The
old adage, “time is money,” has never had more relevance than
in today’s technologically advancing society. In the electronics
industry especially, product-to-market cycles for computers,
disk drives and portable computer products have shrunk from
a few years to less than 12 months. The emergence of faster,
better, and less expensive products is evolving at a rapid
pace. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and contract
electronics manufacturers (CEMs) who wish to stay competitive
in this global market must increase throughput, quality and
production efficiency by automating when possible with the
flexibility for quick change. Manual processes on the line
must be scrutinized, with a goal of determining how to automate
or optimize them.
The
Reality and Perpetuation of Odd-Form
Odd-form assembly is among the inefficient manual processes
still found on production lines globally. It is the placement
of components that may have an unusual shape; require special
handling; have a low part count on the board; or have other issues
that do not allow them to be easily automated by dedicated pick-and-place
systems. Typically, these odd-form components have been assembled.
Due to a diverse nature and the previous lack of justifiable,
robust solutions, odd-form assembly has often been considered
the last holdout for automation. However, the automation of odd-form
is becoming a growing reality for industry leaders who realize
it is an unnecessary roadblock to complete line optimization.
