A manufacturing company that specialized in Surface Mount Technology (SMT) set out with the goal of improving their operations while staying within the footprint of their existing facility. The production facility has a total floor space of approximately 186,000 square feet, of which only 930 square feet were taken up by static shelving and cabinets. It was not only inefficient but also time consuming for the employees because they had to walk all around the facility in order to locate the necessary reel and then bring it back to the loading area once they found it. The company was able to increase the amount of storage space available for SMT Reel Storage and electronic components by sixty percent, which enabled them to reduce the amount of time spent walking around and looking for things by installing vertical storage and retrieval kitting carousels. This allowed the company to reduce the amount of time spent looking for things and walking around. Read on down below to find out how to carry out the action.

machines for storing and retrieving information of the SMT type

In place of the static cabinets and racks that were formerly utilized on the shop floor, the company installed two vertical storage and retrieval kitting carousels. These carousels allow for the storage and retrieval of kitted items. Carousels are used because they have carrier shelves that rotate automatically and deliver items to the operator in a direct manner. This allows for high-density storage as well as easy access to the items that are stored. The company was able to recover more than 73 percent of the floor space that had previously been used, bringing their footprint down to approximately 260 square feet as a result of the carousels. In addition to this, they were successful in removing the majority of the surplus space that had previously been required for the surrounding workspace. This was a significant accomplishment.

The carousels contain specialized bins that are ESD-safe and have been fitted with slots that have been specifically sized for component reels. These slots have been fitted inside the bins of the carousels. A piece of computer software is used to generate a random storage profile for each carousel. This is done in order to maximize the amount of storage space that is available for each individual bin. The barcodes that are located on each reel are scanned by the software. The dimensions of the carousels are as follows: 192 inches in height, 142 inches in width, and 69 inches in depth. As a result of their dimensions, they make it feasible to centralize the storage of reels and electronic components, which, in turn, speeds up the process of kitting.

During the process of manufacturing, the Infismash generates a pick list for the necessary reels and organizes it based on the position of the components within the carousels. This takes place before each rotation of the carousel. To have the desired carrier delivered to the operator at an ergonomic shelf level, all the operator needs to do is enter the appropriate carrier number into the controls of the carousel. Because of this, they are now able to use the FIFO method of inventory management control, which they were not able to do with their previous static storage. This method ensures that items are used in the order in which they were initially stored.

Since the installation of storage and retrieval kitting carousels, there has been a dramatic increase in the utilization rate of the machines, which has gone from forty percent to sixty percent. It has not only decreased the amount of time spent looking for reels, but it has also decreased the number of safety concerns related to walking, bending, and reaching thanks to the utilization of a waist-high counter and push-button delivery. This has resulted in a significant improvement. If you click on this link, you will be taken to a page with more information about automated storage and retrieval systems.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch with us. In Relation to the Manufacturing of SMTs and the Storage of Reels

Infismash provides services in the areas of design and installation for storage and retrieval carousels for electronic components and reels used in SMT manufacturing. These carousels are used in the assembly of surface-mounted components. Before we begin the process of design, we will also provide you with a free consultation to determine the specific requirements and preferences that you have for the end product. This consultation will take place before we begin the design process.

Challenge
A significant amount of manual effort is required for the management of high-mix production. It takes a considerable amount of time and effort to effectively manage the flow of materials that is necessary for frequent setups and changeovers. A significant amount of financial stress was being experienced by Komatsu Electronics as a direct result of the high costs associated with their material handling. They spent a significant amount of time looking for missing material, which resulted in downtime for the pick-and-place machines. In addition to this, the machines were unable to function properly.

Solution
At the moment, Komatsu is in charge of managing a collection of sixteen SMD Towers, all of which are designed to offer assistance to operations that are situated in different areas of their production. All sixteen of the towers that make up the group are situated in the same location. This makes it possible to store and retrieve individual components without having to move any of the towers. When the customer is getting ready for a new job, they will spend less time picking because of this, which will cut down on the total amount of time spent picking.

Result
Since the first time that the SMD Towers were put into operation, Komatsu has witnessed a sizeable improvement in their overall performance. The number of man-hours spent storing and retrieving material has been reduced, resulting in a savings of 4600 man-hours annually. Previously, this process took 90 seconds per part; now, it takes just four seconds. Additionally, the amount of time that their pick-and-place machines are unable to function as a result of looking for materials has decreased by 57%, going from 75 minutes per line and day to 32 minutes per line and day. This represents a decrease from a previous high of 150 minutes per line and day.