iFlex - SMT Pick & Place System

iFlex - SMT Pick & Place System Description:

An intelligent and flexible pick & place solution that fits to every PCB assembly need. Improving your line throughput by more than 30%, at almost zero defects!

Deliver the right quantities at the highest quality on time to your customers with iFlex: our new pick & place solution that brings Assembléon's unique quality levels to your growing product mix environment. Regardless the job size, iFlex handles your orders more efficiently than you have ever seen before. By planning and producing different board types on the same line. At low costs and at high yields.

Available in three models (T4, T2 and H1), the modular iFlex lines are easy to install and (re)configure to handle all challenges in your production environment: dynamic product varieties and batch sizes with the increasing demand for quality and just-in-time deliveries.

• iFlex T4 suits chip and small IC shooting (4 placement robots, placement speed of 51,000 cph, 128 twin tape feeder positions).
• iFlex T2 is aimed at flexible placements (2 placement robots, placement speeds of 24,000 cph, 128 twin tape feeder positions).
• iFlex H1 is for ICs and fine pitch placements (1 placement robot, placement speed of 7,100 cph, max 146 twin tape feeder positions/max 30 tray positions).

iFlex is a complete pick & place solution and supported by Mentor Graphics’ Valor software suites (both NPI and MES). These help plan, prepare and test the PCB assembly before production starts and control the actual assembly process from beginning to end, including detailed traceability data.

Multiple products per line with Independent Dual Lane

The benefits of double-sided and dual-lane assembly are immediately evident. With two active lanes operating simultaneously on PCBs, doublesided machines can potentially double throughput. Dual lane systems can assemble two different boards in one machine, increasing the variety of end products from the same line. Assembléon’s iFlex goes one step further: combining its unique Independent Dual Lane feature with dual sided feeding, it can produce multiple types of products per line. The result? 30% higher throughput per assembly line.

More variety with Independent Dual Lane

Current dual lane solutions work with virtually a single large setup, combining programs for the front and rear lanes in pairs of two. With pairs being grouped in this way, running  products other than the two defined is simply not possible. Here’s where iFlex’s Independent Dual Lane concept benefits you. Each lane can be programmed separately from the other, letting you run any product on any lane per segment. This unique iFlex feature makes it possible to run more than two products per manufacturing line at once.

Easy and flexible programs

Do you need to change production from one lane, or line, to another? That’s also very easy with iFlex. It doesn’t lock your manufacturing programs, giving you the additional flexibility to transfer any program to any other lane or line. This helps you to quickly produce on any available line in combination with any other scheduled product.

Run NPI and volume on one line

Two types of manufacturing lines often exist: a New Product Introduction (NPI) and a volume production line. And often these lines use different types of machines. Independent Dual Lane can run volume production on one lane with a temporary NPI or test run on the other lane. These runs are performed on the equipment that will eventually also produce the product, so ensuring that all process parameters are correct. This keeps your actual production ramp-up time to an absolute minimum. And your machine park too.

The flexibility of changing your priorities

iFlex gives you the ability to prioritize programs. So when rush orders come in, decisions on priority are easy. You can stop producing on either the front or rear iFlex lane and start manufacturing a new product without affecting the PCB assembly on the other lane. This minimizes your downtime, and maximizes your productivity to up to 30% more throughput per assembly line.