SUWANEE, GA — The SMT Solutions division of market leader ASMPT will once again demonstrate its position as the industry’s technology pioneer at booth 1701 at the IPC APEX Expo 2023 from January 24 to 26 in San Diego. Among the exhibits will be new DEK TQ L solder paste printer for large circuit boards measuring up to 600 by 510 millimeters and innovative software for the integrated smart factory. Also on display will be the smart shop floor management suite WORKS for optimizing SMT line processes, smart SaaS applications for factory and enterprise uses, and an MES solution that was specially designed for the needs of SMT manufacturers. Modular, manufacturer-independent and retrofittable, all hardware and software solutions being shown fit seamlessly into ASMPT’s Open Automation concept for the economically sensible automation of SMT production.

Best-in-class SMT line

At the ASMPT booth, visitors can see for themselves how high-performance printers, high-end SPI systems, high-performance placement systems, industry-leading feeding solutions and fully automated storage systems work together perfectly and with the highest precision on a fully functional SMT line. And for the first time on U.S. soil, the new DEK TQ L solder paste printer will demonstrate how effectively it handles circuit boards measuring up to 600 by 510 millimeters (23.6 by 20 inches). With this new printer, manufacturers significantly increase their flexibility and product range, thus opening the door to a completely new set of markets.

Full integration for Open Automation

Thanks to open interfaces such as IPC-HERMES-9852 and IPC-CFX, all ASMPT systems are designed for seamless M2M and M2H communication. They fit easily and comprehensively into the modular and manufacturer-independent Open Automation concept for the economically sensible automation of SMT production, which runs as a recurrent theme through the entire trade fair presentation.

Today, software is just as important to ASMPT as hardware. With smart solutions and SaaS applications (Software as a Service) for the machine, shop floor, factory and company levels, ASMPT is underlining its technological leadership at APEX in this field as well.

Process optimization on the shop floor

The smart shop floor management suite WORKS covers all production workflows. WORKS Command Center, for example, optimizes employee assignments by automatically generating tasks and sending them to their smartphones, tablets, or smart watches while the WORKS Performance Monitor provides information about all of the production’s relevant performance indicators at the line in real time. And the unique WORKS Process Expert turns the high-end Process Lens SPI system into the world’s first self-learning inline expert system that can control and optimize the printing process fully autonomously if desired.

Intelligent software for the Integrated SMT factory

In the area of factory solutions, ASMPT will focus on SaaS applications such as the Factory Equipment Center, its comprehensive solution for company-wide asset and maintenance management, and on Data Analytics for extensive reporting across the whole enterprise. Virtual Assist is the brand-new AI- and NLP-supported ASMPT expert system that lets users handle all maintenance, repair and service tasks with help from their smartphones or tablets. The system answers concrete questions like an experienced coworker and reduces the time spent looking for information by up to 95 percent. As a special feature, it works even for third-party systems.

Powerful MES for electronics manufacturers

ASMPT recognized at an early stage the hugely important role that software would play today and decided in 2018 to invest in Critical Manufacturing (CMF), an MES developer specializing in the electronics industry. Today, the Portuguese company is also responsible for ASMPT’s software applications on the factory and enterprise levels. At this year’s APEX show, CMF will present its leading “Critical Manufacturing MES”, which was designed to meet the special needs of the electronics manufacturing industry.

HOUSTON, TX — MacroFab, the cloud manufacturing platform for building electronics from prototype to high-scale production, with a network of more than 100 factories across North America, announced today $42 million in new growth capital.

The funding was led by Foundry and joined by BMW i Ventures, as well as existing investors Edison Partners and ATX Venture Partners. With this round of financing MacroFab has raised a total of $82 million, enabling the company's accelerated growth amid the ongoing transformation of global supply chains.

MacroFab's shipments were up 275% year-over-year, as more companies moved their electronics production to North America. The company has doubled its workforce and opened a new facility in Mexico to help customers manage inventory and reduce the impact of tariffs. As reshoring momentum increases, MacroFab is well positioned at the forefront of enabling companies to overhaul their global supply chains and modernize their electronics manufacturing.

The platform MacroFab helps manage electronics manufacturing and provides customers with visibility into their production. Access to real-time supply chain and inventory data puts its customers in control and is key to MacroFab's achieving the best customer satisfaction rates in the industry, with Net Promoter Scores (NPS) remaining above 50 even during historic supply chain disruptions.

JENA, GERMANY — At the beginning of the new year 2023 GÖPEL electronic GmbH opened a subsidiary in Malaysia. This means another decisive step towards establishing Embedded JTAG Solutions on the dynamic Asian market.

Lester Tseng was appointed as Sales and Support Manager. He has an excellent knowledge of the local market. The new office is located in the strategic city of Penang, providing short distances to potential prospects and customers.

"As a globally operating company, it is part of our self-image to also focus more on the opportunities of the Southeast Asian market," explains Thomas Wenzel, co-founder and Managing Director of the Boundary Scan Division at GOEPEL electronic. "With the new office in Malaysia, we will be able to better support our large local customer base as well as further develop the entire Southeast Asian region in the long term," he adds.

Lester Tseng adds, "I am excited to open our regional office here in Penang. This will allow us to better support our existing customer base and provide our best-in-class solutions to the ever-expanding entire Southeast Asian region."

GÖPEL electronic develops and manufactures innovative electrical and optical measuring and testing technology as well as test and inspection systems for electronic components, assembled printed circuit boards as well as industrial electronics and automotive electronic systems. GOEPEL electronic is divided into four business units:

• Automotive Test Solutions
• Embedded JTAG Solutions
• Inspection Solutions AOI-AXI-SPI-IVS
• Industrial Function Test

and is active worldwide with its own subsidiaries and distributors. The company generated sales of approximately 40 million euros in 2022 with about 230 employees.

Further information: www.goepel.com

ANN ARBOR, MI — Aven, a full-service technology provider, announced the appointment of ARK Manufacturing Solutions, LLC as its manufacturers’ representative. Dave Murrin, president and principal owner of ARK Manufacturing Solutions, will represent Aven’s line of optical inspection equipment components in Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Nevada.

Formerly Phoenix Marketing Representatives, ARK Manufacturing Solutions has been in business for more than 20 years, having represented some exceptional manufacturers in the electronics industry and served the finest customer base in the market.

As a result of years of comprehensive research and development, Aven has expanded its expertise in the realm of design and customized configuration of advanced video inspection systems. The company’s solution-based experts possess the ability to recommend and create complete optical systems according to customers’ needs and budgets.

One of Aven’s newest products offered by ARK is the Mighty Vue Inspector. The magnifying lamp and camera inspection system are com in one self-contained unit – allowing you to view the image directly on an HDMI monitor, capture and store images on the included microSD Card, and even connect to your PC for viewing or relocating saved images, and additional software features.

The Mighty Vue Inspector connects to HD monitors via HDMI cable or to a PC via USB. It is ideal for sharing images on a screen and finding defects in quality control. Additionally, the ESD safe magnifying lamp dissipates electrostatic discharge.

Aven also provides a variety of ancillary services such as product assembly, custom parts and tooling, and distribution, all of which are coordinated from its Michigan headquarters. For more information, call (734) 973-0099 or email sales@aventools.com 

For more information about ARK Manufacturing Solutions’ products and services, contact Dave Murrin at (602) 684-4636.