Success stories

  • Sep 25, 2023
    Yamaha powers surface-mount production upgrade at building-automation innovator Vimar
    Latest Sigma premium mounters and YRi-V 3D AOI chosen to boost future productivity and quality, building on historical success Yamaha Robotics SMT Section has supplied three Sigma G5SII surface mounters and the latest YRi-V 3D optical inspection system to Vimar, which produces wiring devices, systems for smart home and building automation, video door entry, CCTV and temperature control products. Vimar’s logistics and production hub – Italy Vimar has chosen the Yamaha equipment for a new surface-mount assembly line going live this summer in the Company’s new logistics and production hub at Marostica, north eastern Italy. The new line delivers extra manufacturing capacity, needed to meet surging market demand for Vimar’s products, which utilise advanced technologies to support secure, safe, and energy-efficient living. They include smart switches, home automation products, climate management controllers, door entry systems, and others. Some of these products are based on Bluetooth® wireless technology or KNX protocol and they are widely used in all environments, from small to large buildings, as well as ships and yachts. “Smart spaces are designed to be comfortable, connected, and enhance sustainability. We believe they should be stylish too, and our approach has won industry awards throughout Europe,” explains Michele Campagnolo, Engineering Manager and Purchasing Director at Vimar. “We blend great aesthetic designs with cutting-edge technology embedded in our products. Our long-standing connection with Yamaha helps ensure all the electronic assemblies we build are of the highest quality.” l to r: Michele Campagnolo, Loris Canderle, Marco Carraro, Stefano Lanaro, Enrico de Grandis Vimar already owns three Yamaha G5SII mounters and has extensive experience with the Sigma platform, having worked with Yamaha key account manager Riccardo Fiocchi for more than 20 years. According to Michele Campagnolo, the existing machines have delivered excellent reliability and advanced features that help maintain consistently high placement speed and accuracy. He adds, “When we expanded the factory and planned our new line, we chose the Sigma G5SII again for its excellent performance and to keep compatibility with our existing feeders and nozzles. Riccardo at Yamaha understands our business and the values we seek to maintain, so his help enabled us to ensure the right specification for our needs.” The two Yamaha lines at Vimar In the existing line, the three G5SII machines are working alongside a Yamaha YSi-V 3D AOI system. The YSi-V delivers inspection resolution up to 12Mpixels, with 4-angle inspection at multiple wavelengths to enhance accuracy. Vimar’s manufacturing team members are familiar with the YSi-V and pleased with its abilities to help quickly localise the causes of any defects. It can identify in near real-time the exact mounter nozzle and stencil aperture concerned with any discovered defect. “Our YSi-V AOI has performed so well that the next-generation YRi-V system was the only choice we considered for the new line,” continues Michele Campagnolo. “With AI-accelerated component recognition and even more powerful inspection capabilities, we can introduce new products more quickly and rely on consistent inspection coverage. This will allow us to continue creating new board designs that leverage greater component density to pack more features in smaller dimensions.” The YRi-V has an enhanced illumination system with an 8-way projector that prevents shadowing to enhance inspection of closely spaced components. The new system also comes with an upgraded image-processing subsystem that accelerates inspection cycle time by at least 60%, 4-angle camera resolution increased to 20Mpixel, and a new and enhanced 5µm lens option that can spot defects such as minute scratches and cracks in the most state-of-the-art miniaturised component packages. Moreover, the embedded AI uses machine learning to automate component-library selection and generate new component files, as well as aiding pass/fail image assessment. “The latest-specification Sigma G5SII delivers advanced performance with legacy compatibility, and the next-generation YRi-V 3D AOI is ready to inspect the most difficult and challenging assemblies,” comments Yamaha’s Riccardo Fiocchi. “Combining both in their new line has enabled Vimar to increase manufacturing capacity while also securing future-proof capability. It’s good to see that the team is equipped to succeed as the building automation market continues to grow and evolve.” About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section, a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation, produces a complete selection of equipment for high-speed inline electronic assembly. This 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION includes solder paste printers, component mounters, 3D solder paste inspection machines, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip-chip hybrid placers, dispensers, intelligent component storage, and management software. Bringing the Yamaha way to electronics manufacturing, these systems prioritize intuitive operator interaction, efficient coordination between all inline processes, and modularity enabling users to meet the latest manufacturing demands. Group competencies in servo-motor control and image recognition for vision (camera) systems ensure extreme accuracy with high speed. The current product line includes the latest YR equipment generation, with advanced automated features for programming, setup, and changeovers, and new YSUP management software with state-of-the-art graphics and built-in data analytics. Combining design and engineering, manufacture, sales, and service competencies, Yamaha SMT Section ensures operational efficiency and easy access to support for customers and partners. With regional offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America, the company provides truly global presence. www.yamaha-motor-robotics.eu
  • May 22, 2023
    Yamaha and CORE-emt deliver complete surface-mount line to Ouman Estonia
    Smart-building technology leader chooses 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION to succeed in fast-growing market Yamaha Robotics SMT has delivered its 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION for surface-mount assembly to Ouman Estonia OÜ, a leader in advanced control systems for smart buildings. The new equipment is already in action, delivering increased manufacturing capacity and extending Ouman’s technical capabilities. The market for building automation is growing quickly, driven by customer desires to save running costs and energy consumption and enabled by technologies such as affordable IoT connectivity that assist monitoring and control. Overall, the sector should exceed $4 billion in Europe by 2028, according to analysts. Seeing such a positive outlook, Ouman’s management decided the time was right to invest in new equipment to build its portfolio of advanced electronic sensors, actuators, controllers, and communication gateways that enable buildings to become smart and connected. “We needed a flexible, high-mix assembly solution to handle our diverse range of products,” explains Rando Kubits, General Manager of Ouman Estonia OÜ at the grand opening to celebrate the new facility. “Our choice of partners was equally important. We expected excellent technical services, to help us select the right equipment options and get up and running quickly, as well as committed, long-term support, technical expertise, and the stability of the business.” From Left: Matti Lipsanen (CEO of OUMAN), and Alexander Wennergren Helm (CEO of Ernströmgruppen) Ouman began an extensive evaluation of potential suppliers, narrowing the field from 10 candidates to four, and then choosing the winner from a final pair. Key criteria included not only equipment performance, but also access to local support, business credentials and track record, and peer opinion of equipment already in the field. “We were impressed at the professionalism and the range of services Yamaha and its regional distributor, CORE-emt, were able to offer us,” says Kubits. “In addition, the 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION, being so cohesive and connected, gave us the extra assurance that our new surface-mount line would deliver above and beyond normal expectations.” From left: Steen Haugbolle (CORE-emt), Matti Lipsanen (OUMAN), Erik Keerberg (OUMAN), Rando Kubits (OUMAN), Kai Koivunen (CORE-emt), and Pierre Williams (Yamaha Robotics) Working together with CORE-emt, Yamaha proposed a complete assembly line containing YCP10 precision screen printer, two YSM20R high-speed mounters, and 2D and 3D YSi-V inspection systems. Ouman requested additional special features including the QA Option software package that feeds-back data from inspection results in real-time to help continuously optimise the printing and placement processes. Kai Koivunen of CORE-emt commented, “We were able to offer the best solution, leveraging our close partnership with Yamaha and in-house technical expertise. We are now looking forward to strengthening our connection with the team at Ouman, to ensure the best possible return on their investment.” Pierre Williams, Yamaha sales manager, added, “I am confident that Rando and his team will achieve their goals in the dynamic building-automation market, aided by their new SMT line and the support we can provide through our distributor CORE-emt.” The Yamaha YCP10 printer anchoring Ouman’s new surface-mount line combines a print-cycle time of 8 seconds with extremely high repeatability. There are high-end features like Yamaha’s 3S head, which has flexible settings to optimise paste transfer, as well as stencil vacuum that saves setup time. Users also benefit from advanced stencil alignment and cleaning features and the machine can accept large-size PCBs within its compact footprint. Each YSM20R mounter can place up to 95,000 cph. Yamaha’s flexible placement heads can handle a wide range of component sizes and help minimise stoppages for reconfiguring the machine. The YSM20R can be setup to handle a wide component size range from 0201(mm) to 100mm x 55mm. Smart component recognition and on-the-fly pickup checking help maximise end of line yield. Special options include efficient feeders, nonstop carriage exchange, and the auto tray sequencer that help further increase productivity. Yamaha 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION at Ouman The first of the two YSi-V inspection systems is installed immediately after the mounters to provide high-speed and high-resolution 2D inspection. It supports multiple inspection modes including colour and infrared scanning, and laser height measurement to check that all components are correctly placed and oriented before reflow. At the end of the line, after the reflow oven, the second Yamaha YSi-V is configured for 3D inspection with powerful features to detect floating components and make pass/fail contour judgements. To complete the line, thus delivering a ready-to-use solution as requested by Ouman, Core-emt added a flexible, multi-zone reflow oven and implemented custom conveying systems, leveraging its broad portfolio of high-quality manufacturing equipment. With the grand opening of the full line based on the 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION from Yamaha, Ouman’s new production capability is now in action and promises many years of reliable service.   About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section, a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation, produces a complete selection of equipment for high-speed inline electronic assembly. This 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION includes solder paste printers, component mounters, 3D solder paste inspection machines, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip-chip hybrid placers, dispensers, intelligent component storage, and management software. Bringing the Yamaha way to electronics manufacturing, these systems prioritize intuitive operator interaction, efficient coordination between all inline processes, and modularity enabling users to meet the latest manufacturing demands. Group competencies in servo-motor control and image recognition for vision (camera) systems ensure extreme accuracy with high speed. The current product line includes the latest YR equipment generation, with advanced automated features for programming, setup, and changeovers, and new YSUP management software with state-of-the-art graphics and built-in data analytics. Combining design and engineering, manufacture, sales, and service competencies, Yamaha SMT Section ensures operational efficiency and easy access to support for customers and partners. With regional offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America, the company provides truly global presence. www.yamaha-motor-robotics.eu
  • May 15, 2023
    Yamaha powers state-of-the-art surface-mount assembly at RØDE Microphones
    Choosing the fast and highly featured YSM20R mounter has enabled the acclaimed microphone and audio brand to deliver innovative new products to market Yamaha Robotics SMT Section has supplied surface-mount assembly equipment including the YSM20R modular mounter to RØDE Microphones, a member of the Freedman Group that owns a portfolio of consumer and professional audio brands. Founded and chaired by Peter Freedman, RØDE Microphones began as a small company selling only one type of microphone and developed into a large global company whose name is now renowned throughout the world. More than 1.7 million RØDE microphones have been sold, in 116 countries. The product range now contains over 200 types of products designed for diverse creative activities such as movie filming, stage recording, live productions, broadcasts, blogs, podcasts, and radio. “RØDE has achieved great success through creative use of technology to deliver effective solutions,” commented Daisuke Yoshihara, Sales General Manager at Yamaha Robotics. “Yamaha has been chosen to help extend and strengthen this success and we are looking forward to a productive, long-term collaboration.” Peter Freedman and his team leverage the latest microphone knowhow and electronics technologies to deliver innovative features and ensure market-leading performance. The company handles the complete product realisation from design through to manufacture and invests regularly in cutting-edge technical capabilities, including manufacturing equipment. When he decided, recently, to setup a new, state-of-the-art electronic surface-mount assembly line, Yamaha’s advanced SMT equipment including the YSM20R mounter was the natural choice. The YSM20R delivers flexible placement capability with high speed and high accuracy.   “Yamaha’s surface-mounting technology has proven indispensable to our expansion and success,” he commented. “With our new YSM20R, we can manufacture more sophisticated circuit boards than ever before.” Capable of placing up to 95,000 cph, the YSM20R all-purpose surface mounter has the highest speed in its class and features Yamaha’s 1-head solution that saves stopping the line to change the mounter configuration. The High-speed Multi (HM) head handles components from 0.2mm x 0.1mm (0201) SMD chips to parts such as large ICs and connectors up to 55mm x 100mm x 15mm high. Additional YSM20R features include a side-view camera for rapid pickup detection, high-speed smart recognition of new component types, and Yamaha’s All-Image Tracer for quality control. The HM universal head helps maximise equipment utilisation to boost assembly-line productivity   RØDE’s YSM20R has been installed in the factory and brought up to speed leveraging support and training delivered by Yamaha technicians. “We have been able to continue taking great steps forward by applying this cutting-edge Yamaha technology to build our electronic circuits for microphones and audio,” concludes Peter Freedman. “We are currently developing RØDE Podcast Studio, the world’s first dedicated console interface for podcasting, and my goal is to make RØDE Microphones the no.1 microphone throughout the world.” About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section, a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation, produces a complete selection of equipment for high-speed inline electronic assembly. This 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION includes solder paste printers, component mounters, 3D solder paste inspection machines, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip-chip hybrid placers, dispensers, intelligent component storage, and management software. Bringing the Yamaha way to electronics manufacturing, these systems prioritize intuitive operator interaction, efficient coordination between all inline processes, and modularity enabling users to meet the latest manufacturing demands. Group competencies in servo-motor control and image recognition for vision (camera) systems ensure extreme accuracy with high speed. The current product line includes the latest YR equipment generation, with advanced automated features for programming, setup, and changeovers, and new YSUP management software with state-of-the-art graphics and built-in data analytics. Combining design and engineering, manufacture, sales, and service competencies, Yamaha SMT Section ensures operational efficiency and easy access to support for customers and partners. With regional offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America, the company provides truly global presence. www.yamaha-motor-robotics.eu
  • Apr 17, 2023
    Yamaha Surface-Mount Innovations Boost Efficiency and Quality in Automotive
    Historically, surface-mount production lines have been built to handle clearly defined customer demands: high-volume/low-mix for consumer products and low-volume/high-mix requirements from industrial markets. But what happens when both the volume and mix are flexible and curveballs like unusual components and ultra-high quality expectations further complicate the picture? Automotive electrification is an established trend that continues to accelerate as car makers seek to differentiate their products in the marketplace and meet ever-toughening legislative demands for greater safety and lower environmental impact. Advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and millimetre-wave radar – until now mostly found in aerospace and cutting-edge research - are now on the road and affordable to consumers. The global automotive electronics market is worth more than $270 billion according to market research by Statista[1]. While clearly presenting a tremendous opportunity for both the automotive and electronics industries, this relentless electrification also brings acute challenges. Consumer expectations from the technology are sky-high - always demanding something new and exciting – while on the other hand the industry’s well-known focus on reliability and safety means that proven standards and technologies tend to change slowly. Flexibility and Efficiency On the production line, large components and connectors that conform to legacy standards must be handled alongside the latest SMD chips, application processors, and power semiconductors in advanced surface-mount packages. Yamaha Robotics SMT Division is enabling the industry to rise to the challenge with its latest-generation YR-series assembly solutions. The YRM20 flexible mounter can handle high mix and high volume as well as supporting the general trend towards smart manufacturing. Early customers have appreciated important new features of the YRM20, such as its high-mix (HM) placement head that can handle components ranging from 0201-size chip resistors to components as large as 55mm x 100mm. This greatly simplifies the challenge of placing large components like automotive board-edge connectors and tall capacitors in high-power assemblies such as electric power steering (EPS) controllers. In the past, it has been necessary to setup a dedicated machine specifically for placing these types of components. The YRM20 can handle almost anything, without needing to stop the line and change the head. In addition, its extended feeder capacity minimises changeover workload, while compact feeder carriages increase efficiency on the factory floor.   Yamaha High Efficiency Modular YRM20   Traceability Another defining challenge within the automotive electronics sector is the demand for traceability that accompanies the industry’s high expectations for quality, reliability, and safety. With traditional SMT equipment, manufacturers can struggle to trace the causes of defects found in an inspection process after the reflow or the downstream processes. Yamaha’s M2M communications, proven and integrated in the YRM20 and all machines in the Company’s 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION, traceability and N-point verification take almost all the effort out of identifying the causes of defects. When any defect is found, supervisors can go straight to the root cause and fix it quickly before other assemblies are produced with the same fault. It boosts productivity and enhances quality, preventing any defective units that may come off the SMT line from escaping the factory. Yamaha’s YSUP intelligent factory software supports machine-to-machine communication and has time-saving features such as automated placement-program generation and mounting simulations and  comprises flexible packages for monitoring, analysis, and traceability. “The YSUP environment connects all machines in the line and helps uses quickly create and optimise their programs,” explains Daisuke Yoshihara, Yamaha Sales General Manager “The intelligent factory tools enhance control and connect with enterprise-level software to aid resource management and scheduling. The Traceability package captures real-time data to pinpoint defects and their causes, and can be augmented with the All Image Tracer for analysing component mounting quality.”   1 STOP SMART SOLUTION   With these advantages in their surface-mount production facilities, electronic manufacturers serving car makers and automotive tier-1 suppliers can handle the wide variety of product types typical of this market while maintaining a fast cycle time and minimising line stops and changeovers. The result significantly increases productivity, even when dealing with odd-shaped or tall components. Reducing changeovers raises equipment utilisation while also reducing operational errors. The traceability function makes it possible to locate defective points and identify the causes of defects in a much shorter time than ordinal lines. “Traceability is an issue that extends throughout the automotive electronics supply chain,” adds Yoshihara. “YSUP Traceability helps manufacturing businesses capture all the information they need quickly and efficiently.” As advanced electronic systems continue to extend throughout forthcoming generations of vehicles, managing functions from infotainment, comfort, and lighting, to powertrain and autonomous driving, Yamaha’s advanced assembly solutions provide flexibility and control for manufacturers to deliver cost-effective, high-quality solutions. About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section, a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation, produces a complete selection of equipment for high-speed inline electronic assembly. This 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION includes solder paste printers, component mounters, 3D solder paste inspection machines, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip-chip hybrid placers, dispensers, intelligent component storage, and management software. Bringing the Yamaha way to electronics manufacturing, these systems prioritize intuitive operator interaction, efficient coordination between all inline processes, and modularity enabling users to meet the latest manufacturing demands. Group competencies in servo-motor control and image recognition for vision (camera) systems ensure extreme accuracy with high speed. The current product line includes the latest YR equipment generation, with advanced automated features for programming, setup, and changeovers, and new YSUP management software with state-of-the-art graphics and built-in data analytics. Combining design and engineering, manufacture, sales, and service competencies, Yamaha SMT Section ensures operational efficiency and easy access to support for customers and partners. With regional offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America, the company provides truly global presence. www.yamaha-motor-robotics.eu
  • Sep 12, 2022
    Yamaha supplies surface-mount equipment from 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION to Faber Electronics
    Dutch EMS chooses Yamaha printing, placement, and inspection systems to boost quality, flexibility, and productivity Yamaha Motor Europe SMT Section is supplying high-speed equipment for two surface-mount lines at Faber Electronics, to build high-tech products including IoT equipment, automotive electronics, medical devices, and industrial controls. Faber Electronics, a Netherlands-based electronic manufacturing services provider, has installed a Yamaha YCP10 screen printer, two YSM20R high-speed mounters, and a YSi-V AOI system for end-of-line visual inspection. 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION “Our customers serve markets that expect extremely high product reliability, so faultless assembly at high speed is a pre-requisite,” explains Tijmen Augustijn, Operations Director. “On the other hand, we pride ourselves on our flexibility to adapt quickly whenever their requirements change. We expect our technology partners and suppliers to help us meet those demands. With that in mind, we decided to extend our connection with Yamaha by investing in new equipment from the 1 STOP SMART SOLUTION.” The drive for reliability leads Faber Electronics’ engineering teams to place a high value on design for manufacture (DfM) and design for test (DfT). Typically, in-circuit testing is often applied to 100% of boards produced or a high proportion, depending on individual customers’ requirements. The YSi-V AOI system in each assembly line helps strengthen quality assurance and maximise productivity by quickly identifying any boards that have visible defects. Yamaha YSi-V The YSi-V’s multi-angle and multi-wavelength lighting helps the system spot defects that are difficult to see in ordinary light and can prevent shadows from obscuring inspection areas. In addition, laser height measurement can detect coplanarity issues that may indicate damage to component pins or a soldering defect. The system is an ideal companion to the compact YCP10 printer, which has advanced features and can handle large board sizes, and the high-efficiency YSM20R mounter with up to 95,000 cph placement capability. Marc Valk, Quality Assurance Engineer at Faber Electronics, comments, “Our customers trust us always to respond quickly to their needs. The advanced features and ease of use we enjoy with our Yamaha surface-mount lines help us maintain that reputation. We can handle anything from last-minute design modifications to frequent product changeovers quickly and efficiently.” According to Theo Loohuis Service Manager of Europe-SMT, Yamaha’s distributor for Benelux, the combination of YCP10 printer, YSM20R mounters, and YSi-V AOI in each line provides advanced capabilities that will meet Faber Electronics’ requirements far into the future. “Each line can print, place and inspect, at high speed, parts ranging from the smallest SMD chips to large ICs like FPGAs and tall components like capacitors and connectors. We listened to their team to understand their requirements and their vision for the future. We then worked with Yamaha to propose the best package to meet their needs. Each line ensures high production quality with the flexibility to meet diverse and fast-changing customer demands.” Faber Electronic’s Team Daisuke Yoshihara, General Sales Manager for Yamaha adds, “Faber Electronics now has two full SMT lines that are perfectly conceived to fulfil their customers’ demands, delivering a clear competitive edge and a future-proof return on their investment.” Please visit the website at https://smt.yamaha-motor-robotics.de/ More information about Europe-SMT: www.europe-smt.com To learn about Faber Electronics: https://faber-electronics.nl/over-ons About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha surface mount equipment is highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards. Yamaha SMT Section has created a strong business in the surface mount industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, 3D solder paste inspection, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers, dispensers and intelligent SMD storage system. This allows Yamaha SMT Section to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers. Yamaha SMT Section has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America provide a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients. www.yamaha-motor-robotics.eu
  • Nov 2, 2021
    Yamaha’s 1st Class Smart Solution powers high-tech manufacturing in Lithuania
    Recently rated by Bloomberg as second in the world for tertiary efficiency, with a high proportion of its population entering university-level education, Lithuania is home to a multitude of advanced design and manufacturing companies. They include Elgama-Elektronika Ltd, based in Vilnius capital city.
  • Oct 5, 2021
    Careful choice of technical partners protects well-earned reputation
    Succeeding in electronic manufacturing services, in northern and western Europe, is dependent on delivering the utmost quality in every respect. Håkan Svensson knew this when he setup Nordic Industries & Technology AB in Sweden, in 1997
  • Mar 12, 2021
    A Lasting Partnership Builds Powerful Solutions
    Yamaha Robotics SMT Section is a trusted supplier of surface-mount assembly solutions, with six generations of high-speed precision mounters in action on the RSG Elotech production lines. In this article, we look at some of the highlights of the enduring connection between our two companies. With major customers in sectors such as automotive and industrial electronics, RSG Elotech is adept at dealing with complex assembly challenges and demands for flawless product quality, immense flexibility, and fast turnaround time. While helping those customers deal with rapid technological change, electrification is revolutionising automotive design and Industrie 4.0 is driving advanced cyber-physical systems into factory automation, the Company is also an accomplished manufacturer of advanced energy-saving technologies such as high-efficiency LED lighting. Diligently investing in cutting-edge capabilities has been central to its success.   Placing the 2.3 million surface-mount components that are handled on the nine highly automated production lines every day demands high speed, high accuracy, and high reliability. Not one ingredient can be missing. “Fortunately, we benefit from close links with Yamaha Robotics, a chosen partner whose dependable, inline mounters have brought outstanding speed and capabilities, with solid reliability, to our production activities,” comments Frank Lauterbach, RSG Elotech’s Technical Manager. Long-Term Connection The connection with Yamaha Robotics is long established. In fact, there are currently six generations of Yamaha inline mounters currently serving the production lines at RSG Elotech’s factory in Bad Lobenstein. Early machines, from Yamaha’s YV and YV II series, continue to deliver high productivity and are now working alongside the latest YS and high-speed modular YSM machines. “We have 24 Yamaha mounters in action right now,” confirms Frank Lauterbach, “And we enjoy excellent support for each one through Yamaha’s European service team.” Ralf Bierschenk, Chief Engineer at Yamaha Robotics comments, “We know that our customers need to maximise the return on each investment they make with us. That means supporting older machines to ensure years of dependable service, as well as helping unleash the maximum performance of the latest models.”   Three Yamaha YSM20 mounters in-line place up to 285,000 cph The current portfolio of Yamaha YSM mounters offers scalability from the one-beam/one-head YSM10R to the Z:TAR YSM40R, which combines four beams and four heads with advanced motion control and high-speed cameras giving the ability to place up to 200,000 cph. Additional Yamaha innovations such as simplified Auto-Loading Feeders (ALF) and the non-stop feeder-carriage exchange system are easy to use and save time at changeovers, and the Auto Tray Sequencer (ATS) boosts productivity by enabling non-stop loading of components in trays. Yamaha’s Factory Tools 4.0 software suite helps owners to setup and program the machines and monitor performance. The latest version includes the new Yamaha Dashboard, which embeds world-class data-analytics knowhow from Tableau Software to show performance graphically and assist with continuous improvement. Live production analytics let users manage their lines in real-time, while historical analysis tools help easily visualise important metrics such as down time, setup time, pickup errors, and causes of stoppages. The large feeder capacity of the Yamaha mounters enhances flexibility and efficiency Custom Line for LED Assembly Yamaha and RSG Elotech extended their co-operation even further by successfully engineering a special SMT line taking advantage of Yamaha YS12/YS12F mounters to handle PCBs up to 1800mm long. Conceived primarily to assemble large arrays of surface-mount LEDs, this unique line strengthens the Company’s position in energy-saving lighting and building-automation markets by enabling high productivity and fast turnaround times. “Our engineering group worked with the team at RSG Elotech to create special solutions for board transport and indexing, which are integrated with the standard mounter platform,” explains Ralf Bierschenk. “In addition, we integrated Yamaha’s automated BIN-code management software to assist with programming. It simplifies the notoriously complex challenge of correcting for differences in LED brightness and helps the production team manage their inventory of LEDs efficiently.”   He concludes, “Delivering this project has further strengthened the collaboration between our two companies, which has become an enduring success.“ For more information, please visit the website at https://smt.yamaha-motor-im.de/. About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha surface mount equipment is highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards. Yamaha SMT Section has created a strong business in the surface mount industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, 3D solder paste inspection, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers, dispensers and intelligent SMD storage system. This allows Yamaha SMT Section to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers. Yamaha SMT Section has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America provide a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients.  www.yamaha-motor-im.eu  
  • Mar 2, 2020
    Global Automotive Leader AW Europe Invests in Class-Leading Yamaha Solder Paste Printing Capability
    AW, part of the global Aisin Group, researches, develops, and manufactures cutting-edge automotive infotainment systems and electronically controlled automatic transmissions. The company serves major European and Asian carmakers that place extremely high requirements on every unit produced by their partners. Today’s car drivers interact with their vehicles extensively through the infotainment system, including configuring the many preferences and settings, and receiving navigation and driver assistance continuously while on the move. Electronic automatic transmission control units (ATCUs) must deliver driver satisfaction as well as controlling emissions. Both types of systems are critically connected with the vehicle-ownership experience, demanding not only advanced design but also faultless production quality and reliability. AW Europe, located in Braine l’Alleud (Brussels) for development and administration, builds the electronic control boards for the systems in-house using state-of-the-art surface-mount assembly lines in its Baudour plant (Mons) where most operational activities are based. Production quality meet stringent customer specifications while business pressures also demand high productivity. To be sure of the best results from the very beginning of assembly, the company installed two Yamaha YSP solder-paste printers, aided by Theo Loohuis and his team at Europe-SMT, Yamaha’s appointed sales representative for Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. After experiencing excellent results, including the outstanding speed and accuracy of the on-board 2D inspection system, the team purchased two more YSP printers for other lines in the factory. New Investment for Quality and Productivity “Our surface-mount assembly capabilities significantly influence the quality of our products, so we simply must have the best,” comments the team of AW Europe operations improvement and manufacturing engineers. “We need flexibility and fast product changeovers, to handle anything from prototype requirements from our R&D department, to rapid NPI, and full production. The Yamaha YSP printer has delivered superior ease of use, speed, repeatability, and automated features that save time setting up and programming the machines. It is also extremely reliable.” The Yamaha YSP printer contains advanced features to assist setup and enhance process control. Leveraging graphical base layer alignment, the stencil and board are quickly aligned within ± 10µm (6σ) for perfect paste on pad. The unique 3S Swing Single Squeegee head attack angle setting ensures the perfect filling of stencil apertures and excellent paste-volume repeatability. Automatic detection of remaining solder-paste quantity enables fast and easy refill by the Print Stability Control (PSC) system to ensure constant paste volume for excellent repeatability and minimise paste loss. In addition, automatic stencil cleaning at the optimum interval keeps the stencil surface clean and apertures clear to deliver perfect printed boards every time. Printing Quality Control by 2D Inspection Camera The Yamaha YSP printer contains a 2D inspection camera with a large field of view (30mm x 22.5mm) that can inspect the complete printed board with minimum impact on cycle time. With fast image capturing methods that leverage unique Yamaha inspection technology, the complete printing cycle time including inspection is faster than the mounting cycle times in each line. The inspection camera has a LED dome containing three annular rings at different angles, each containing LEDs of two different colours, to illuminate the complete board without shadows. At every view it captures two images with one top light and one side light. This gives a 2.5D inspection result due to excellent contrast between the solder paste, the board surface, and the solder pads. Comprehensive inspection modes include paste positioning, paste volume, bridging, and excess paste on pad. By testing the Yamaha YSP built-in 2D inspection capability against the inline 3D SPI machines already in place, the team at AW Europe confirmed the performance is just as fast and thorough as a dedicated standalone inspection system. This gave them confidence to rely on the Yamaha YSP printer’s 2D camera and inspection system, and save the burden of running additonal SPI machines in the lines. “2D inspection with the Yamaha YSP printer delivers the same high level of solder-paste inspection capability as we had before, allowing us to provide the same, excellent quality assurance,”agrees Ludovic Anciaux, Senior Operations Improvement Engineer. Easy Access to Superior Capability Impressed overall by the simplicity of the acquisition process, supported by Yamaha and Europe-SMT from the first equipment evaluations and help to choose the most suitable features and options, to delivery, setup, and operator training, he adds, “The service and support has been excellent, the equipment was installed and ready to use extremely quickly, and the machines are so reliable and intuitive that we have become highly proficient and productive in a very short space of time. Every experience has confirmed we made the right decision.” About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha surface mount equipment is highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards. Yamaha SMT Section has created a strong business in the surface mount industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, 3D solder paste inspection, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers and dispensers. This allows Yamaha SMT Section to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers. Yamaha SMT Section has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America provide a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients. www.yamaha-motor-im.eu Contact info Oumayma Grad Marketing Communications Manager Hansemannstraße 12 41468 Neuss Germany Office: +49 2131 2013 538 Mobile: +49 1517 0233 297 Fax: +49 2131 2013 550 Email: oumayma.grad@yamaha-motor.de Web: www.yamaha-motor-im.eu
  • Oct 18, 2018
    Yamaha Total Line Installation at Nidec UK
    Yamaha Motor Europe IM Division has announced a major order for a complete surface-mount assembly line from Control Techniques, part of the Nidec Group, including the first UK purchase of Yamaha’s new YST15 component tower. The investment will boost efficiency, capacity, and assembly capabilities at the Newtown, UK based producer of advanced motor drives and power-conversion technologies. The high-speed surface-mount line comprises Yamaha’s latest YSP printer, four YSM20 mounters, YSi-V as powerful 2D + 3D inspection system that delivers industry-leading performance. The YST15 component tower stores up to 1500 reels and can load or unload up to 27 reels as a batch, interacting with the line through Yamaha Factory software tools. “Our new state-of-the-art Yamaha assembly line, with advanced 3D optical inspection and connected component storage, enhances our ability to produce technically advanced and compact motor controls, and continuously raise delivery performance and value for customers,” said Deep Sheth, Industrial Engineering Manager, Control Techniques. Mr. Ichiro Arimoto, General Manager of Yamaha Motor Europe N.V., IM Business, added, “I am pleased that Control Techniques has chosen a Yamaha Total Line to strengthen the enterprise for the future. We look forward to working with our valued customer, as one of the first to integrate intelligent storage with the YST15, and an adopter of our cutting-edge 3D optical inspection technology, to realise the full performance potential of the Total Line Solution.” About Control Techniques Control Techniques, a Nidec company, is a world leader in the design and production of electronic variable speed drives for the control of electric motors. Founded in 1973, the company has headquarters in Newtown, Wales. It has dedicated production and R&D sites globally, along with Automation Centres in 45 locations around the world. For further information, please visit acim.nidec.com/drives/control-techniques About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha surface mount equipment is highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards. Yamaha SMT Section has created a strong business in the surface mount industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, 3D solder paste inspection, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers and dispensers. This allows Yamaha SMT Section to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers. Yamaha SMT Section has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America provide a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients. www.yamaha-motor-im.eu Contact info Oumayma Grad Marketing Communications Manager Hansemannstraße 12 41468 Neuss Germany Office: +49 2131 2013 538 Mobile: +49 1517 0233 297 Fax: +49 2131 2013 550 Email: oumayma.grad@yamaha-motor.de Web: www.yamaha-motor-im.eu
  • Feb 6, 2017
    Getting the Right Balance of Human Qualities and Advanced Automation
    Tuscan Manufacturing Services Specialist MB Elettronica has consistently chosen Yamaha SMT equipment to provide a technological edge that complements the company’s investment in its people Roberto Banelli, CEO of MB Elettronica, believes successful manufacturing in Europe depends on keeping the right balance between the human abilities to visualise and adapt, and technological innovation to handle state-of-the-art processes cost-effectively. MB Elettronica was formed in 1988 in Cortona, near Arezzo in Tuscany, Italy, and became one of the country’s first surface-mount electronic manufacturing services businesses. In fact, its history reaches back further, to 1961, when Roberto’s father Francesco Banelli started the firm CAFEL, assembling mechanisms for consumer audio products. As MB Elettronica embraced the new surface-mount technology, the new company grew with the emerging contract electronics manufacturing sector. Typical contracts involved building high-quality assemblies in large numbers – usually several thousand units each – for a select few customers. As the pattern of manufacturing in Europe changed dramatically in the 1990s, MB Elettronica adapted by advancing its capabilities and reaching out to the new generation of high-tech businesses; small, dynamic, innovative, and pushing the boundaries in specialist fields such as railway control and signalling, medical technology, high-speed telecommunications, and aerospace. Central to its ability to address these new opportunities, MB Elettronica had invested in advanced manufacturing technology. In 1995, one of the world’s first surface-mount placement platforms to feature on-board machine vision took its place on the factory floor in Cortona, boosting the company’s ability to deliver extremely high quality assemblies quickly and cost-effectively. The purchase of that machine, a Yamaha Comet, was an important part of a sustained investment in technology and people that has powered the company to its present position, with annual sales now exceeding €32 million. Capabilities, and the Human Dimension The company’s wide-ranging in-house skills now permit a complete portfolio of lifecycle services, beginning with proof of concept work and rapid prototyping, as well as Design for Manufacture (DFM), component engineering, materials management, re-engineering, redesign, and repair and maintenance. “Our engineering services have saved customers not only many Euros but also valuable cubic centimetres inside enclosures through improvements to aspects like board layout, component selection and power consumption,” explains Roberto Banelli. As far as surface-mount product manufacturing is concerned, services range from straightforward board assembly to complete box-build, leveraging extensive in-house skills including wiring and designing and assembling high-quality cables and harnesses. “Cabling is in our DNA, from the 1960s, so it is natural that this should differentiate our box-build offer. We also offer cable assembly as a specialist service in its own right,” he adds. By continuous investment in capabilities, the company has built a broad portfolio of competencies including conformal coating, rework including BGA packages, and the use of structural adhesives. Massimo Morandi, Site Manager takes up the story. “Our customers often require electronic assemblies to operate in harsh environments for long periods, frequently up to 10 years or more. Our competencies with coatings, adhesives and other processes give us many options to ensure ruggedness and reliability.” Highlighting the company’s extensive test-engineering capabilities, he lists Keysight, SEICA, HP and SPEA in-circuit board test capabilities, as well as flying-probe, boundary scan, and custom functional test among the techniques on offer. “We can also offer materials-management services as well as component-level traceability. This is supported through our custom-developed manufacturing-management software, which passes information seamlessly between our automated assembly equipment and enterprise systems.” Perhaps one of the most remarkable facilities at MB Elettronica’s Cortona factory is the well-equipped ISO Class-8 space-qualified clean room with facilities including surface-mount assembly, vapour-phase soldering, automatic optical inspection (AOI) and microscopy. This provides the cornerstone of the company’s advanced capabilities for space projects, capable of specialised processes such as baking, degolding, pre-tinning and pre-forming. Moreover, in addition to ISO 9001 and 9100 quality approvals, the company has also recently been awarded International Railway Industry Standard (IRIS) and ISO-TS certifications. “We can demonstrate the highest credentials for building and handling electronic assemblies for the most demanding industries,” confirms Roberto Banelli. “We are also very proud of the standards our staff have achieved, which include important industry accreditations such as IPC-A-610, and ECSS (European Cooperation for Space Standardization).” The company’s investment in skills and training reflects the Banelli family’s belief in balancing human qualities with advanced technologies. “We value highly the experience and knowhow of our longstanding employees, and at the same time seek to encourage young talent to grow with the organisation. The enthusiasm and openness of youth are vital to keep the business moving forward, and we encourage this in several ways,” explains Roberto Banelli. Not the least of these is the MB Elettronica industrial mentoring scheme. Each year, this scheme gives 20 young people the chance to come and spend time with the company’s experts, and to follow practical and theoretical courses. Their time ends with an examination. “Achieving a good score adds value to the time spent with us.” State-of-the-Art Surface Mount In all, MB Elettronica has 4000m2 of factory space, organised on two levels. While the upper level houses support services, the ground level is dominated by four surface-mount assembly lines (figure 1). Driving each one, inline Yamaha YS12 and YS12F mounters deliver total placement capacity of 200,000 components per hour. Roberto Banelli explains the decision to extend his company’s partnership with Yamaha, “Our first Comet mounter gave us a technical edge in the mid-1990s, and we were delighted to find Yamaha still setting the pace in 2014 as we planned this significant upgrade and expansion of the factory’s facilities.” The Yamaha platforms can place package types down to 0402 metric (01005) chip-size devices, and the YS12F can handle components up to 45mm x 100mm and 15mm high including challenging components such as large QFPs, surface-mount electrolytic capacitors or long board-mounted connectors. By featuring Yamaha’s multi-angle camera system for component verification and alignment, these state-of-the-art mounters ensure extremely high placement accuracy, even with ultra fine-pitch components. In addition, Yamaha’s Multiple Accuracy Compensation System (MACS) corrects automatically for machine variables to maintain consistent 3-sigma accuracy within ±5µm. The high mix of specialised products MB Elettronica is now building, typically in small numbers of a few tens or hundreds of units, demands extremely flexible equipment and processes. The Yamaha mounters are engineered for fast and easy setup, with features to streamline program generation and with the added advantage of intelligent electric feeders with built-in component identification. The Cortona surface-mount lines are fed by Yamaha printers, including YSP high-speed printers and the compact YCP10. The YCP10 accepts the same PCB-size range as the YSP, up to 510mm x 460mm, in a highly space-efficient 1.13m x 1.76m machine footprint. Powerful features shared by the two types include built-in barcode monitoring for efficient setup, as well as Yamaha’s 3S Swing Single-Squeegee head and automatic Filling Adjust that ensure consistent aperture filling on every print stroke. The 3S head allows continuous variation of the squeegee angle, and Filling Adjust compensates for the effects of stencil cleaning. In addition, the YSP and YCP10 come with powerful options such as wide-view print inspection and bad-mark transfer that shares information with downstream equipment to help minimise waste and boost productivity. Support to Optimise Efficiency The investment made by MB Elettronica in advanced technology spreads throughout the entire factory floor. Six automated component tower systems are clustered to store and manage components, helping operators quickly gather the parts they need and minimise feeder setup times. As the business evolved and expanded into the new millennium, including growing capacity by investing in the new high-speed Yamaha-based lines in 2014, Roberto Banelli and his management team identified the need to reorganise the factory floor to make the most of the space and increased production capacity. In the summer of 2016, they decided the time was right to go ahead. Supported by partners, including Yamaha as the single biggest capital equipment supplier, the project was completed within just two weeks, including complete renovation of the factory’s floor. “We absolutely had to complete this ambitious project within a two-week time window, to be ready to deliver the first batch of a new product for one of our customers in September,” says Massimo Morandi. “The support we received from Yamaha and Mancini, the Yamaha representative here in Italy, was tremendous. I would say it was pivotal in enabling us to meet the ambitious timetable we set for ourselves.” MB Elettronica continues to look forward, investing in advanced technologies and capabilities, building close partnerships with suppliers such as Yamaha, and helping to develop tomorrow’s engineers and production experts. Increasing international business development, directed by International sales and finance head Daniela Banelli, is the next important goal for this ambitious company. Currently, about 20% of sales come from outside Italy, and this is expected to increase as the company keeps investing in the technology and skills to move forward. About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha surface mount equipment is highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards. Yamaha SMT Section has created a strong business in the surface mount industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, 3D solder paste inspection, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers and dispensers. This allows Yamaha SMT Section to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers. Yamaha SMT Section has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America provide a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients. www.yamaha-motor-im.eu Contact info Oumayma Grad Marketing Communications Manager Hansemannstraße 12 41468 Neuss Germany Office: +49 2131 2013 538 Mobile: +49 1517 0233 297 Fax: +49 2131 2013 550 Email: oumayma.grad@yamaha-motor.de Web: www.yamaha-motor-im.eu
  • Jun 28, 2016
    C-LED Partners with Yamaha Intelligent Machines to Drive the Pace of LED-Lighting Progress
    Converting the world’s lighting to LED technology presents a tremendous opportunity for electronics manufacturers to help lower CO2 emissions and revolutionise living and working environments for people everywhere. C-LED of Imola in Italy – a new manufacturing services company within the industrial group CEFLA – is rising to the opportunity. As a new business run by an experienced team, C-LED is focused on delivering advanced assembly know-how to support innovative OEM partners in markets such as industrial lighting, visual merchandising, interior design, and outdoor lighting. After a comprehensive audit of potential suppliers, the company chose Yamaha Intelligent Machines to provide the surface-mount placement and inspection capability that are critical for success in LED-lighting markets. The company’s origins are as a provider of specialist electronics assembly capabilities to partners within the CEFLA group that supply a variety of scientific and commercial equipment. The C-LED team has over 30 years’ experience building precision electronics including LED-based illuminations for dentistry equipment such as intra-oral cameras with precision colour-temperature control, optical sterilisation equipment, and intelligent shop-fittings.C-LED aims to inspire faster development of LED-lighting technology from its new factory in Imola, near Bologna. Contact info Oumayma Grad Marketing Communications Manager Hansemannstraße 12 41468 Neuss Germany Office: +49 2131 2013 538 Mobile: +49 1517 0233 297 Fax: +49 2131 2013 550 Email: oumayma.grad@yamaha-motor.de Web: www.yamaha-motor-im.eu Fresh Energy for the Advanced Lighting Market C-LED was born from this captive business unit, with a mission to accelerate innovation in commercial LED-lighting markets. Its focus encompasses not only advanced and imaginative LED assemblies, but also complementary solutions such as proximity sensing and wireless control for smart lighting, as well as advanced retail beacons that can pinpoint the locations of customers as they move within a store. “The LED-lighting market continues to evolve quickly as successive generations of emitters offer better performance and efficiency, and as more and more intelligence is driven into lighting systems. We saw the opportunity to establish C-LED as independent manufacturing business unit, and apply our expertise and R&D resources to continue driving the pace of progress by partnering closely with leading OEMs,” Enzo Cuoghi, C-LED General Manager and a 35-year industry veteran, explains the principles that drove the new company’s inception. “With the backing of CEFLA, we wanted to enter the market with fresh, state-of-the-art facilities throughout the enterprise,” he continues. “It is important always to offer the most modern capabilities, with the speed and flexibility to help customers set new standards in their own marketplaces. Our surface-mount assembly capability is the anchor for our business, and to ensure we made the right investments we decided to audit a number of leading brands. We sought not only the best equipment, but also a true partner to work closely with us in the long term.” C-LED’s technical team was able to draw on many years of experience working with a number of well-known equipment suppliers. Starting with a clean sheet, they were free to choose the best proposal to realise the company’s ambitions. “We needed to build assemblies in very high volumes, consistently achieving extremely high levels of quality,” explains Enzo Cuoghi. “At the same time we knew we would need to be ultra-flexible, capable of producing many different types of products and changing over very quickly. Moreover, it was very important to us that our chosen partner would be close by and able to work with us to setup the equipment, train our operators quickly, and remain engaged to help us maximise performance and productivity.” The Best Choices for the New Factory After evaluating offers from several major surface-mount equipment brands, Enzo and his team at C-LED found that Yamaha offered the best solution both in terms of equipment performance and the depth of support available. At the heart of the state-of-the-art SMT line now in action at C-LED’s brand new factory are two Yamaha Z:LEX YSM20 dual-stage two-beam mounters. Each machine is capable of placing components down to 03015 size, at up to 90,000 cph, on boards as large as 810mm x 490mm. The equipment was delivered quickly, on schedule to fit in with C-LED’s launch plans, and Yamaha provided support to setup the machines and deliver initial operator training. Adjustments were completed as the line was assembled, enabling production to start as soon as the factory was ready. “Our operators have become productive quickly, thanks to Yamaha’s highly effective training. The YSM20s deliver the perfect combination of high-volume placement and the ability to handle our high-mix production needs,” says Enzo Cuoghi. “We usually need to do two to three product changeovers per day.” The YSM20 is designed for flexibility in every way, from the wide range of component sizes supported, to the feeder and carriage systems that help streamline changeovers and minimise machine-stop time. There are also built-in features such as high-speed smart recognition for custom or standard components and the clear graphical user interface that simplifies setup and management of the machine. Zero time overhead for side-view component-pickup detection, and automatic nozzle cleaning, also enable the machine to work quickly for extended periods with minimal operator intervention. A choice of 10-nozzle High-speed Multi-purpose (HM) or 5-nozzle Flexible Multi-purpose (FM) heads gives broad component-placement capability. The HM head can pick and place components from 03015 chip-size passives to ICs and connectors up to 45mm x 100mm and up to 15mm high. This gives C-LED ample capability to place LED emitters ranging from small units up to large multi-die high-power devices. With the FM head’s expanded range of 55mm x 100mm and 25mm high, even large and tall devices such as capacitors and special connectors can be placed confidently. Each dual-beam YSM20 accepts two heads, and any combination of HM and FM heads can be fitted to meet various production demands. “This extreme flexibility, to work with a wide component-size range and accept boards up to unusually large sizes, is essential for us, as the LED-lighting markets continue to evolve quickly and explore new applications, markets, and creative avenues,” explains Enzo Cuoghi. He adds that high accuracy and precision are equally vital, as the LED boards ultimately must align with mechanical fittings and optical subsystems such as lenses and reflectors that have a critical role in directing the light for maximum effectiveness. The high accuracy and repeatability of the YSM20, maintaining 3σ at ±25µm, gives complete confidence in the quality of the end result. Commitment to Quality C-LED’s commitment to precision and quality is abundantly clear throughout the freshly-kitted factory. There is scrupulous attention to cleanliness, evident in equipment such as the anti-static air knife that purges bare boards from any suspicion of dust particles that could interfere with the precise alignment of the LED emitters or the quality of reflow solder joints. “We think our line is more or less unique in the industry, in this respect,” comments Enzo Cuoghi. To take care of quality on the other side of the soldering process, C-LED has chosen a Yamaha YSi-V 3D Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI) machine. This is currently being used offline, which Enzo Cuoghi explains gives the greatest flexibility to inspect prototypes or production units as and when the company needs. The YSi-V provides the benefit of Yamaha’s well-known multi-angle, multi-wavelength inspection using red, green, blue and infrared sources, which ensures ultra-dependable defect detection with minimum false calls. In addition, the machine’s built in laser height inspection is extremely effective at detecting any coplanarity errors that can indicate problems with mounting or soldering processes. “Choosing to work with Yamaha was clearly the best decision for us,” concludes Enzo Cuoghi. “The YSM20 mounters and YSi-V AOI have surpassed our expectations, and we are already benefiting from the professional partnership we desired. Yamaha has proved to have the best technology, as well as reliable and efficient structures to provide the long-term support we need. It’s a secure foundation that enables us to concentrate on delivering our energy and experience to the advanced lighting market.” About Cefla Cefla is an Italian multi-business organisation, founded in 1932 in Imola, where it has its head offices and large-scale production facilities. The business is strongly established at international level and can count on some thirty branches (of which about half are manufacturing facilities) in several countries, employing nearly two thousand people. Cefla does business in four specific areas: Cefla Plant Solutions (civil and industrial plant engineering for the energy sector); Cefla Shopfitting (shop equipment and customised retail outlet solutions); Cefla Finishing (machines and complete plants for coating and finishing); Cefla Medical Equipment (equipment for the dental and medical sectors). Cefla’s strength comes from the principles that have been its hallmark since it was founded: strategic vision and long-term planning, investment in technology and innovation, financial soundness. Corporate web-site: cefla.com About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha surface mount equipment is highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards. Yamaha SMT Section has created a strong business in the surface mount industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, 3D solder paste inspection, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers and dispensers. This allows Yamaha SMT Section to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers. Yamaha SMT Section has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America provide a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients. www.yamaha-motor-im.eu
  • Jan 28, 2016
    GR Elettronica Boosts Capabilities with Yamaha Intelligent Machinery for Established and Potential Clients
    Contract manufacturing, like most areas of industry, has encountered tough conditions during the recent economic recession. GR Elettronica, based in Osimo near Ancona in Italy, has invested consistently in technologies and skills throughout the period, but has made an even larger commitment in 2015 by installing a complete new Yamaha Total Line Solution based on the Yamaha Motor IM intelligent SMT assembly system. “We decided that bold action was necessary,” explains Ms Simonetta Giuliodori, President of GR Elettronica. “We could see that the economic situation was not improving quickly. Instead of waiting for better times, we took action to establish a clear technical lead in the marketplace and position ourselves to win next-generation advanced projects.” Executing this strategy took Simonetta Giuliodori and her team from GR Elettronica to Yamaha IM in Neuss, Germany, at the invitation of Luigi Mancini, Business Manager for Mancini Enterprise, which is the Yamaha IM sales representative in Italy. Luigi Mancini observes, “The Yamaha intelligent assembly system prioritises efficiency, flexibility and quality, presenting an ideal platform for GR Elettronica to strengthen its position and address new market sectors.” Seeing is Deciding At the Yamaha IM headquarters, the visitors were able to see for themselves the advanced machine capabilities and understand Yamaha’s intelligent system concept that helps enhance both quality and productivity. The Yamaha YSP printer gives flexibility to maintain process control with the unique 3S (swing single squeegee) head, which varies the squeegee angle automatically to accommodate changes such as paste exposure and stencil cleaning cycles. With its advanced Print Stability Control and high-speed inspection camera, the YSP is designed to solve today’s most exacting printing challenges, such as depositing paste for LGA packages or 03015 (0.3mmx0.15mm) passives. The latest Yamaha IM mounters, including the YS12 and 2-beam 2-head YS24 are able to handle a wide range of package types, including small electrolytic capacitors and ICs up to 32mm x 32mm. The YS24X can accept larger components, such as QFP ICs, large electrolytic and connectors up to 100mm long or 15mm high. Yamaha’s one-head solution ensures optimum speed and flexibility when working with all component types. In addition, Yamaha’s Multiple Accuracy Compensation System (MACS) makes automatic adjustments to keep accuracy within 10µm at all times. The team from GR Elettronica also saw the YSi-12 optical inspection station in action, with its multi-angle, multi-wavelength optics including infrared for maximum defect-detection capability. Additional laser-based vertical displacement checking enhances detection of partially lifted components or leads, and enhanced checking for horizontal alignment eliminates the effects of variations in pad size or shape. “We felt immediately that we had to have these capabilities, and moved quickly to place an order,” says Simonetta Giuliodori, firmly. “We were especially inspired to see how the common software platform unifies all machines in the line, which helps streamline routine actions such as programming. This and the closed-loop feedback with QA Option software, which yields a significant improvement in quality control, were major factors that ultimately influenced our decision.”The common software platform underlying Yamaha’s intelligent SMT assembly system allows rich data communication between all machines in the line. This dramatically simplifies routine tasks such as machine programming. One-click generation of AOI programs for the YSi-12, for example, boosts engineering productivity and eliminates human intervention which is known to be a major reason for errors in manually generated programs. QA Option takes advantage of the rich interfaces between the Yamaha intelligent machines to analyse streaming data in real-time and use AOI results to trace back of any defects to their point of origin. The system is able to identify the exact cause of the defect, giving operators the option to stop the line immediately or wait until the next convenient opportunity, depending on the seriousness of the problem. The New Line Delivers Taking advantage of Yamaha’s Risk-Free Purchase terms, GR Elettronica ordered a YSP printer, YS12, YS24 and YS24X mounters, and a YSi-12 optical inspection machine for delivery in early 2015. Yamaha has also supplied the QA Option software. “We usually schedule any major equipment upgrades for times when we are less busy, such as during summer breaks or after Christmas, but the time was right to move forward as quickly as possible, and we decided to commit to the change while we were engaged in a high level of activity with our current clients,” explains Simonetta Giuliodori. “It was a great effort for all of us, but we succeeded and the result is already proving extremely rewarding.” Since installing its new Yamaha line, GR Elettronica is positioned more strongly than ever to win prestigious contracts in sectors such as industrial, automotive, high-end audio/video, wireless/wireline communications, medical electronics and military. In particular, the automotive sector is a key target market. The company is now in a position to invite audits from the leading names including car makers. “Our new line gives us technical capabilities that can stand up to any competition.” By taking advantage of its new Yamaha Total Line Solution with advanced technologies and rigorous process disciplines throughout the enterprise, GR Elettronica is able to set very aggressive objectives in terms of ppm rates “This allows us to be disruptive in our target markets, as it is very unusual in Italy for a company of our size to be able to achieve such impressive ppm rates and maintain this level consistently in volume production,” comments Simonetta Giuliodori.“We have enjoyed highly attentive and knowledgeable support from Yamaha to help us understand the finer points of the new line and achieve the maximum possible performance. This has given us the confidence to promise very high performance standards for our customers, knowing that we will be able to satisfy their requirements completely.” Now equipped with the intelligent SMT system from Yamaha, GR Elettronica will soon complete its IOS TS certification, which will further enhance its credentials in the automotive sector, and has already invited audits from new potential customers. “We are working with customers who are the leading brands in their respective markets,” confirms Simonetta Giuliodori. “Our boldness, in making this major investment with Yamaha IM in new and advanced technology, is already delivering excellent results.” About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha surface mount equipment is highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards. Yamaha SMT Section has created a strong business in the surface mount industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, 3D solder paste inspection, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers and dispensers. This allows Yamaha SMT Section to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers. Yamaha SMT Section has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America provide a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients. www.yamaha-motor-im.eu Contact info Oumayma Grad Marketing Communications Manager Hansemannstraße 12 41468 Neuss Germany Office: +49 2131 2013 538 Mobile: +49 1517 0233 297 Fax: +49 2131 2013 550 Email: oumayma.grad@yamaha-motor.de Web: www.yamaha-motor-im.eu
  • Mar 19, 2015
    HBS Electronics: New Manufacturing Startup Hits the Ground Running, with Industry’s Best Technology
    Europe’s high-tech manufacturers are thriving by taking advantage of the latest industrial technology to maximise their technical capabilities, flexibility, quality and productivity. Launching into this competitive environment, new UK-based startup HBS Electronics has built its brand new SMT line with high-specification Yamaha equipment to secure a leading position. HBS Electronics is a new division of successful aerospace equipment innovator MEL Group. Having identified the opportunity for advanced and flexible SMT assembly in the south of the UK, MEL Managing Director Gary Harvey moved quickly to get the people he needed to start the company. First choice was Dave Carroway to lead the venture, tasked with starting up from an available unit in Medstead near Winchester, Hampshire. Dave Carroway shows off the new SMT line at HBS Electronics in Medstead, Hampshire. Since commissioning its new premises, HBS Electronics has successfully delivered first prototypes of an advanced noise-cancelling aircraft headset for a government defence project. A production order is expected soon. “We finalised the prototype design here using our in-house CAD facilities. It’s more technically advanced and better priced than headsets currently in service, and the fast turnaround we can deliver on production orders should give us an extra edge over competing bids,” says Dave Carroway. One reason for his confidence is the brand new Yamaha SMT line that he can see on the other side of his office window in the new factory. “As a startup with few restrictions and no legacy equipment to influence our decisions, we were free to choose the best possible equipment for our requirements,” he explains. “When it came to the SMT equipment, we studied all the available options and chose Yamaha for superior performance, advanced capabilities and line-wide integration.” The Line in Detail On the pristine factory floor at HBS Electronics, a high-specification Yamaha YSP printer with PSC (Print Stability Control) and full vision inspection feeds a combination of YS12 and YS88 mounters that give placement capacity of up to 44,000 cph. This should deliver enough throughput to meet the needs of HBS’s target customers, who are OEMs in sectors such as aerospace, automotive and high-end industrial with low- to mid-volume requirements and a demand for advanced assembly capabilities, short delivery times and fast, flexible response. With 108 feeder positions for the YS12 mounter, plus up to 60 feeders on the YS24 with an extra 30 tray feeders to handle odd-form components, HBS has the flexibility to build assemblies that have high component count and contain a wide range of component types. The high feeder capacities also allow faster product changeovers. The Yamaha machines feed a 10-zone Electrovert Omni 10 oven at the end of the surface-mount line. The YSP printer at the head of the line has Yamaha’s 3S (Swing Single Squeegee) head and vacuum stencil alignment, which together help ensure optimum repeatability under all manufacturing conditions. In addition, the print stability control (PSC) monitors and dispenses solder paste automatically to maintain condition and ensure consistent paste-roll volume for optimum aperture filling. In addition, integrated full vision inspection helps operators identify and fix the causes of any print defects quickly and economically. The HBS team is also considering adding a YSi-12 inline inspection station for post-mounting inspection. The YSi-12, which has visible-light and infrared inspection as well as a laser for z-axis measurement, provides defect-detection data for Yamaha’s QA Option software. QA Option compares inspection results with the mounter output files to provide real-time alerts with rich diagnostics that can pinpoint the causes of any defects, such as a blocked nozzle or incorrectly loaded feeder. Making it Happen The YSi-12 is an option for the future. Dave Carroway’s primary concern has been to get the new line up and running as productively as possible, and he has been delighted at the commitment from Yamaha to help achieve it. “Over the course of the project Yamaha has made three field engineers available to us, to help install and commission the line, and provide training including how to get the best from the software,” he says. “We have also received valuable help to choose the right feeders for our needs.” All the Yamaha machines in HBS’s line are run and coordinated by Yamaha’s P-Tool data-programming software, part of Yamaha’s modular Factory Automation Software suite. P-Tool enables offline programming of the entire line, and interacts via a single user interface that is convenient and easy to understand. “Offline programming helps minimise changeover times and reduce setup costs, and is a key factor enabling us to offer very competitive pricing for customers,” says Gordon Traviss, Production Manager at HBS. “The CAD-BOM data import is smooth and accurate, and the setup optimisation tools are very easy to use,” he adds. P-Tool features a visual editor that provides virtual sticky tape functionality, and also includes line-balancing utilities for factories with multiple Yamaha SMT lines. The Factory Automation suite also contains optional modules for real-time line monitoring and reporting (M-Tool), setup navigation (S-Tool) and traceability to lot, unit and component levels (T-Tool). Looking Ahead In addition to its automated SMT line, HBS has invested in even more equipment to support a full range of services including through-hole assembly, manual visual inspection, conformal coating, wiring and box build. The new company can also deliver PCB design and Design for Manufacture/Test (DFM/DFT) services, and has its own in-house software development expertise. HBS is able to leverage its links with MEL Group to maximise efficiency and productivity. Leveraging MEL’s group-wide quality-management system provides the benefits of AS9100 certification as well as extensive American and European defence-procurement endorsements. The central MEL procurement system handles purchasing and kitting, and ships completed kits to HBS ready for production. “This allows us to stay lean, and focus on our core activities, which ultimately delivers great value for customers,” says Dave Carroway. “With Yamaha’s help, we were able to get the factory up and running from a standing start in less than eight weeks. We are already working on improvements for the future and planning to expand the factory into the adjacent unit. I’m looking forward to having Yamaha’s support to make the next phase of our evolution as successful as the first.” About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha surface mount equipment is highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards. Yamaha SMT Section has created a strong business in the surface mount industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, 3D solder paste inspection, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers and dispensers. This allows Yamaha SMT Section to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers. Yamaha SMT Section has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America provide a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients. www.yamaha-motor-im.eu Contact info Oumayma Grad Marketing Communications Manager Hansemannstraße 12 41468 Neuss Germany Office: +49 2131 2013 538 Mobile: +49 1517 0233 297 Fax: +49 2131 2013 550 Email: oumayma.grad@yamaha-motor.de Web: www.yamaha-motor-im.eu
  • Mar 19, 2015
    GR Elettronica Invests in Complete New Yamaha SMT
    Targeting Business Growth through Advanced Capabilities, Productivity and Quality. Strongly committed to enhancing its leadership not only in Italy but also in Europe, GR Elettronica is glad to announce its strategic cooperation with Yamaha Motor IM Europe GmbH. Over three days, from January 28-30, delegates talked business, toured the newly opened 52,000m2 factory, and took time out at Yamaha Communication Plaza – the exhibition facility Yamaha created to share its pursuit of kando* through the exciting products of the past, present, and future. Such cooperation will shortly translate into the implementation of a new complete SMT production line aimed not only to remarkably reduce production failure rates but also to cut the relevant costs, thus setting a new technological standard in the entire EMS industry for businesses whose sizes are comparable to GR Elettronica’s. The line is made up of the YSP screen printer, latest-generation mounters, and pre-reflow AOI with closed-loop software allowing the prompt identification of even tiny problems in key pre-reflow processes. This operating mode paves the way for an entirely new concept of “rework” as it has been understood so far. In addition Yamaha’s unified manufacturing and control software links the entire line, which enables GR Elettronica to significantly revise its production process aiming at an ideal combination of Total Quality (Zero Failure Trend) and highly-competitive production efficiency. The availability of the technology as combined with GR Elettronica’s own operating features undoubtedly is a unique chance OEMs seeking a European EMS partner that sets a benchmark in terms of production quality, sustainable costs, reduced downtime, and rapid handling of manufacturing processes for unbeatable Time To Market. GR Elettronica can also assure absolutely certain production repeatability in the case of several batches of the same product distributed over time, hand in hand with total traceability. Always with a view to continuous improvement, which GR Elettronica deems to be the only way towards full customer satisfaction. “The choice of Yamaha stems from the amazing like-minded interaction between a Japanese giant and an Italian SME such as GR Elettronica in fully meeting our production and support requirements” said GR Elettronica President Ms Simonetta Giuliodori. The Yamaha YS series is a complete, intelligent SMT assembly system comprising the YSP precision printer, modular high-speed, general-purpose and wide-range component mounters offering placement capability up to 72k-50k cph (IPC9850), and the YSi-12 and YSi-S high-speed precision hybrid inspectors for inline or standalone AOI. Key features of the YS series include advanced print capabilities with print stability control, vision inspection and 3S swing-squeegee head for optimum process control. The mounters have compact dimensions allowing superb area productivity and large feeder capacity, and maintain their consistent precision with Yamaha’s advanced Multiple Accuracy Compensation System. As a complete, intelligent system, the YS SMT line benefits from productivity-boosting features such as one-click AOI program creation. Yamaha’s control and monitoring software unifies the YS line, promoting seamless interactions, helping minimise setup and changeover times, and supporting traceability and continuous improvement. In addition, Yamaha’s closed-loop technology feeds back data from pre-reflow 2D inspection, allowing real-time diagnostics to pinpoint the root cause of any detected defect. The software’s built-in long-term analysis capabilities also allow predictive maintenance, which helps maximise productivity and minimise equipment downtime. “Yamaha’s approach is always to cooperate closely with our customers and maintain long-term commitment, to help them gain the maximum competitive advantage using our advanced technologies. Working together, to be stronger, is the surest route to success in today’s market,” said Yamaha Europe General Manager SMT Business Group Mr Patrick de Wit. GR Elettronica is an Italian company with more than 40 years‘ experience in electronic manufacturing contract services. It has the most appropriate size, know-how and technological characteristics to meet the production requirements of innovative industries such as Telecom/Datacom, Industrial Controls, Medical, Military, and Automotive. GR Elettronica can handle the entire production flow: from the procurement and tracking of electronic/electromechanical components and plastic and/or mechanical parts to assembling (SMT, PoP, THT), testing, packaging and after sales support/maintenance of boards or finished items. Besides being ISO 9001-certified and an IPC member, it has been granted Rating 1 by Cribis and its ISO TS certification process is currently under way – to be completed in 2015. www.grelettronica.it About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha surface mount equipment is highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards. Yamaha SMT Section has created a strong business in the surface mount industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, 3D solder paste inspection, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers and dispensers. This allows Yamaha SMT Section to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers. Yamaha SMT Section has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America provide a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients. www.yamaha-motor-im.eu Contact info Oumayma Grad Marketing Communications Manager Hansemannstraße 12 41468 Neuss Germany Office: +49 2131 2013 538 Mobile: +49 1517 0233 297 Fax: +49 2131 2013 550 Email: oumayma.grad@yamaha-motor.de Web: www.yamaha-motor-im.eu
  • Aug 15, 2014
    Yamaha Factory Tools Innovations
    Measure to Improve Performance Monitor Tool Upgrades Bring New Energy to Kaizen. The latest upgrades to M-Tool line-monitoring software, part of feature-rich Yamaha Factory Tools (Y.Fact) assembly management suite, provide powerful reporting capabilities for operators, managers and directors, giving all the information needed to keep lines running smoothly and ensure that kaizen – continuous improvement – can deliver the best possible results. Yamaha’s Y.FacTassembly managementsoftware is a powerful and affordable toolset that addresses every aspect of setting up, operating and continuously improving surface-mount production. This modular suite comprises P-Tool for programming, S-Tool for setup navigation, T-Tool for traceability, and M-Tool for monitoring and data analysis. The latest upgrades to M-Tool add advanced database-management and user-interface features to support real-time monitoring and historical analysis, which enable operators and managers to keep lines productive and sustain the drive to continuously improve. Hochkant und Querkant max. Breite 600px Mancini Enterprise Group received the Yamaha Motor Europe Most Valuable Distributor Award 2019 from Mr Ryosuke Nakamura, Yamaha Motor Europe Branch Manager. Hochkant und Querkant max. Breite 600px Mr Zoltan Szilassi received the Yamaha Motor Europe Most Valuable Service Award 2019 on behalf of his company, Elas, from Mr Ryosuke Nakamura, Yamaha Motor Europe Branch Manager. Hochkant und Querkant max. Breite 600px Mr Zoltan Szilassi received the Yamaha Motor Europe Most Valuable Service Award 2019 on behalf of his company, Elas, from Mr Ryosuke Nakamura, Yamaha Motor Europe Branch Manager. Contact info Oumayma Grad Marketing Communications Manager Hansemannstraße 12 41468 Neuss Germany Office: +49 2131 2013 538 Mobile: +49 1517 0233 297 Fax: +49 2131 2013 550 Email: oumayma.grad@yamaha-motor.de Web: www.yamaha-motor-im.eu Floor Monitor Boosts Real-Time Responsiveness Within the M-Tool user interface, the new Floor Monitor application gives a clear graphical read-out for multiple SMT lines that allows at-a-glance assessment of each line’s status and production progress. Colour-coded indicators show working, idle or stopped status for each line. Production progress is displayed as the number of boards produced and remaining, as well as the anticipated completion time for each lot. With the benefit of this information, production teams can confidently coordinate actions such as changeovers and maintenance for maximum efficiency. Figure 1 shows how the M-Tool Floor Monitor provides an overview of the status of each line, empowering supervisors to take immediate action to fix errors and restart any stopped or idle lines. Line Monitor Also new to M-Tool, Line Monitor supports in-depth data analysis capabilities that record production results and help identify the causes of line stops to coordinate continuous improvement. Such causes may be problems related to components, mounter heads, feeder identification, or a feeder setup error.Line Monitor’s detailed and precise graphical reports allow users to pinpoint the reason, duration and time of occurrence for any stoppages quickly and clearly. Comprehensive historical data is available for each lot, including machine setup details, statistics, and easy-to-read graphical trend analysis that provides valuable intelligence about events that influence productivity. Figure 2 shows how Line Monitor can display production details and statistics for each lot, and present a graphical trend analysis that provides a fast and easy means of understanding the reasons behind any stoppages that may have delayed completion.Line Monitor provides further powerful features to help sort the causes of stoppages. A variety of graphical reports are available, which help identify the most frequently occurring errors and assess machine utilisation in terms of the proportion of time spent operating correctly and the proportion of correct component picks.The grouped bar chart shown at the top of figure 3 shows the operating performance of each mounter, while the stacked bar chart seen in the centre helps pinpoint the most frequent causes of errors. The bottom graph helps assess the impact of each error on overall machine stoppage time. By presenting information using these intuitive, colour-coded diagrams, M-Tool Line Monitor helps production directors assign precious human resources efficiently to ensure effective continuous improvement. By comparing before and after information, using Line Monitor, teams can verify the effects of each action and thereby demonstrate continuous improvement to all stakeholders. Conclusion The powerful new features of Yamaha’s M-Tool give operators, managers and directors in today’s electronic manufacturing organisations the information they need to improve productivity and quality, by responding in real-time on the factory floor and through efficient pursuit of continuous improvement. About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha surface mount equipment is highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards. Yamaha SMT Section has created a strong business in the surface mount industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, 3D solder paste inspection, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers and dispensers. This allows Yamaha SMT Section to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers. Yamaha SMT Section has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America provide a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients. www.yamaha-motor-im.eu
  • May 28, 2014
    Yamaha Boosts Support for Italian Customers with New Surface-Mount Demonstration Centre in Northern Italy
    Yamaha Motor IM Europe has opened its new demonstration center in northern Italy, working with Italian sales partner Mancini Enterprise and technical collaborator AEB Robotics to provide a convenient facility enabling customers to see the latest innovations in surface-mount automation. The center showcases Yamaha’s Trusted Solutions covering fine-pitch printing, precision high-speed placement, final assembly, automated optical and X-ray inspection, and productivity-boosting software. Its location, at AEB Robotics’ headquarters in Reggio Emilia, near Bologna, enhances scope to demonstrate solutions for advanced manufacturing challenges next to AEB’s complementary technologies for laser-marking, dispensing, de-panelling, and table-top robots. “Our new demonstration center will help us build closer relationships with the high-tech communities in northern Italy and nearby areas, by enabling visitors to see our advanced solutions in action and discover all the information they need from our experts on the spot,” said Nobuyuki Nishizawa, General Manager, Yamaha Intelligent Machines Europe. “We are pleased to welcome Yamaha to AEB Robotics, we believe that our collaboration with Yamaha is the result of an important synergy. We are confident that this team of professionals will cooperate successfully to Bring added value to customers said Antonia Fiaccadori CEO for AEB Technologies S.p.a. “Yamaha now has a natural home in Italy, which will enable us to grow our business and further improve our services and support,” said Luigi Mancini , General Manager, Mancini Enterprise. About Yamaha Motor Intelligent Machines: Yamaha Motor IM is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha IM surface mounters are highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards. Yamaha Motor IM has created a strong business in the surface mounter industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, printed circuit board inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers and dispensers. This allows Yamaha Motor IM to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers. Yamaha Motor IM has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America, providing a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients. About AEB Robotics: AEB Robotics is a Business unit of AEB Technologies S.p.a., established in 2003, develops and manufactures industrial automation systems characterized by high precision and repeatability, and extremely easy to program and use. Due to its experience on assembling process and its control on mechanical engineering and realization, AEB Robotics is able to comply with customer’s needs for realization and development of product assembly lines. Modular applications are the solution to minimize machine timing, with a minimum assembly line dimension. Starting from a specific request from a customer, AEB Robotics carries out a feasibility analysis, designs the machine and realize the application, always maintaining a close cooperation with the customer during all stages. www.aeb-robotics.com About Yamaha Mancini Enterprise: Mancini Enterprise is a young, fast and strong organization build for supply solutions to customer in electronics manufacturing in Italy. The experience, more than 20 years, and the capability to support customer is the key element if you want to manufacture without problems and Mancini enterprise can help you. The team of professional salesman and professional service support is the strong added value of Mancini Enterprise: problems here becomes opportunities. With Yamaha, AEB robotics and others partner is now the reference company in Italy for sales and support SMD manufacturing. www.mancinienterprise.com About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha surface mount equipment is highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards. Yamaha SMT Section has created a strong business in the surface mount industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, 3D solder paste inspection, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers and dispensers. This allows Yamaha SMT Section to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers. Yamaha SMT Section has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America provide a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients. www.yamaha-motor-im.eu Contact info Oumayma Grad Marketing Communications Manager Hansemannstraße 12 41468 Neuss Germany Office: +49 2131 2013 538 Mobile: +49 1517 0233 297 Fax: +49 2131 2013 550 Email: oumayma.grad@yamaha-motor.de Web: www.yamaha-motor-im.eu
  • May 9, 2014
    Yamaha Wins in Great Britain
    UK-based Interconics, which provides high-end electronic manufacturing services for customers such as supercar builders, the military and semiconductor manufacturers, is the proud owner of a complete new Yamaha surface-mount line, chosen to help the company win ultra high-tech contracts that demand the most advanced inline assembly capabilities available today. Interconics made the switch to Yamaha having been impressed by the powerful easy to use factory-automation software and taking advantage of Try Before You Buy. The YSP screen printer, YS12 and YS12F mounters and YSi-12 hybrid optical/laser inspection with 10µm resolution are now in full-time use at Interconics’ Atworth, Wiltshire, factory. Managing Director David Weston tells us more. “As the recession is ending, our customers are coming to us with new proposals that involve incredibly high PCB feature resolution and the most advanced chip and IC packages, which are beyond the capabilities of much of the surface-mount equipment currently installed in the UK. “We handled the recession well and are now in a strong position to make the investment in new equipment that is vital to win these contracts. Our new Yamaha line gives the high resolution, high accuracy and precision, and the potential for high-speed throughput that we need, and the unified software environment greatly simplifies programming of all machines. We can generate inspection programs directly from assembly CAD data, for example, which saves a huge amount of time. Moreover, Yamaha offers a special 8-year warranty that allows us to calculate our ownership costs for the effective lifetime of the equipment, which gives us the control we need to make sure we are always in a strong financial position.” Pushing the Boundaries with Advanced 3D X-Ray To help develop and monitor highly repeatable processes for advanced packages such as LGA and fine-pitch QFN, Interconics has recently taken delivery of the first Yamaha YSi-X 3D X-ray inspection machine to be installed in Europe. The YSi-X represents today’s pinnacle of X-ray capability for surface-mount production, and uses computed laminography to generate more accurate cross-sectional solder-joint images than can be achieved using 2D or conventional tomographic 3D radiology. “With packages like LGA, the solder joints are completely inaccessible to human or automated optical inspection. Still, we need comprehensive inspection data because voiding in solder joints is a tremendous challenge,” Weston explains. The underside of a package like LGA or QFN is ultra flat, with large pads and very low standoff height. There is little provision for vaporised flux to escape during reflow, which can result in random outgassing causing voids or blowing solder away from surrounding joints. There are minimum allowable standards for voiding in solder joints, but Interconics needed an accurate and reliable means of verifying compliance. David Weston continues, “We have a lot of experience with X-ray inspection, and knew we would need significantly more advanced equipment to help perfect our assembly processes for LGAs and QFNs and verify the quality of production units. “The YSi-X takes X-ray inspection to a new level. In fact, there is a steep learning curve to understand how to optimise the settings and interpret the data and images. I’ve been really impressed at the resources Yamaha is making available to help us achieve it. Actually we are climbing this learning curve together, and there’s a feeling of sharing the excitement, of pushing the boundaries and redefining the limits of what we can do.” About Yamaha Robotics SMT Section Yamaha Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Section is a subdivision of Yamaha Motor Robotics Business Unit in Yamaha Motor Corporation. Yamaha surface mount equipment is highly acclaimed in the market for their “module concept” that enables them to keep pace with the trend toward smaller and more diverse electric/electronic parts being mounted on circuit boards. Yamaha SMT Section has created a strong business in the surface mount industry that enables design and engineering, manufacture, sales and service to be conducted in one comprehensive system. Furthermore, the Company has used its core technologies in the areas of servo-motor control and image recognition technology for vision (camera) systems to develop solder paste printers, 3D solder paste inspection, 3D PCB inspection machines, flip chip hybrid placers and dispensers. This allows Yamaha SMT Section to offer a full line of machines for electric/electronic parts mounting and propose optimum production-line makeup to answer the diversifying needs of today’s manufacturers. Yamaha SMT Section has sales and service offices in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America provide a truly global sales and service network that will safeguard best in class on-site sales & service support for clients. www.yamaha-motor-im.eu Contact info Oumayma Grad Marketing Communications Manager Hansemannstraße 12 41468 Neuss Germany Office: +49 2131 2013 538 Mobile: +49 1517 0233 297 Fax: +49 2131 2013 550 Email: oumayma.grad@yamaha-motor.de Web: www.yamaha-motor-im.eu