Step-by-Step Guide: Launch Your First SMT Production Line with Confidence

Introduction

SMT is a circuit connection technology in which pinless or short-lead surface-mounted components (SMC/SMD, i.e., sheet-mounted components) are mounted on the surface of a PCB or on the surface of another substrate, and soldered and assembled by methods such as reflow oven or wave soldering machine.

SMT technology enables high-density, high-reliability electronic assemblies that significantly increase productivity and reduce costs. Through automation and precise placement techniques, SMT is able to maintain high quality and consistency in mass production, thereby reducing the rate of defects caused by manual operations. In addition, SMT technology also helps to realize the miniaturization, lightweight and high performance of electronic products to meet the market demand for high-performance electronic products.

In this article, we will take you to understand what is SMT, how to start configuring a SMT assembly line of their own.

 

I. Understand the basic composition of the SMT production line

SMT production line of the main equipment and its function

1. Solder Paste Printer: Its main function is to print the solder paste onto the pads of the PCB.

2. Pick and place machine: It will be accurately placed on the PCB surface mount components.

3. Reflow oven: Reflow oven provides a heating environment to melt the solder paste, so that the surface mounted components and PCB pads are reliably combined.

4. Inspection equipment: including SMT AOI machine, in-line SPI machine, in-line tester (ICT), SMT X-ray inspection machine and function tester (FT). These equipments are used to carry out quality inspection on the PCB after mounting to ensure the production quality.

 

III. Planning your SMT production line

 

1. Determine the production target

1.1 Product type (such as PCB, electronic products, etc.)

• PCB: The production of a variety of PCB can be considered different film thickness, size and functionality, such as single-sided, double-sided or multilayer board.
• Electronic products: Such as consumer electronics, industrial electronics or medical devices. Define the product type will affect the subsequent production process and equipment selection.

 

1.2 Determine the production scale and budget

• Production scale: Determine the daily, monthly or annual production requirements.
• Budget: Establish a production budget to ensure that the investment is affordable.

 

2. Site Selection and Layout

2.1 Suitable location

• Accessibility: Choose a location close to major transportation routes and markets to reduce logistics costs and time.
• Talent Acquisition: The plant should be located in an area rich in talent resources to facilitate the recruitment of skilled workers and engineers.
• Supporting facilities: Ensure that there are good living facilities in the surrounding area, such as cafeteria and dormitory, to enhance the job satisfaction of employees.

 

2.2 Design reasonable production line layout to enhance efficiency

• Process optimization: Design a reasonable layout of the assembly line to minimize the moving distance of materials.
• Workstation setup: Reasonable layout of each workstation to ensure a good connection between each process.
• Ergonomics: Consider the comfort of the workers, optimize the height of the equipment and the design of the workstation to reduce the fatigue of the workers in the operation process.

 

III. Equipment procurement and installation

 

1. Looking for equipment suppliers can be evaluated from the following aspects.

• Technical strength: Manufacturers have advanced technology and innovation, and their products have high performance and stability.
• Adaptability and flexibility of the equipment: Due to the increasing diversification of product types and specifications, the choice of a flexible mounter will help to improve production efficiency and market competitiveness.
• After-sales service and support: Reliable technical support can quickly provide solutions when equipment problems occur, thus reducing downtime and ensuring the normal operation of production lines.
• Cost-effective products: Choosing an affordable and high-performance SMT mounter can save costs as well as improve overall production efficiency.

 

2. Equipment investment budget

Equipment cost estimates, NeoDen's different SMT assembly line programs as an example (the following prices are for reference only, contact our team to build a customized SMT production line for you).

Prototyping line (NeoDen FP2636+NeoDen YY1+NeoDen IN6) costs around 6000USD.

 

Small and medium-sized line (NeoDen YS350+NeoDen9+NeoDenIN8C) costs around 26,000 USD.

 

Medium-sized assembly line costs around 125,000USD.

 

3. Installation and Commissioning

The equipment installation phase of an SMT line involves the transportation, installation, commissioning and final function testing of the equipment. Proper installation and commissioning not only improves productivity, but also reduces future maintenance costs.

 

3.1 Equipment installation process

Includes equipment transportation and handling, site preparation for installation, equipment installation, initial functional check of the equipment, full commissioning of the SMT assembly line equipment, and final acceptance.

 

3.2 Precautions

Strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions: Each type of equipment may have its own specific installation requirements, and it is vital to follow the manuals and instructions provided by the manufacturer.

• Safety First: During installation, it is important to follow safety procedures and ensure that all operators wear appropriate safety equipment.
• Train personnel: Involving operators and maintenance personnel in the installation process will help them better understand the equipment for future operation and maintenance.
• Plan ahead for space: Ensure that the equipment is installed in a location with sufficient space for future maintenance, commissioning and production operations.
• Record installation information: Clearly record the installation date and version of each piece of equipment, as well as any issues arising from the commissioning process, for ease of management and future reference.

 

IV. The production process and flow

 

1. SMT production process overview

 

1.1 PCB preparation

• Cleaning: remove oxides and impurities on the surface of the PCB to ensure good electrical contact.
• Apply solder paste: Use screen printing machine to accurately apply solder paste on the PCB for subsequent placement of components.

 

1.2 Component placement

• Component Feeding: Automatically feed the corresponding electronic components from the bins through the mounter.
• Placement process: The SMT machine accurately places the components into the pre-coated solder paste position to ensure placement accuracy.

 

1.3 Reflow soldering

• Into the reflow oven: The finished PCB is fed into the reflow oven via a conveyor belt.
• Heating and melting solder paste: The reflow oven melts the solder paste through heating, forming a solder joint to connect the PCB and components.
• Cooling: The PCB is cooled quickly after it comes out of the oven, and the solder cures to form a stable solder joint.

 

1.4 Cleaning

Removal of soldering residues: Cleaning equipment is used to remove soldering residues (e.g. flux) from the surface of the PCB if necessary.

 

1.5 Testing and Inspection

• Visual Inspection: Manual or automatic inspection equipment conducts visual inspection of solder joints and component installation to ensure that there are no errors.
• Functional test: Simulate the actual working environment through test equipment to conduct functional test on the electrical performance of PCB.

 

1.6 Packing and Shipping

• Packing: Pack the qualified products appropriately to prevent damage during transportation.
• Shipment: Deliver the products according to customers' requirements.

 

2. Quality Control and Inspection

In order to ensure the product quality of SMT production line, strict quality control measures must be implemented in each process.

 

2.1 There are several quality testing methods.

• On-line inspection (AOI): Using SMT AOI equipment on the production line to image each solder joint and compare it with the standard template to quickly detect problems such as missing solder joints, offsets or short circuits.
• Functionality testing: In the later stages of SMT production, functionality testing is performed to ensure that each board works properly according to design requirements.
• Solder strength testing: Verify the strength of solder joints through tensile testing and other methods to ensure that they can withstand the expected use of pressure and environmental changes.
• Environmental testing: Conduct high temperature, high humidity and other environmental tests on the product to ensure that it can work properly under various environmental conditions.

 

2.2 Commonly used quality testing equipment includes:

automatic optical inspection equipment (AOI), X-ray testing equipment, function tester, welding strength tester.

 

V. Employee Training

Effective employee training can significantly improve skill levels, work efficiency and team morale.

Developing an effective training program includes assessing training needs, setting training objectives, designing training content, training implementation, training evaluation, and feedback.

Enhance Employee Career Development: Encourage employees to participate in professional certifications, external training, etc. to help them continue to grow in their careers. Provide repeated training opportunities so that employees can continuously update their knowledge and adapt to industry changes.

 

VI. Continuous Improvement and Maintenance

 

1. Data collection and analysis

In the SMT production line, data collection and analysis is an important tool to optimize the production process and improve efficiency.

How to use data to optimize the production process?

Determine KPIs, establish a data collection system, data analysis and visualization, develop optimization plans, regular review and feedback.

 

2. Regular Maintenance and Upgrade

Equipment maintenance is critical to keep the SMT production line operating efficiently. Regular maintenance and timely equipment upgrades can extend equipment life, reduce failure rates, and improve product quality.

 

2.1 Importance of Maintenance

• Reduce downtime: Regular maintenance can identify potential problems and reduce the risk of unplanned equipment downtime during production.
• Improve product quality: Properly functioning equipment maintains consistent production quality and reduces the incidence of nonconforming products.
• Extend equipment life: Regular inspection and maintenance prevents wear and tear on components, extending equipment life and reducing investment costs.

 

2.2 Equipment Maintenance Best Practices

• Formulate maintenance plans: Based on the equipment manufacturer's recommendations and usage, formulate detailed daily, monthly and annual maintenance plans to ensure that all equipment is maintained in a timely manner.
• Train maintenance personnel: Organize special training on equipment repair and maintenance to ensure that maintenance personnel understand the working principles of the equipment and common troubleshooting methods.
• Establish maintenance records: The maintenance process should record detailed information, including the date and content of each maintenance, the problems found and the results of the treatment, for easy follow-up reference and analysis.
• Use monitoring tools: Use monitoring tools to track the status of the equipment, predict possible failures through the early warning system, and react in advance.

 

3. Equipment Upgrade

• Identify upgrade needs: Regularly evaluate equipment performance and technology development to identify possible upgrade needs. Modernized equipment and technology can significantly improve productivity.
• Integrate new technologies: Consider introducing new technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence, automation, smart manufacturing) to improve the efficiency and flexibility of production lines based on industry trends.
• Test and Evaluate: When implementing upgrades, conduct small-scale tests to evaluate the impact of new equipment or technology on the production process to ensure its effectiveness and reliability.

 

Conclusion

SMT production lines significantly improve production efficiency and reduce labor costs and material waste through automation and efficient production processes, thereby reducing overall production costs. With the growing market demand for electronic products, SMT technology can meet the demand for miniaturization and high-density assembly of electronic products and adapt to market changes. Reasonable configuration of the SMT assembly line can make the enterprise twice the effort with half the effort.

Company Profile

Zhejiang NeoDen Technology Co., Ltd. has been manufacturing and exporting various small pick and place machines since 2010. Taking advantage of our own rich experienced R&D, well trained production, NeoDen wins great reputation from the world wide customers. 

with global presence in over 130 countries, the excellent performance, high accuracy and reliability of NeoDen PNP machines make them perfect for R&D, professional prototyping and small to medium batch production. We provide professional solution of one stop SMT equipment.

In our global Ecosystem, we collaborate with our best partners to deliver a more closing sales service, high professional and efficient technical support.