A contract manufacturer specializing in electromechanical and PCB assembly for high end laptop manufacturers and the Department of Defense implements WinSPC statistical process control software at two US based facilities.
The manufacturer uses WinSPC to monitor its solder paste (mounting) and potting (sealing) operations – production processes that are key to delivering high quality products to its divers and demanding customer base.
The stencil printing of solder paste during the surface-mount assembly of a circuit board is central to the manufacturer’s business. The height of solder paste has a significant impact on assembly yields, as well as product reliability, requiring a highly accurate and repeatable process. WinSPC helps ensure that an in-control process is maintained by providing real0time alarming when paste heights deviate from specified control limits.
During the potting process, WinSPC is utilized to measure weights of ingredients and launch message boxes to calculate the appropriate ratios. WinSPC then records the final ratio weight, in addition to alerting the production staff of overfill amounts. By measuring the leftover materials, quality personnel are able to document potential savings through the reduction of unused material.
Environmental conditions that affect the potting and stencil printing processes, namely temperature and humidity, require real-time monitoring and alarming as well. IN order to actively detect environmental changes that may impact quality control, quality personnel monitor fluctuations in process parameters utilizing WinSPC’s Plant Monitor dashboard views. Plant Monitor also allows the manufacturer to determine the state of control for all production processes from a single, bird’s eye view of plant wide operations.
WinSPC allows quality and production engineers to quickly perform historical analysis across all process data, and present the data back in a meaningful, visual manner to both internal and external customers. Previously, all historical data and reports generated from the data were recorded on paper. WinSPC now provides a centralized system to manage process data electronically, effectively eliminating the time and expense of maintaining a manual paper process.
Beyond being an investment in process improvement, this manufacturer views WinSPC as a low cost, high return means of increasing competitive value. Implementing WinSPC is part of a corporate commitment to deliver superior product quality and maintain a leadership position in the highly competitive printed circuit board industry.