Total control, fewer false calls, no hidden defects

Dramatic reduction in false calls

Over the past nine months, Zeal Electronics has been working with the 3D AOI system following a brief training program. Today it has built up an extensive inspection library based on over 200 programs. The philosophy is simple: the more it’s used, the larger the library grows, and the faster programming becomes. Quality and yield are improving, too. “Our false calls are coming down significantly, ,” he says, adding that Zeal has been particularly pleased with the training provided by Mycronic. It now has two operators that are fully up to speed.

Nothing gets away from Escape Tracker

George Brewer underscores another key asset of the system: Escape Tracker. There is currently no equivalent on the market to this self-regulating inspection feature. He explains: “Escape Tracker takes inspection performance to an even higher level. It gives us immediate updates on any errors or programming weaknesses that could potentially be an issue. Now it’s much faster to fine-tune our programs without generating unnecessary false calls and escapes. It also liberates staff from manual inspection, enabling them to do other more qualified tasks on the production line.”

Next step – process performance

With inspection moving in the right direction, Zeal turned its focus to optimizing the performance of pick and place operations. Specifically, they wanted to drill down on the component placement process. To get a better overview and take greater control, George Brewer relies on MYCenter Analysis, a software dashboard accessible on his desktop and mobile app. The app provides actionable data to increase utilization, reduce reject rates and improve line balancing in real time.

Optimizing line utilization

With these tools at his disposal, George Brewer can readily communicate with operators and give advice on how to optimize equipment or settings. He can also preload jobs and see if there will be any issues, early on, before they stop the line. Since the MYCenter Analysis software was installed, line utilization rate has improved by a factor of three, he says.

Zeal: Driven by enthusiasm

With a name like Zeal, it’s no surprise that George Brewer and his team are brimming with enthusiasm about a whole range of topics: they are passionate about serving their customers, excited about the potential of AI and, most notably, enthusiastic about anything that enhances their margins.

Payback on investment

“New investments are always a balancing act,” says Brewer. “I need to show tangible evidence to my Managing Director and our owners that we are getting a payback on our investment. Right now, they love the benefits of Mycronic systems and appreciate that the company is looking ahead, but software systems can sometimes be harder to grasp. With the advances we’re now seeing in terms of quality, speed and services, we have proof that better inspection systems and control platforms are working.”

The future is here

“Looking ahead, I’m convinced that AI-powered inspection tools are the future for the EMS industry. They represent a significant leap upward and are already taking a huge weight off my shoulders,” George Brewer concludes.