September 2021 - FUJI EUROPE CORPORATION GmbH

Smart Setup Station from FUJI enables quick and easy changeover operations

Changeover solution for placement processes to make electronics production more flexible and automated

Kelsterbach, September 24, 2021 – Manufacturing individual products at similarly low prices to mass production – that is a key requirement for factories. Rapid adaptation to new products and product variants as well as widely varying batch sizes and, at the same time, the requirement for fast deliveries lead to an increase in the frequency of changeovers. FUJI EUROPE CORPORATION GmbH (www.fuji-euro.de), a specialist for electronics equipment, has launched the Smart Setup Station to automate this process quickly and easily.

“In today’s competitive environment, production companies are required to maintain a similar level of quality, cost and execution as in mass production. However, in the case of high-mix production, where there is frequent product changeover, the frequency of changeover reduces production efficiency,” explains Stefan Janssen, member of the management board of FUJI EUROPE CORPORATION GmbH.

Manual offline changeover work usually time-consuming and inconvenient

In order to shorten the changeover time, the feeder set-up work in SMD assembly is carried out offline and a changeover method with feeder pallets has become established.

Stefan Janssen explains: “Offline changeover work is usually complex and time-consuming, from retrieving the parts to setting up the feeders. They also require appropriate testing. In addition, this is a process that is highly dependent on people, which means that the processing time varies depending on the skills of the workers.”

Automated changeover with the Smart Setup Station

When starting a conventional offline changeover, the parts used in the previous production are originally still present on the feeder pallet or MFU. First, it is necessary to remove the parts that are no longer needed for the application. It is very time-consuming to remove the feeders one by one while searching for the unneeded parts in the changeover list.

The Smart Setup Station from FUJI helps users in electronics manufacturing to better master the challenges of changeover work through automated processes. The Smart Setup Station automatically removes only those feeders that are no longer needed for the next production batch. It also displays the exact setup position of the feeder and the correct machine and module for the setup feeder pallet.

“With the support of the Smart Setup Station, we simplify the offline changeover by leaving the parts to be used unchanged and automatically removing the parts that are not required. Since manual operations are no longer required and there is no longer any need to check the changeover list as originally, the working time is reduced automatically. The result is more efficient processes and cost savings,” explains Stefan Janssen.

International mechatronics service provider increases capacity and performance at Romanian production site with pick-and-place machines from FUJI

Kelsterbach, Germany, September 7, 2021 – Elemaster, an international mechatronics service provider, has installed at its production site in Romania three electronics placement automats of the AIMEXIIIc series. The machine will be distributed in Europe by FUJI EUROPE CORPORATION (www.fuji-euro.de), a subsidiary of FUJI CORPORATION. The investment has enabled Elemaster to expand its portfolio and increase its order volume.

Elemaster offers a complete service for the design and production of electronic assemblies. The company was founded in 1978 in Montevecchia, in the Italian province of Lecco, and has established itself as a mechatronics service provider in the international sector. Elemaster positions itself in the market as a one-stop store. Its customers include players in sectors ranging from railroad, medical, avionics, automotive, industrial automation and energy. Elemaster Group has a global presence in Europe, America, Africa and Asia.

In spring 2021, Elemaster installed three pick-and-place machines of the AIMEXIIIc series from FUJI at its Romanian production site. “The investment was necessary as Elemaster expanded its business activities due to increased demand. The goal was to increase capacity and improve performance with the new equipment. With the installation of the new line, Elemaster has made a big step in its production. Installation and training took only two weeks and went without complications,” explains Daniel Gabor, Regional Account Manager at FUJI EUROPE CORPORATION GmbH.

Flexible setting options and precise test units

Special advantages of the AIMEXIIIc installed at Elemaster are the V12 and the DX heads. The V12 heads of the high-speed chip shooters are equipped with the “Intelligent Parts Sensor” (IPS). The DX heads are flexible and feature the ability to change their setting during production. The DX heads are also equipped with IPS sensors and can use both vacuum nozzles and mechanical grippers.

Daniel Gabor says: “DX technology can apply glue dots with a gluetool before components are assembled. This is unique in the world so far. Elemaster has also added an LCR inspection unit to the AIMEXIIIc order. This enables the machine to check the values of passive components such as inductance coils, capacitors and resistors before mounting them. This prevents misplacements that an automatic optical inspection (AOI) could not detect.”

Also added to the AIMEXIIIc machines for Elemaster are 3D coplanarity sensors that detect the height and linearity of connections on the outer edges of components as well as on their underside. An MTU-M (optional unit) is also on board with the pick-and-place machines.

“At Elemaster, we see advantages in the functionality and ease of use of the AIMEXIIIc. The high flexibility of the DX heads and the options considered during configuration create efficient processes for us. The high number of free spaces here, 390 and 8mm respectively, is also extremely positive for flexibility,” explains Massimiliano Redaelli, Operations Manager, Elemaster Romania.