Industry 0.4 – Not a Typo!

Electronics manufacturers are investing millions of dollars to build real time data systems that monitor every step of their operations, from supply chain to the SMT line to shipping.? These investments are revolutionizing our industry by turbocharging operations, minimizing inventories, and slashing costs because the systems manage processes in REAL TIME.?

Yet, while these systems excel at keeping tabs on most operations, there’s a blind spot growing right under our noses.? At many of the industry’s highest volume factories, board test is not keeping up with the SMT line, so thousands of boards sit for hours waiting for test to confirm that they are good.???

Imagine your fire alarm blaring... six hours after the fire started. Not exactly reassuring, is it? Yet, in many top-tier factories, that's essentially what's happening.

Thousands of boards sit idle, waiting for tests that lag behind the lightning fast SMT lines.

It's like relying on yesterday's Google Maps for today's traffic – frustrating and costly.?

We're talking about thousands of potential mistakes daily, all because the industry has a one-size-fits-all test strategy that isn’t working for panels.? Each day, 5,000 -10,000 boards are built that will work their way through the slow test process.? Even with today’s amazingly high yields, mistakes happen.? For these products, a mistake can mean 5,000 mistakes – either scrapped boards or an enormous rework job.???

Test departments are treating dense panels in the same way they treat a 2-up board, but that strategy just can’t keep up and it is costing these companies millions of dollars each year in the form of rework, scrap, extra labor, and extra equipment.??

Why do Panels Create Work-In-Process (WIP) Inventory?

Two unstoppable trends – ever smaller components and faster SMT lines have combined to create the Inventory Time Bomb.? The boards our industry produces are getting smaller, so we produce more boards per panel. What used to be built 2-up is now 6-up.? One major European automotive manufacturer estimated that a quarter of their production is now built in panels of 8-up or more.?

Why does that matter?

While SMT processes scale up seamlessly with panels, the same can't be said for testing.? A 2-up panel might take a total of 110 seconds to test and program while a 10-up panel can take 3x longer. Most electronics manufacturers rely on the same test strategy that has served them well for years:? ICT, Part Programming, and Functional Test – three distinct steps. It's a tradition that's falling short for panelized boards, struggling to keep pace with the lightning fast SMT lines.?

When testing lags behind SMT, manufacturers face a tough choice: accept the risk of a ticking time bomb of inventory or invest in more equipment and manpower.?

But there's another path forward: exploring cutting-edge test technologies tailored to tackle the panel problem head-on.?

Increased SMT production can only be met with increased test production and that means testing multiple boards in parallel.? Test is made up of three processes:? In-Circuit Test, On-Board Programming, and Functional Test.? Each of these processes can be performed in parallel, but not with traditional test equipment.?

The Power of Parallel

For over two decades, CheckSum has led the industry with the development of Parallel Test Technologies tailored to empower electronics manufacturers in solving the panel problem while delivering real-time data for informed decision-making. Through our innovative Multi-Core ICT, MultiWriter? On-Board Programming, and Parallel Functional Test solutions, we equip manufacturers with the agility and speed required to avoid the Inventory Time Bomb and focus on the core mission of PCB assembly.?

Speed Reduces Costs

The need for faster test is not just about avoiding untested inventory.? Speed reduces labor and additional equipment needed by the old strategy, so parallel test pays for itself.?

As seen in the case study below, an 8-up panel of automotive modules used to take 155 seconds to test, using 6 pieces of equipment and 6 operators.?

CheckSum's parallel test solution was delivered in a single, automated handler with nearly 4x the output of the 6-system solution it replaced.? In addition to providing the real-time test data the customer required, this solution paid for itself with first year savings of $400,000.?

Panels need Parallel Test. Contact CheckSum below to discuss how your operation can get the real-time test data needed to make good production decisions.? The Power of Parallel will bring your test operations into the digital age.?

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