Global Industry Focus - Issue 005

ISSUE-05

JUNE/JULY2022 globalindustryfocus.com

F O R E V E RY T H I N G E L E C T R O N I C S & O F F - B O A R D

|Indium IN THIS |SMT Connect ISSUE: |Electrolube

|STEM |Siemens |Mirtec Podcasts |EngineeringUK

“Located in rapidly growing Houston, Texas, PPSI Manufacturing has been a trusted Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider since 1986. PPSI is committed to providing high-quality electronics assemblies and world class service to a wide range of customers in high-reliability markets, such as energy, transportation, and industrial control. As part of our ongoing commitment to continuous quality improvement, PPSI has partnered with MIRTEC to incorporate their state-of-the-art 3D AOI technology into our SMT inspection processes. MIRTEC’s MV-3 OMNI 3D AOI system is easy to program and delivers optimal defect detection as well as critical in-process feedback. With this capability, PPSI is able to meet the most stringent customer quality requirements in a consistent and cost-effective manner.” – Jerry J. Huang, CEO

AOI

SPI

OMNI-VISION ® 12 Projection Digital 3D Moiré Technology Exclusive 25 Mega Pixel CoaXPress Camera System 10 um Telecentric Compound Lens Design Eight Phase COLOR Lighting System 18 Meg Pixel SIDE-VIEWER ® Camera System Programmable Z-Axis Multi-Focus System INTELLI-PRO ® Automatic Programming Software Multi-Functional AOI-SPI Fusion Technology

CONTENTS CONNECTING WITH INDUSTRY 04 INTRODUCTION Welcome to the fifth issue of Global Industry Focus

06 STEM Tackling the skills gap in British industry

08 ENGINEERINGUK Renewed call for investment in careers provision

10 INDIUM Why do most EVs use Indium corporation materials?

14 MIRTEC MIRTEC interview with Brian D’Amico

20 SMT CONNECT Video interviews at SMT Connect 2022

22 ELECTROLUBE Join the eco revolution - Bio-based conformal coatings

28 SIEMENS Podcast series

36 ABOUT US Meet the Global Industry Focus team

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INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Issue 5 of Global Industry Focus!

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elcome to this 5th edition of Global Industry Focus, featuring articles and news spanning the electronics sector.

In this issue, David Greenman from Humiseal shares his view on the skills gap affecting UK industry, and we also hear from EngineeringUK renewing their call on the government to increase investment and improve access to careers provision.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) recently reported that official vacancies in the UK were at a record high of 1.2m, with the U.S. currently also having millions of unfilled STEM jobs making it clear that organisations are finding it harder than ever to fill roles.

A report by the Learning and Work Institute (L&W) in 2019 found that the UK skills shortage will cost the country £120 billion by 2030. Overall, there will be a shortfall of 2.5 million highly skilled workers and an oversupply of 8.1 million people with traditionally intermediate or low skills.

EngineeringUK shared the scale of the problem, reporting a shortfall of up to 59,000 people in meeting the annual demand for 124,000 core engineering roles in the UK. Strikingly, a new Institute for Fiscal Studies report shows that spending on adult education – for those 19 and over – and apprenticeships has fallen by 25% since 2010.

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With varying solutions to this skills gap, it’s clear that one size does not fit all and solutions must be based on regional and industry-specific needs rather than a broad national approach, hand-in-hand with increased investment, promotion of STEM skills throughout schools and colleges.

Professor Danielle George MBE, the outgoing IET President and an ambassador for ‘Engineering Kids’ Futures’, said: “To ‘build back better’ and fully embrace the ‘green industrial revolution’ promised by the government, it is essential to start with solid foundations. By adding more focus on misunderstood terms like engineering and technology - where we know there is a perception problem - it will help young people from all backgrounds learn vital engineering and tech skills early on and increase their career aspirations.

With a raft of possible solutions to this skills gap, it’s clear that one size does not fit all and solutions must be based on regional and industry-specific needs rather than a broad national approach, hand-in-hand with increased investment, and promotion of STEM skills throughout schools and colleges.

We will continue to explore the issues of the skills gap, gender equality and diversity within STEM in future issues of GIF so do please reach out if you would like to join the conversation.

Kirsty Hazlewood Editor

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STEM

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Tackling The Skills Gap in British Industry David Greenman Director, Humiseal

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he question is – has Tony Blair’s 1999 Mantra of “Education, Education, Education” and his wishful target of 50% of School Leavers going to University, worked for British Industry?

Back in the 1960’s, only 1 in 20 School Leavers went to University. Most went from Private Schools particularly, those wanting to enter a Profession, i.e., a Doctor, Lawyer, Scientist or an Academic.

Of the other 19, if moderately intelligent, would take an Apprenticeship to learn a Trade, go to a Technical College and more importantly earn a weekly wage.

At the end of 4 to 5 years they would qualify as a Technician or an Engineer. They would not have a large debit owed to the Government. If they had studied diligently, they would have gained all round experience and have the potential of a long career ahead.

However, back to Tony Blair’s Mantra – what has been achieved after 23 years? Firstly, a lack of Apprentices in all aspects of British Industry. Subsequently, a lack of experienced Technicians and Engineers to carry British Industry forward.

A large number of University Graduates with “Soft” Degrees in Subjects which do not help them gain a

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job, are now leaving University with huge debts which will take years to pay back, if ever. All funded by the British Tax Payer.

As Tony Blair’s Son was reported to have said last year, “Many Graduates end up in jobs that would not need a degree in the first place”!!

It is interesting that Tony Blair ‘s Son has set up a Company which helps Tech Firms recruit Apprentices straight from school. Finally, a forward looking Blair – really helping British Industry.

So what can British Schools and Parents do to solve this problem? Firstly the Schools must teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from an early age. Parents could encourage their children in STEM subjects with toys such as Meccano and Lego, introduce them to self build electronic kits and Raspberry Pi’s as they become older.

Schools should forget their KPI’s for Students going to University unless, of course, they wish to go into one of the Professions mentioned above. Guide Students using STEM subjects towards Apprenticeships in British Industry. Provide KPI’s that are more representative of the needs of Industry instead of the aspirations of successive Governments over the last 23 years.

Companies should work with local Schools to encourage Students into Apprenticeships via presentations of their products and the opportunities available. Then invite them to visit their Factories/ Offices for a Tour.

Teaching STEM subjects from an early age and promoting Apprenticeships in Secondary Schools is the way forward for British Industry. The investment in new facilities which Companies are now creating in Great Britain, need Apprentices more than ever before.

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ENGINEERINGUK

Securing the Future: Renewed Call for Investment in Careers Provision E

ngineeringUK has renewed calls on government to invest £40m to improve access to careers provision for students in schools and colleges in England. With support from the Sutton Trust, EngineeringUK has made the point that greater investment alongside a new careers strategy for young people will enable more young people to understand the opportunities available in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers.

Calls for additional investment were made on the back of EngineeringUK’s report Securing the future: careers provision in schools and colleges in England, which was published a year ago and highlighted the impact a lack of funding has on schools’ ability to deliver STEM careers provision. The report was based on insight gathered from careers leaders who responded to an EngineeringUK 2021 survey.

Dr Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK, said: “Without quality careers information and guidance, students will be unable to reap the full benefit of their education by choosing the best pathways, and indeed, careers that will fulfil them and meet the needs of the nation.

“Improving young people’s knowledge of the variety of roles available in engineering, and the pay they could expect (which they typically under-estimate) is key to attracting more young people from more diverse backgrounds into engineering and technology.”

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Both ‘Securing the future’ and ‘Paving the way’, a recent report from the Sutton Trust, argue that a new national careers strategy with more funding behind it would support the drive to build back better and ’level up’ across the UK in a post-Covid world.

James Turner, Chief Executive of the Sutton Trust, said: “We know that those from better off homes often have support from family and friends who have the confidence, knowledge and networks to help them with successful transitions into further education and work. For poorer young people, who are less likely to have such support, the information, advice and guidance provided by schools, colleges and the wider system is absolutely crucial in ensuring they make the most of their talents and aspirations.”

He adds: “Low social mobility also has a cost – not only socially around unfairness and inequality, but also in the hard economic terms of failing to harness the talents of all sections of society. The term ‘social mobility’ is common-place now and the rallying cry of ‘levelling up’ is gathering momentum.

“Ensuring all young people can access independent, high-quality advice on their next steps has to be the underpinning of any efforts to level-up and spread opportunity. Both common-sense and the evidence base is clear on that.” Read Dr Hilary Leevers and James Turner’s blogs on the 1 year anniversary of Securing the future report here.

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INDIUM

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Why do most EVs use Indium Corporation materials?

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here are currently over two million electric vehicles on the road with Indium Corporation’s Rel-ion™ suite of products. So, why do most EVs use Indium Corporation materials?

Rel-ion™ products are engineered to meet three very important criteria. First—they’re reliable. They are designed to meet the higher quality standards that meet the evolving demands of automotive electrification. Second—they’re scalable. They are readily available and capable of meeting supply chain expectations. Finally—they’re proven. Most Rel-ion™ products have more than a decade of running inside of EVs. Rel-ion™ materials solutions also deliver reliability for its customers by addressing electrical, mechanical, and thermal stresses that can negatively impact the performance of the final product. Rel-ion™ materials effectively eliminate or reduce common solder paste defects such as dendritic growth, voiding, head-inpillow defects, and cracking.

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INDIUM Electrical Dendrites and Corrosion – Meets stricter surface insulation resistance (SIR) with rework solutions to pass SIR unheated

Leakage Current – Contains low Alpha particle solution for >650-volt GaN dies

Electrical Continuity – Eliminates non-wet opens and head-in-pillow defects

Mechanical Solder Delamination – Provides precision bondline control, increased creep resistance, and increased fatigue resistance

Longer Mission Profiles – Shows increased operating temperatures and longer thermal and power cycles

Thermal Hot Spots – Reduces voiding, increases CPU/GPU thermal requirements, and provides materials for power modules, IGBT, and DSC modules Rel-ion™ materials deliver reliability to EV modules, components, and systems, such as: ADAS

IGBT

Autopilot

Infotainment

Battery Cells

Inverters

Battery Management Systems

On-Board Battery Chargers

DC-DC Converters

Power MOSFET

DC Fast Charging (DCFC)

Telematics (tcu)

Energy Storage Driving e-Mobility: Rel-ion Technical Webinars

InSIDER Series

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InSIDER Series

Advanced Automotive Electronics Assemblies/The Requirements for Electrical Reliability in Automotive Applications Increasing – Presented by Andreas Karch (Now Available On-Demand)

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© INDIUM CORPORATION

As part of its popular InSIDER Series of webinars, Indium Corporation is now offering a unique webinar series— Driving e-Mobility: Rel-ion™ Technical Webinars—lead by global industry technical experts in advanced materials and the automotive market. Register for upcoming webinars or access the on-demand archive at no cost at https://www.indium.com/ corporate/media-center/webinars/ rel-ion.php.

To learn more about Indium Corporation’s suite of proven products for EV and other automotive applications, visit indium.com/relion.

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MIRTEC

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MIRTEC Interview with Brian D’Amico A

n award-winning leader in inspection technology, MIRTEC is committed to continuous improvement through innovation and quality. The company’s inspection solutions have helped thousands of electronics manufacturing companies maximize their profitability by promoting unparalleled levels of quality and efficiency within the manufacturing process. MIRTEC is constantly moving, adapting and creating in order to stay at the forefront of technology and to help its customers stay at the top of their industries.

We recently spoke with Brian D’Amico, President of MIRTEC Corp., to find out more about the company’s business philosophy and latest innovations.

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MIRTEC

Industry 4.0 and Smart Factory Automation are becoming more important within the Electronics Manufacturing Industry. Can you briefly explain the benefits of Smart Factory Automation and MIRTEC’s role?

Certainly. In the most simplistic of terms, Industry 4.0 is a trend toward automation and data exchange within the manufacturing process. Therefore, Smart Factory Automation is an integral part of Industry 4.0. With respect to electronics manufacturing, this basically requires connectivity and machineto-machine (M2M) communication within the manufacturing line. The challenge is to collect data from each of the systems within the line and make that data available to the rest of the machines.

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Without test and inspection, there is no Industry 4.0. This is where MIRTEC comes into play. The whole purpose of test and inspection is to collect actionable data that may be used to reduce defects and maximize efficiency within the manufacturing line.

The goal is to minimize scrap and get a good handle on those process parameters that need to be put in place to manufacture products the right way the first time.

For maximum efficiency, three inspection systems are required within the production line. These are solder paste inspection (SPI) post-solder deposition, automated optical inspection (AOI) post-placement and AOI post-reflow. This requires a substantial investment; however, the combination of all three inspection machines is really the only true way to provide feedback for each stage of the manufacturing process.

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If I understand correctly, you are recommending three inspection systems within each manufacturing line. This seems like a break from the traditional thought of using one inspection machine post- reflow. Can you please explain the reason for the additional inspection systems and the benefits of feedback within the line?

Absolutely. While I understand and agree that most manufacturers rely upon a single post-reflow AOI system, the problem is that it becomes more difficult to diagnose and resolve where an issue may have occurred within the manufacturing line because we are only looking at a snapshot of the final result of all the other assembly equipment within the line. From there, we are basically making an ‘educated guess’ as to where the issue occurred.

The introduction of an SPI system, for example, would provide immediate feedback of issues such as insufficient or excessive solder, solder bridging or solder offset directly after solder deposition. These issues are typically related to process parameters such as stroke speed, for a screen printer, squeegee pressure, under-stencil cleaning etc. The bottom line is that it is more difficult to diagnose screen printing issues based on data collected by post reflow AOI. Closed-loop feedback provides a means of reporting inspection data back to the screen printer, which may then be used to adjust certain parameters to effectively eliminate the possibility of future defects.

Adjustments are typically made based on trends within the inspection data. For example, let’s say that the SPI machine detects an offset trend in solder depositions with respect to pad location. Under these circumstances the SPI machine would report the trend to the Screen Printer.

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The screen printer, in turn, may use this data to adjust the location of the stencil with respect to the pads in order to eliminate the offset. However, this depends upon the level of sophistication of the screen printer to accept this data and then make the necessary changes to the specified parameters to resolve the issue. Please keep in mind that the goal is not to control the screen printer, but to provide actionable data that may be used to eliminate the offset trend and potential defects.

As previously mentioned, it is difficult to determine which adjustments need to occur throughout the line based on post-reflow analysis of defect data.

One can certainly make assumptions, but those assumptions are so far down the line that it becomes increasingly difficult to determine exactly where the defect occurred. From the customer’s perspective, I completely understand that we are suggesting a substantial investment in test equipment, however, the absolute best way to get a handle on the entire production line is to have testing at each interval within the line; post-solder deposition, postplacement and post-reflow. That is really what Smart Factory Automation is all about.

There is much discussion regarding the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) within the electronics manufacturing environment. We understand that MIRTEC has been a pioneer in this regard. Can you please provide a better understanding of the benefits of MIRTEC’s AIbased smart factory solutions?

My pleasure. In recent years, 3D AOI machines have developed rapidly, and many new functions have been added. While these performance improvements are welcome, they have added another level of complexity to the programming and optimization of the inspection system. 3D AOI machines require much more parameter manipulation for teaching and debugging resulting in increased dependency on the skill of the process engineer. This presents a host of new challenges. If a skilled employee is replaced or a new employee is introduced due to the addition of more SMT lines, productivity may be adversely affected until the skill level of the employee is improved. Such uncertainty and instability are something that electronics manufacturers must avoid in order to maintain quality control. This is where the

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MIRTEC

need for AI is highlighted. In short, the goal of using AI is to reduce dependency on the level of operator proficiency required to maintain the highest levels of manufacturing quality and efficiency.

An essential part of a connected Smart Factory is the collection of what is referred to as Big Data. By applying a subset of AI called Deep Learning Analytics to this Big Data we can determine the optimal process parameters for maximum quality and efficiency. When setting up a new PCB, an SMT engineer will program the process parameters for each system within the manufacturing line based on the respective experience of the engineer. Deep Learning Methodology is designed to assist with this daunting task of process optimization by predicting optimal parameters based on historical data. The goal is to achieve the highest production quality regardless of the capability or experience of the engineer.

The performance of the line must then be monitored in real-time through continuous collection and analysis of production data.

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We understand that Process Optimization is a key benefit of Smart Factory Automation, but where do humans fit in? Is the goal to completely eliminate human interaction within the manufacturing process?

No. From my perspective there is really no substitute for a good process engineer as he or she will have the experience and know-how to make a production line ‘sing.’ In setting up the screen printer, for instance, a good engineer may recognize that a step-stencil may require certain squeegee speed and pressure for optimal solder deposition. He or she may also know how to tune the pick-and-place machine for optimal performance. For example, there may be certain devices that require a bit more pressure or dwell time during placement. The same is true in developing optimal reflow profiles as well.

The key here is that this requires a level of expertise as a result of having spent a lot of time working with a given production line and knowing the nuances of each machine. The whole purpose of having machine-to-machine connectivity and communication is to collect and analyze process data and provide optimal parameters for each machine within the line thereby removing much of the ‘artfulness: in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, a complete Smart Factory Solution will monitor each phase of the production line in real-time so as to maintain maximum quality and efficiency throughout the manufacturing process.

MIRTEC is well known for product innovation. Has MIRTEC introduced any new products recently that you would like to share with our readers?

that are an integral part of MIRTEC’s proprietary Hybrid 3D Measurement Technology. The GENESYSPIN machine detects defects such as missing pins, pin offset, distance between pins and inner/outer dimensions of forked pins, ensuring that automotive PCBs are manufactured to the highest quality standards.

What would you like the electronics manufacturing industry to know about MIRTEC? With more than 17,000 systems installed throughout the world and having received a total of 45 industry awards for our products and services thus far, MIRTEC has earned a solid reputation as one of the most progressive and dynamic suppliers of automated inspection equipment to the electronics manufacturing industry. MIRTEC products have been extremely successful in both high-volume/low-mix consumer electronics manufacturing as well as lowto medium-volume/high-mix, high-complexity medical, automotive, aerospace and defense manufacturing environments. With a total of 12 centers of excellence and more than 60 sales and support centers located strategically throughout the world, MIRTEC provides a full range of services including consultation, installation, equipment training, and after-sales support.

Ours is a business of precision and accuracy, reproducibility and specificity, timeliness, and trust.

These are the real products and services that we provide to our valued customers. We welcome the opportunity to demonstrate how MIRTEC’s technologically advanced inspection solutions can help your business achieve the highest levels of quality, efficiency, and profitability.

Thank you for the opportunity to share this information with your readers!

Yes, at IPC APEX EXPO this year MIRTEC debuted a new system specifically designed for the automotive electronics market, MIRTEC’s GENESYS-PIN Hybrid 3D Inspection System. The revolutionary optical system of the GENESYS-PIN machine is capable of measuring automotive connector pins up to 50 mm tall with extreme accuracy. The machine is configured with a 12 Megapixel CoaXPress High-speed Camera System, a 15 µm Precision Telecentric Lens, an advanced 9 Phase RGB Color Lighting System, Programmable Multi-Focus Z-Axis System, and four Programmable Multi-Pattern Digital Projectors

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SMT CONNECT

Video Interviews at SMT Connect 2022

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ELECTROLUBE

Join The Eco Revolution in Coating Technology - Bio-based Conformal Coatings E

lectrolube, a brand of MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, is among the world’s foremost experts in the formulation and application of conformal coatings designed to meet international approvals (including European and American military specifications). Conformal coatings are thin, protective polymeric coatings, that are applied to protect the metal surfaces of printed circuit boards from corrosion, condensation, dielectric breakdowns and mitigate against tin whisker formation and conductive metal particles. They are designed to cover and protect solder joints, the leads of electronic components, exposed traces, and other metallised areas, ultimately extending the working life of the PCB. Electrolube’s extensive range of coatings include acrylics, silicones, polyurethanes, hybrid chemistries and more recently, the company has introduced a brand new bio-based range of environmentally friendly coatings.

After significant research and development, Electrolube has developed a viable and sustainable alternative to materials derived from petrochemicals and has introduced a new bio-coating to market that is completely solvent-free, a global first for the industry. The electro-chemicals manufacturer has launched the first 2K UV coating, UVCLX,

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which incorporates 75% bio-organic content from renewable sources and meets the needs of both manufacturers and consumers, essentially based on ethics, performance and process. The use of solvents has become more restricted, and consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the ‘waste’ of these processes in the form of the energy required to remove the solvents, as well as the impact of their release on the environment.

UVCLX, UV Cure Coating Xtra, is a bio-based conformal coating that is completely unique to the industry and provides the highest levels of protection whilst maintaining a rapid processing time. Applied via a selective coating machine, UVCLX exceeds traditional UV Cure Coatings, by being touch dry after just a short exposure to LED-365nm UV light.

Full cure is guaranteed in less than 24 hours by virtue of the secondary chemical cure mechanism, which ensures that even shadowed areas are fully cured in a matter of hours.

UV curing uses intense ultraviolet light to set off a chemical reaction within the coating in order to cure almost immediately in areas exposed to the UV radiation. With traditional UV Cure materials, the rapid nature of the primary UV cure, as well

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ELECTROLUBE

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as the polymerisation process itself, tends to cause significant amounts of shrinkage, which creates a lot of stress in the coating that is commonly alleviated by stress-cracking during thermal cycling. In addition, the materials must also contain a secondary curing mechanism to ensure material beneath components, or otherwise shadowed from UV radiation by taller components, cross-links and develops hardness and other critical properties. This is commonly a moisture cure, and can take weeks, months or even years to complete, due to the fact that the outside of the material is partly cured from exposure to UV radiation and moisture must permeate through this membrane, and CO2 gas produced during this curing process must permeate back out through the same membrane.

Due to the 3D nature of most assemblies there will nearly always be areas that remain unexposed to the UV radiation and therefore a secondary cure

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mechanism is unavoidable. There are formulations available that use heat, although the cure times are relatively long and the temperatures are quite high, which places additional thermal fatigue on the assembly and detracts from the main benefit of UV curable materials, fast-cure times with relatively low energy inputs.

The benefit of a 2K UV curable material like UVCLX is that once the 2 components are mixed, the reaction will proceed to completion in less than 24 hours in these shadowed areas that are not exposed to UV radiation. The additional cure nature of the reaction ensures significantly less shrinkage and less stress, resulting in more flexible coatings that can better survive thermal shock. UVCLX performs in stark comparison to traditional UV Cure Coatings and enables a greatly reduced level of work in progress.

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ELECTROLUBE

UVCLX is optimally applied at between 200-350μm and achieves excellent edge coverage even over sharp components. It provides unrivalled protection, even during temperature cycling and thermal shock, vastly out-performing other UV coatings on the market even in the most hostile environments. Due to its hydrophobic nature, UVCLX offers exceptional protection against moisture, salt mist and even full immersion for short periods. This immersion period can be extended by applying the coating more thickly.

Camouflaging components and PCB tracks for more sensitive designs, UVCLX is a highly versatile coating that can be deployed wherever a coating is needed and is ideal for automotive and EV applications.

The most astonishing benefit observed during the development of UVCLX was the improvement in terms of performance that were achieved. The

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bio-based polymers showed improved condensation resistance, thermal stability, flexibility, and adhesion than many petrochemical derived polymers that were developed. More or less every single ingredient in a typical formulation can be formulated from either completely bio-based or a high degree of biocontaining raw materials, with the current exception of flame retardants. The bio-coating has both performance and top environmental credentials to match, making it a win-win solution.

“The highest level of performance with full cure guaranteed in 24 hours.”

Bio-based coatings really come into their own whenever thermal shock cycling and condensation resistance are the two main failure mechanisms.

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As for testing the bio-based coating, much of the development work focussed on doing a lot of work in harsh environments testing and demonstrating improved condensation resistance due to the combined improvements of thickness and coverage provided by the material, further to the usual automotive requirements of thermal shock and max continuous operating temperatures with long term thermal humid ageing, The industry can expect more high-performance, bio-based coating solutions from Electrolube.

Having proven what UVCLX can do in terms of the environmental and performance benefits, the company aims to introduce new bio-based materials in all new product developments.

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SIEMENS - PODCAST SERIES

The Supply Chain Crunch: A Temporary Trend or Transformation Driver?

Oren Manor Director of Business Development, Siemens Digital Industries Software

LISTEN TO

Supply chain challenges: Of all the manufacturing stages in any electronic product’s production, components are the part that takes the longest to manufacture - which is why we have such a bottleneck now.

Increasing manufacturing capacity for semiconductors takes several years - it is almost impossible to close the gap.

Electrification is on the rise, creating even larger demands - IoT, EV, + additional verticals.

Long-lead items - previously large inventories were considered inefficient and expensive.

For specific items, manufacturers would “keep them in a drawer”. Therefore manufacturers preferred not to have large inventories. Now all components are long-lead items.. manufacturers need to have large inventories to ensure delivery.

Component shortages are here to stay.

COVID-19 hasn’t gone away yet, we’re still seeing lockdowns, and the global supply chain is impossible to predict.

PODCAST

Three things manufacturers need to do in order to become more agile: 1. Left-shift - make decisions about components much earlier in the process. Alternative components need to be considered early in the process (left-shift), and also - based on component availability in different locations.

2. Simulation - Early DFM on different components, ensuring that component geometry is accurate with VPL, making sure that these components can be used in the planned manufacturing process (pick and place, testing..).

3. Digitalization - Even with all the proper planning, you may come across component shortages later on in the process. Digitalization provides the agility to make adjustments quickly while not compromising on quality. https://www.linkedin.com/in/orenmanor/

Electronics manufacturers need to be more agile and adjust to global manufacturing.

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SIEMENS - PODCAST SERIES

Thoughtful Design for Component Shortages Susan Kayesar PCBflow Product Manager,Siemens Digital Industries Software

How are current supply chain pressures affecting PCB design?

Component availability is an issue that PCB designer never had to deal with - now it’s something that they have to take into account when planning their design.

Meeting budget and NPI timeline requirements is more challenging.

How are PCB designers coping with these challenges? How is this affecting their workflows?

1. “Thoughtful” design - components are becoming a larger factor when planning the PCB Are the components even available?

What are the alternatives?

Can I plan one design to fit several alternatives?

2. Looking for tools that can help make more informed decisions about components

LISTEN TO

PODCAST

Lead times Minimum order quantities Obsolete/out of stock https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-kayesar-1a641010/

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SIEMENS - PODCAST SERIES

Supply Chain Challenges During New Product Introduction Mark Laing Business Development Manager at Siemens Digital Industries Software

LISTEN TO

PODCAST

Component Sourcing: In the previous podcast, we discussed how component shortages are affecting the PCB design process - creating more “thoughtful” designs.

Alternative Parts and AVL management: Need to expand the number of vendors How do you manage them?

Functional/physical equivalency Dynamic management - bi-directional communication to qualify parts

1. Communication challenge - large impact on efficiency and time-to-market.

2. Changes in lead times make it difficult to decide which products should be manufactured.

3. Storage - need to plan storage for longer periods - JIT/lean manufacturing is more challenging How can manufacturers cope with these challenges?

Take advantage of solutions that can be flexible with searching for parts through on-line portals. Not just looking 1:1 based on the manufacturer part number but also looking for equivalent parts that are functional and fit. The functional part is usually easier than the fit. Being able to run a check of the part against the board is the only reliable way to be sure that it will fit on the footprint of the board.

In higher mix environments, being able to be more flexible with production schedules is key. So for the NPI area, being as efficient as possible is creating all the necessary manufacturing collateral is important.

This means relying on as much common data as possible, particularly in the area of part libraries. It is not possible to be managing multiple libraries across all the different machines when a streamlined flow is necessary to achieve quick turnaround as schedules change. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-laing-aab4bb1/

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SIEMENS - PODCAST SERIES

Component Shortages on the Shop Floor Zac Elliott Technical Marketing Engineer, Siemens Digital Industries Software

LISTEN TO

How are current component shortages affecting electronics manufacturers?

In the worst case if a component is no longer available or the lead times are too long to supply planned production, board designs are being changed to alternate components, and of course there is a lot of work involved in creating a new revision of a product. But there are still a lot of components out on the market, so people are getting really creative to find the components they need.

What are manufacturers doing to procure components in such challenging times?

We see a lot of manufacturers who in the past typically only purchased components directly from the manufacturer or through certified suppliers. This way, they have all the confidence and certificates that they are getting genuine, authentic components.

But with lead times like they are on many ICs, manufacturers are starting to loosen their controls and purchase from other distribution channels, like third-party distributors. https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-elliott/

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PODCAST

Are there risks in getting components from third-party distributors? How are manufacturers mitigating that?

Yes there is more risk than procuring components directly from the manufacturer. Apart from all of the opportunities for some bad actor to slip counterfeit components in the mix or perhaps pass off forged documentation, there are many opportunities for simple mistakes in the handling of these materials that have sometimes already been sold and then purchased and resold by a distributor. To mitigate the extra risk, manufacturers are doing extra inspection on components from third-party distributors.

Most of this is manual work on a sampling of the components. Someone doublechecks the documentation and some of the components are sent to a lab for destructive inspection and testing.

This type of additional inspection is absolutely necessary, but it still leaves some gaps as it is a manual method based on sampling. New methods are being developed now to use AI image processing to inspect 100% of all components being assembled in the line.

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Does this environment create challenges with actual assembly? There are several logistical challenges with component shortages: Handling an increase in new product introduction processes to support new product revisions for replacement parts.

Scheduling based on inventory availability – handling deliveries coming in the future or building out whatever they can based on current inventory.

Managing a growing inventory.

How can manufacturers overcome these challenges?

Closed-loop manufacturing is key to handle increased new product introduction. CLM ties together ERP-MES-PLM to support efficiently running many different revisions of a product. Beyond efficiency, CLM is key to maintaining quality in this environment.

Automated production scheduling capabilities are key to managing the production schedule based on inventory availability. You need to be able to dynamically adjust the production schedule to account for deliveries coming in the future, so delaying certain orders because the parts are coming soon. You can also decide to split an order and just consume the available on hand inventory.

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ABOUT US

Who WE Are : CLAIRE SAUNDERS

KIRSTY HAZLEWOOD

Publisher

Editor in Chief

ROB SAUNDERS

IAIN HAZLEWOOD

Features Editor

Designer

This digital industry publication will offer a global perspective for the whole of the electronics and off board sectors. Complimenting our existing industry hub and weekly WNIE (What’s New in Electronics) platforms, we are confident that in this ever changing world these titles will offer companies a complete marketing solution.

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