AboutAaron Overbeek Expertise Expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Toyota Production Systems, Strategic Sourcing, and re-engineering of manufacturing processes. Also available to answer any multiple project management questions, Best Manufacturing Practices, ISO and MIL standards, Environment, Health, and Safety questions.
Experience Bachelors of Science in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Michigan. Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and ISO audetation.
Director of Operational Excellence and Strategic Sourcing for multi-billion dollar corporation.
Question i am currently studying electronic circuit manufacture. i have already made single sided boards however have no experience in mass production. please can u give me some help answering a question wich has croped up in an assignment. "explain the benifits of using automated techniques for the manufacture of an electronic circuit".
Answer Are you working on fabricating PCB or dealing with Printed circuit board assembly (SMT/Through-hole)?
If you are dealing with fabricating, aligning multiple layered boards and the prepreg (to align vias, blind vias, and through-holes) for it's baking process is instremental to the quality and first pass yield of the boards. Robots that use x-ray technology and that hold extremely tight tolerences (to the 0.0001") are (nowadays) necessary for mass production. Also, previous to the baking stage, you will need automated laminators, lithography machines, automated inspection units, and travel systems to assure that the boards stay free of debris, human oil residue, and to check for defects.
Even the initial board punching process has to be so accurate that only machines can produce the repeatability and reproducability that is needed.
If you are dealing with Surface Mount Technology and through-hole, automated machines are faster, more efficient, and produce better quality than the old hand technology. "Chip placers" can place up to 8 pieces per second and hold 0.003" tolorences. Solder wave machines are effective when dealing with through-hole parts. Chip placers have a long change over time, so mass production is what that is best at. And solderwave machines need a silicate solder mask or tray to ban the solder from touching anything it's not supposed to.
I hope that helped, if you need any help, I am the Manufacturing Manager at a PCB assembly shop in California. I might be able to get some of my engineers or process guys to help out on any other questions. You can reach me at overbeek1010@yahoo.com
I am not a consultant and my information is always free. Thank you.
