SIPLACE Case Study SIPLACE SX Danfoss automates product changeovers on its SMT lines

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Alexandrina Garrett
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1 SIPLACE Case Study SIPLACE SX 2012 SIPLACE solutions make continuous setup changeovers possible Danfoss automates product changeovers on its SMT lines The Danish company Danfoss Power Electronics A/S, a maker of frequency inverters and power electronics, executes product changeovers on its new SMT lines without having to stop the manufacturing process. The efficiency improvement is made possible by a well-thought-out combination of various SIPLACE setup solutions. Controlled by the barcodes on the PCBs moving through the line, each SIPLACE placement machine switches placement programs and conveyor widths as needed. The operating staff is able to insert new feeders in any open slot without having to stop the line. The result: non-stop production and exceptional productivity despite a high product mix. Considering the entire value chain from PCB to placement to final assembly to packaging and product descriptions for exporting all over the world, Danfoss Power Electronics A/S in the Danish town of Graasten handles ca active product versions, and the numbers keep rising. The company produces exclusively based on made-to-order and one-piece flow principles. There is virtually no on-spec production and no finished-products inventory. The customer contracts state that the production must not exceed 24 hours. The plant operates in three shifts on weekdays and in two shifts on weekends, 355 days a year. In the past it was possible to handle the product diversity and the required quantities with more or less permanent family setups on the SMT lines. But based on sales and portfolio forecasts, management decided in late 2010 to consider alternative concepts. In connection with a planned investment in a new SMT line, the company asked equipment suppliers for innovative process automation proposals. Page 1 von 6

2 Six placement solution manufacturers responded, and two made the short list after an initial evaluation. The decision was not an easy one, explains Nicki Holm. We set up a comprehensive matrix with various weightings and considered all the pros and cons in minute detail. In the end we picked the SIPLACE solution, because it came out ahead in several categories, particularly because of the SIPLACE s wide-ranging software package. Job-specific setup concept The evaluation process ended with the decision to develop a totally new, productionbased setup concept in cooperation with the SIPLACE team. The basis for the new development would be a SIPLACE SX line with the latest software functionalities. Even during the first meeting, Danfoss expressed very precise and extremely ambitious ideas about the solution they wanted, says Hubert Egger, product manager at SIPLACE headquarters in Munich. Danfoss project manager Nicki Holm, adds: We placed great emphasis on avoiding any mistakes during product changeovers. The downloading of placement programs based on product barcodes we had implemented on our existing lines with great success already in the nineties. But now we also wanted to use this approach to control the conveyor rails and operate with floating instead of fixed setups. We also wanted to make sure that the setup changeovers would be executed error-free and would not affect the production performance. Consequently, the traditional approach with changeover tables was not an option for us. Software competencies In February of this year, Danfoss installed a line with five SIPLACE SX2 machines. Four of these hold two SIPLACE MultiStar placement heads each, and the last one is equipped with two SIPLACE TwinHead placement heads. The critical advantage of the SIPLACE MultiStar heads: they can switch placement modes (pick-and-place, collectand-place and mixed) at the drop of a hat in order to meet the widest range of tasks. Page 2 von 6

3 The new line is initially scheduled to produce 36 different products in 100 versions. This means that the setup must be changed on average once per hour. SIPLACE realized quickly that it would have to apply the whole spectrum of its software expertise for this project. To meet the customer s requirements, many current SIPLACE software tools along with several that are still in development had to be commissioned in a synchronized manner. At the end of the day, the engineers successfully combined SIPLACE Stationwise Download, the company s automatic conveyor width adjustment, SIPLACE Random Setup, SIPLACE Constant Tables and SiCluster Pro in some cases with project-specific adaptations. (See graphic) No idling Danfoss Power Electronics has been using barcodes for a long time. They control the product process not only in the SMT field, but also to assign packages and product documents in the right language. In the SMT area, the system on the new line reads the barcodes on the PCBs and downloads the corresponding placement programs just like previously practiced on other lines. What s new is that the SIPLACE SX machines also use this information to automatically adjust the conveyor rails. When the first board of the next job enters the barcode reader located before the first placement machine, the SIPLACE system automatically requests the corresponding placement program and adjusts the conveyor rails accordingly. This means that the first machine has already switched to product B, while the remaining machines on the line are still finishing product A. With SIPLACE Stationwise Download, this process is executed for each machine individually as the new product travels through the line. As a result, the line never needs to be emptied, which gains valuable production time. Page 3 von 6

4 Random setup for feeder anywhere The setup changeover procedures were redesigned as well. As soon as the last board for job A leaves a machine, the SIPLACE X-feeder LEDs indicate which feeders are no longer needed for subsequent products and can be removed. The operator can now install the feeders for product C, i.e. the next product, in the open slots. The entire process is coordinated via SIPLACE Random Setup. Nicki Holm explains: The feeders can be installed in any available slot, and the machine recognizes automatically which feeder is located where. And since we associate each feeder with a particular reel in the offline kitting area, the placement machine knows exactly which component is available in which slot. This also enables them to eliminate any errors during the setup process. Some components are used in virtually all products. To make the setup process easier for these components, the SIPLACE team implemented a special solution at Danfoss: they are set up on so-called constant tables. These tables are not changed when a new setup is required. They are also arranged on one side of the SMT line. As a result, the changeover operations take place on only one side of the line, making for shorter walking distances and faster changeovers. To let the line staff see what s going on at all times, all SIPLACE lines are monitored via the SIPLACE Line Monitor. Large screens installed above the lines gives reel and tray information, and whether the component supply is still sufficient. Operators also see early warning signals from anywhere in the facility and take appropriate action before the line comes to a halt. Commissioned in early 2012 The software and the customer-specific adaptations were installed in April and May of Today the line is fully operational, and the product changeovers function seamlessly. We are very pleased with this jointly developed solution. The new line is so efficient that we don t just run the scheduled jobs on the new line, but also products Page 4 von 6

5 from other lines. This provides us with much more scheduling freedom an important factor in a plant that can normally plan only one shift ahead. The new solution gets us ready for the future. About Danfoss Danfoss Power Electronics The Danfoss Power Electronics Division includes three business units: Danfoss VLT Drives, Danfoss Customised Power Electronics and Danfoss Inverters for Solar and Wind. The Division has supply chain, research and development centers in China, Denmark, the United States and Germany and a globalnetwork of sales offices offering customers high-quality, energy-efficient power electronics solutions. Danfoss VLT Drives: Danfoss VLT Drives supplies frequency converters for the electronic control of motors, which help customers save energy costs and improve performance. Danfoss VLT Drives is a global business with sales and service activities worldwide and with more than 40 years of experience within the VLT frequency converter business. Danfoss has a leading global position in the HVAC, water, food and beverage segments and also on selected markets within a wide range of other industries, such as thechemical and textile industry, material handling and mining. See more at: Page 5 von 6

SIPLACE products employed: SIPLACE SX SIPLACE Stationwise Download Conveyor Width Adjustment SIPLACE SiCluster Pro with Constant Tables SIPLACE Random Setup SIPLACE Line Monitor SIPLACE Feeder

6 SIPLACE products employed: SIPLACE SX SIPLACE Stationwise Download Conveyor Width Adjustment SIPLACE SiCluster Pro with Constant Tables SIPLACE Random Setup SIPLACE Line Monitor SIPLACE Feeder Manager The latest generation of SIPLACE placement machines, specially designed for high-mix production environments Product changeovers can take place on a machineby-machine basis, without having to empty the line Automatic conveyor width adjustment for each product Setup verification in the preparation area and on the line Fixed setup of reels required for multiple products for reduced setup effort Floating setup changeover with free choice of feeder position per component cart or alternatively per line Relevant information about the SIPLACE line status at a glance Monitors the feeder status and indicates when maintenance is required Non-stop SMT production with the SIPLACE SX at Danfoss. Page 6 von 6

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SIPLACE Manufacturing Solutions SIPLACE Manufacturing Solutions INTELLIGENT WORKFLOW OPTIMIZATION Major efficiency improvements on your shop floor are best achieved by optimizing the whole SMT process.