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In a high-speed SMT workshop, flow is everything. Inconsistent PCB flow leads to machine idle time, unbalanced production lines, too much work in process, and missed delivery deadlines. To create consistent flow of PCBs through the solder paste printing, pick and place, reflow and inspection processes there must be a robust material handling system to support the quick machines. It is in this area where the SMT PCB Magazine Rack is the backbone. The rack system offers a consistent workflow. They help with batching, storage and automated integration which can organize a disorderly SMT shop into a perfectly run factory floor. Shanghai Leenol is a Total Solution company focused on providing ESD solution to factories and lab. Leerack Handling Storage ESD Equipment, Leepak Packing Material, Leebench Factory and Lab Furniture, LeePPE Personal Protection, Leepur Cleanroom Products and LeeStat Testing Equipment and Tools. Four ways SMT PCB magazine rack supports a steady PCB flow.
How Creating an Organized and Efficient Production Environment Stabilizes Throughput
In an unorganized SMT shop PCBs are often misplaced in mixed boxes, or on shelves and workbenches, which can cause problems and disruptions to PCB flow. With a disorganized environment, technicians have to waste precious minutes looking for the next PCB. Machines will have to wait for components and WIP will be scattered and unknown. An SMT PCB magazine rack will bring order to this chaos. By color coding, using specific rack labels or dedications for a particular process or product the SMT PCB magazine rack system gives clear guidance for each operator. Every technician will know where to find the next rack or place a finished one. This steady approach reduces cycle time and increases throughput. Leenol’s Leerack storage system includes magazine racks, trolleys and tote boxes that allow for visual management. This can work effectively with LeeBench workbenches (table mats and chairs) and give a lean and orderly environment. A clear process ensures a clear flow.
Enabling Batch Processing Without Bottlenecks
An SMT machine runs most efficiently when handling PCBs in an organized batch. But the lines break down when PCBs are placed in the machine one at a time or randomly. The batch must match a quantity the line is designed to handle to optimize the machines for highest throughput. The SMT PCB magazine rack allows for standardized batches such as, 25, 50, 100 PCBs per rack depending on PCB thickness and rack dimensions. The production line should be built around these batch numbers, consuming the complete rack load before signaling for the next. Starvation (machine running out of material) and blocking (boards stacking up on the lines) can then be avoided. Automatic loading machines will continue to pick from magazines already buffered into the machine, and manually operated machines can continue to load one board from the rack to a time. Leenol's LeeIntelligent SMT Storage Systems automates buffering and loading for an even more optimized line. The SMT PCB magazine rack system allows for batch processing in a clean, repeatable, and efficient way.
Reducing Flow Disruptions from ESD and Physical Damage
Damaged boards can cause problems on an SMT line. If a board is dropped, scratched or ESD damaged, the board may need to be pulled out for rework or scrap, which can interrupt an entire batch. This is especially bad if the damage is not seen until later in the production process and is processed further down the line only to be pulled then, wasting labor, components and energy. A SMT PCB magazine rack prevents this. Individual slots hold the boards upright in a vertical position, protecting them from scratching, bending or ESD static damage, all using ESD-safe materials to ensure the highest possible protection of each board. When PCBs are properly handled with magazine racks, they never need to stop flow for rework. Leenol’s total solution package provides ESD magazine racks and trolley, as well as ESD tote boxes. We also supply Leepak packaging (ESD shielding bags, films) LeePPE ( ESD clothing, shoes, masks), Leepur (cleanroom supplies) and LeeStat testing equipment and tools. In addition, Leenol supplies ESD Ionizers, inspect and test machines for various applications.
Integrating with Automation and Real-Time Tracking
The future of manufacturing relies on automation and visibility. Manual labor tracking of PCBs with paper charts is inefficient and does not produce accurate information to keep the line moving. An SMT PCB magazine rack can integrate seamlessly into the production floor automation. Racks are manufactured with standard external dimensions (such as, 355mm × 320mm) can easily move on and off automatic loaders, conveyors and storage systems. Barcode and RFID tagging are used on magazine racks. This technology allows you to get a snapshot of where a particular rack is in the factory at any given time. A MES (Manufacturing Execution System) program will also know how many PCBs are in each rack, can update you in real time as to how many are coming or where they are headed, and can alert workers when to restock or if there's an issue on the line. This real-time feedback provides the ultimate in control. The LeeIntelligent SMT Storage System takes automation further by automating the buffering and transfer of racks for an even more efficient automated line. For workshops pursuing Industry 4.0, the SMT PCB Magazine Rack equipped with tracking technology is an essential enabler of consistent, visible, and controllable PCB flow.
Summary
The SMT PCB magazine rack increases workflow efficiency by providing a more organized production environment, allows for efficient batch processing and flow, helps reduce board damage, and integrates with existing automation systems and real-time tracking. These attributes allow an SMT line to transition from the current messy, disorganized workflow to an organized, efficient line running at full throughput. Shanghai Leenol’s Total Solution offers Leerack storage equipment (magazine racks, trolleys and tote boxes), LeeBench workbenches, Leepak custom packaging and LeeIntelligent SMT Storage Systems along with LeePPE personal protection, Leepur cleanroom products and LeeStat testing equipment and tools. Contact Leenol today for a quote on how we can optimize your SMT workshop.
