Placement capacity and quality synchronously increased: Meinberg relies on all-in-one placement from FUJI

Increasing demand for time and frequency synchronization systems – Placement taken to a new level

Kelsterbach, April 8th, 2024 – Streaming series at ever faster rates, executing applications in real-time on multiple devices synchronously, and uninterrupted telephony – the demands of users in the digitized world are escalating. Meinberg Funkuhren GmbH & Co. (www.meinbergglobal.com) specializes in the development and manufacturing of electronic modules and systems for time and frequency synchronization. To bring very high precision to the manufactured products and high speed to production, the company has opted for several All-in-One placement machines AIMEX IIIc from FUJI EUROPE CORPORATION GmbH (www.fuji-euro.de).

“When seamless synchronization ensures that the audio matches the video during binge-watching, when your smartphone and tablet display the exact same time, facilitating uninterrupted phone calls during a car journey, or when real-time data transfers reach their destinations promptly – in these instances, Meinberg products likely play a crucial role,” explains Heiko Gerstung, Managing Director of Meinberg Funkuhren GmbH & Co. KG. The company specializes in the development, production, and distribution of server solutions and related electronic modules tailored to meet the intricate synchronization needs prevalent in such scenarios.

Precise placement for second-accurate results in the end product

Meinberg requires extremely precise PCB placement to ensure that electronic signals can be transmitted correctly. This requires highly precise assembly machines.

At the same time, the increasing demand for Meinberg products necessitates manufacturing to be conducted within progressively shorter timeframes and at elevated speeds. “The placement pace of our prior machines eventually proved inadequate. Hence, in 2019, we implemented a new SMT line equipped with two AIMEX IIIc placement machines from FUJI. Two years later, we augmented this setup with an additional pair of these machines,” explains Heiko Gerstung.

The placement machines are used for all SMD-mounted placements. The production was redesigned for line setup. Due to the compact design of the AIMEX IIIc and its short length, the machines are space-saving in line configuration.

Flexible high-mix-production made easy

The AIMEX IIIc is designed for high-mix production and enables any type of production and changes in the housing forms used. It supports the processing of the smallest chip components to large components in a single machine. All placement heads are equipped with the “Intelligent Parts Sensor.” This ensures continuous monitoring from picking up the components to placement. The DX heads are highly flexible and automatically switch tools from dispensing tasks to mechanical gripping tools for odd-form components to chip shooter tasks. The systems also offers high flexibility. For example, the placement heads can be adjusted to an optimal machine configuration in just a few minutes without tools.

We first encountered the all-in-one placement machine AIMEX IIIc from FUJI at nearby electronics firms and trade exhibitions. Its impressive combination of speed, precision, durability, and cost-effectiveness persuaded us. Our decision has proven fruitful as it enabled us to significantly increase our placement capacity in a short span of time. Should demand continue to grow, we are contemplating expanding our production line,” explains Heiko Gerstung.

FUJI EUROPE CORPORATION at SMTconnect: Automation of placement is the future

The automated and autonomous production is gaining momentum

Kelsterbach, April 3rd, 2024 – Companies have never had to adapt to changing market demands and scale production as rapidly as they do now. Automation is the lever to easily align processes with different product types or production quantities. This also applies to placement. FUJI EUROPE CORPORATION GmbH ( www.fuji-euro.de) will showcase components for the FUJI Smart Factory 2.0 at SMTconnect from June 11th to 13th in Nuremberg (Hall 4, Booth 4-321), including various placement machines and newly developed RH placement heads. The goals: zero placement errors, zero machine operators, zero machine stops.

At the exhibition, FUJI presents components of a Smart Factory for SMT and THT placement, which are interconnected in a production line according to the principles of Industry 4.0 via M2M communication with machines from other companies. In the FUJI Smart Factory 2.0, all production-relevant tasks, starting from material preparation and extending beyond printing and placement processes, are intelligently interconnected. The result is a 22 percent reduction in production times.

The R machine series optimizes production preparation and maintenance processes, while automating manual placement processes for comprehensive networking and self-optimized production. In SMT placement, the NXTR-S offers a modular design that allows for quick adjustments to changing production needs. Heads, units, and even entire modules can be replaced without the need for tools. Additionally, the AIMEXR is designed for uninterrupted operation and can accommodate up to 130 different part types, producing panels with dimensions of up to 1,068 x 610 mm.

The sFAB-D, a placement machine designed for automated placement production, streamlines the labor-intensive THT (Through-Hole Technology) placement process, significantly enhancing efficiency while ensuring high precision. This machine offers flexibility to accommodate various part sizes, shapes, and delivery methods, ranging from wired components to larger specialized parts like transformers.

Automation fosters flexibilization

In FUJI’s Smart Factory, automation is aimed at liberating manual tasks and simplifying processes, ultimately speeding them up. This objective also contributes to enhancing the flexibility of SMT manufacturing.

“The complexity, customization, and miniaturization in SMT manufacturing are on the rise.For placement, this means it must be flexible enough to adapt to various components and groups, without compromising precision,” explains Stefan Janssen, Managing Director of FUJI EUROPE CORPORATION GmbH

These challenges are supported by the new RH placement heads that FUJI is presenting at the trade show. Among other features, they offer the ability to adjust the clearance height of the placement heads using a so-called sub-Z-axis. With the help of the contact sensor on the head, it is checked whether the part has touched the circuit board. ‘This precision and adaptability increase flexibility in manufacturing and can be particularly useful when processing various components or assemblies that have different requirements for placement,’ says Stefan Janssen.”

The new RH placement heads that FUJI is unveiling at the trade show are compatible with the R machine series (NXTR-A/-S as well as AIMEXR). By combining a newly developed 2RV module with RH28 heads, W08t feeders, and MFU-63 feeder carts, the NXTR achieves a throughput of 120,000 cph (on a 795 mm module length). This represents a 39 percent improvement compared to the NXT III placement machine.

Stefan Janssen explains: “At SMTconnect, FUJI demonstrates further automation solutions that minimize manual tasks, thereby addressing the growing shortage of skilled labor. At the same time, alongside flexibility, high-speed, and high-precision placement, we are increasingly focusing our machines on energy efficiency in line with the urgent need for an industrial energy transition.”

Visitors can experience the NXTR-S in action firsthand via ‘Robust Processes and Technologies through Automation and Digitalization’ as part of the Future Packaging Line, located at booth 4-311 in Hall 4, hosted by Fraunhofer IZM.”