ASMPT SMT Solutions has expanded its Factory Equipment Centre software to include placement heads in its equipment maintenance system, alongside feeders and nozzles. The software helps manufacturers track the condition and location of movable SIPLACE equipment used in electronics production.
It also allows manufacturers to schedule maintenance based on actual equipment usage and ensures that inspected components are properly returned to the production floor. These features aim to reduce equipment downtime, improve production reliability and increase the overall productivity of surface-mount technology (SMT) lines.
Feeders, nozzles and placement heads frequently move between machines, setup areas, warehouses and maintenance departments. Manufacturers need to track the location, condition and availability of each component to avoid disruptions in production.
ASMPT’s Factory Equipment Centre software helps manage these assets across the factory. It collects data from machines, tracks individual components, monitors their usage, schedules maintenance and records their current status. Components that require repair or servicing are removed from production and returned to the shop floor only after successfully passing functional tests.
According to Eric Kirschner, Senior Product Manager at ASMPT SMT Solutions, the system follows the same approach for feeders, nozzles and placement heads: manufacturers can track the condition of each component and ensure it is working properly before putting it back into production.
Less downtime for placement head maintenance
The improvement potential of this approach is particularly great when it comes to placement head maintenance. Traditionally, several heads are taken off the line and maintained on site. Depending on the number of machines and heads, this can lead to long downtimes and require additional staff resources. With Factory Equipment Centre, on the other hand, maintenance can be performed one head at a time. If scheduled or usage-based maintenance is due because a certain number of components has been placed or the head exhibits abnormalities, it is replaced and maintained offline. Next, the head’s functionality can be checked at the SIPLACE Head Care Station. The status is entered in Factory Equipment Centre, and the head is returned to inventory. That way, an inspected and documented head is available the next time a head change is needed. With regularly scheduled maintenance, heads can be serviced in a staggered manner to reduce downtimes along the line.
One cycle for all movable assets
The system works similarly for feeders. After collecting the initial asset data, Factory Equipment Center continuously monitors the counters of all feeders in use on the shop floor. The application knows their location, their usage, and their respective maintenance status. Overdue feeders can be blocked and moved to maintenance, from which they will be released back into production operations only after their functionality has been checked with the SIPLACE X-Feeder Verification System.
In closed-loop nozzle management, so-called “smart nozzles” (each of which is equipped with its own RFID tag), are tracked via their individual IDs. To do this, Factory Equipment Centre continuously receives usage and inspection data from the placement machines. Contaminated or damaged nozzles and those requiring maintenance are blocked, cleaned and inspected – or replaced, if necessary. After successful testing, the system updates their status and releases them back to production operations.
“Whether we are talking about feeders, nozzles or placement heads – ensuring a closed cycle is crucial for us. That’s why we keep track of assets even when they are away from the line and make sure that only tested equipment is allowed to go back to production operations. This improves reliability and reduces avoidable interruptions,” says Eric Kirschner.
