-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueBreaking High-speed Material Constraints
Do you need specialty materials for your high-speed designs? Maybe not. Improvements in resins mean designers of high-speed boards can sometimes use traditional laminate systems. Learn more in this issue.
Level Up Your Design Skills
This month, our contributors discuss the PCB design classes available at IPC APEX EXPO 2024. As they explain, these courses cover everything from the basics of design through avoiding over-constraining high-speed boards, and so much more!
Opportunities and Challenges
In this issue, our expert contributors discuss the many opportunities and challenges in the PCB design community, and what can be done to grow the numbers of PCB designers—and design instructors.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
Panasonic Connect to Showcase New Automated Manufacturing Solution at IPC APEX Expo 2024
April 10, 2024 | Panasonic Connect North AmericaEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Panasonic Connect North America will showcase its smart manufacturing solutions at IPC APEX Expo 2024, including its brand new NPM-GH Pick-and-Place machine. The robotic surface-mount technology is the latest addition to Panasonic Connect’s autonomous factory lineup within the company’s G Series of smart factory solutions that enables customers to run their manufacturing operations as efficient, reliable, and productive as possible.
As manufacturers face continued challenges related to labor, quality, and costs, automated technology continues to be a priority to digitize the factory floor and future-proof operations. A recent Deloitte study also found that 86% of surveyed manufacturing executives believe that smart manufacturing solutions will be the primary drivers of competitiveness in the next five years.
Implementing automated manufacturing solutions, like Panasonic’s new NPM-GH, help create a fully connected factory floor. This can reduce costs due to material waste and provide relief for ongoing labor shortages within the industry. The new pick-and-place solution helps manufacturers reach Industry 4.0 to maximize decision quality, resource efficiency, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
The NPM-GH is a pick-and-place machine with industry-leading mounting accuracy (±15 µm). Using a smaller and lighter mounting head, the NPM-GH achieves high-level productivity, reaching 51,000 chips per hour with outstanding accuracy. The mounter can also be configured as the industry’s first ultra-precise specification (±10 µm) focusing on achieving highly precise and accurate placement capabilities. The enlarged operation screen has an intuitive user interface making the machine easy to train on and execute operations in real-time. While enabling a better worker experience, the new interface and machine design will reduce production errors and delays.
“The new NPM-GH Pick-and-Place machine will bring greater accuracy, speed, and efficiency to manufacturers of all sizes,” said Gustavo Sepulveda, robotics and automation business head at Panasonic Connect North America. “We’re in a period of great opportunity for manufacturers across the world, particularly in North America. Investing in automated solutions today will go a long way in strengthening operations for the future and showcasing the resiliency of U.S. manufacturers.”
Panasonic Connect’s G Series also includes the NPM-GP/L screen printing machine that features automatic printing process functions. On display at APEX Expo 2024, the screen printer maximizes performance while addressing production line changes that can occur within a cycle time of just 12 seconds. The machine delivers sub-four-minute automated production line changeover from start to end and increases uptime by monitoring machine conditions and performing maintenance at exactly the right time. By automating operations required for model changeover and operations involved in production, the screen printer reduces both machine availability and performance losses. The screen printer also boasts intelligent machine-to-machine (M2M) process control, which enables constant material monitoring during production and the ability to automatically change printing parameters to achieve stable production.
Suggested Items
TactoTek Licenses IMSE Technology to Polestar for Sustainable Electronics Design Innovation
05/15/2024 | TactoTekPolestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand, and Finnish smart surface pioneer TactoTek, have entered a collaboration to explore integration of Injection Molded Structural Electronics (IMSE) technology into Polestar’s vehicle programs.
Using AI to Redefine Productivity
05/15/2024 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazinePlato Systems, a machine perception company spun out of Stanford University, employs AI and video data to analyze and optimize the human component in manufacturing. Initially focused on semiconductors, Plato Systems has expanded into EMS manufacturing. Co-founder and CEO Amin Arbabian, along with product advisor Anders Holden and head of growth Luis Vidal, discuss their approach to changeover optimization and its impact on productivity in the industry. They’ve also included customer Raj Vora in the conversation.
Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Saki America's Inspection Solutions and Market Expansion
05/15/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOCraig Brown, GM of Saki America, speaks with Editor Marcy LaRont about Saki's comprehensive inspection solutions, metrology, quality control, and software integration. He also touches on the company's recent X-ray machine award, the 3Di-LS3 machine, and their growing presence in the US and Mexico markets.
Saki Set to Highlight Cutting-Edge Inspection Technology at SMTConnect 2024
05/15/2024 | Saki CorporationSaki Corporation, an innovator in the field of automated optical and X-ray inspection equipment, will be exhibiting at SMTConnect 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany from June 11-13. As a key highlight of the Selecs booth #235 in Hall 4, Saki will be showcasing its unique range of automated inspection solutions including the award-winning X-ray Automated Inspection System (AXI) and innovative ‘One Programming’ and AI Solutions Features.
NEOTech Positions Itself as Microelectronics Industry Leader with High-Technology Investments
05/09/2024 | NEOTechNEOTech, a leading provider of electronic manufacturing services (EMS), design engineering, and supply chain solutions in the high-tech industrial, medical device, and aerospace/defense markets, announces a significant investment in acquiring new Palomar 8100 wire bonder machines, enhancing the company’s positioning as a leader of cutting-edge microelectronics assemblies for mission-critical applications.