of BOM and CAD data, the system can generate installation programs
and feeder configurations, and minimize the travel head by optimizing the motion path and the
configuration of the feeder head, thereby saving assembly time. As a key tool for optimizing the entire
production line, the production line balancing software uses a specific optimization algorithm and has a
certain degree of intelligence, which can complete the optimization process more quickly and
efficiently. The MTT production line consists of multiple automated equipment.

When a certain device runs at a lower speed than other devices, the device will become a bottleneck that
limits the efficiency of the entire SMT production line. According to a sample survey of 19 factories,
the placement machine often becomes a bottleneck, and only by increasing the number of placement
machines can this bottleneck be effectively eliminated. Although this requires a large capital
investment, this move can make full use of the remaining capacity of other equipment, which is more
cost-effective than purchasing a new SMT production line.

Shenzhen SMT processing manufacturers are known for their high-speed and high-precision machine
characteristics, as well as the ability to install components with a high-precision range. The
bottleneck problem of the placement machine varies from production line to production line and usually
determines that the placement machine is most suitable for purchasing a high-speed multi-function model.
This type of machine can solve the problem of high-speed machines or machine bottlenecks caused by
high-precision requirements. At present, the development trend of SMT is evolving in this direction to
meet market demand.