"In today's competitive environment, production companies are required to maintain a similar level of quality, cost and execution as in mass production. However, in the case of high-mix production, where there are frequent product changes, the frequency of changeovers reduces production efficiency," explains Stefan Janssen, member of the Fuji Europe Management Board.

To shorten the changeover time, the feeder set-up work in SMD assembly is carried out offline and a changeover method using feeder pallets has become established.

Stefan Janssen explains: "Offline changeover work is usually complex and time-consuming, from removing the parts to setting up the feeders. They also require appropriate checks. In addition, this is a process that is highly dependent on people, which means that the processing time varies depending on the skills of the workers."

Automated conversion with the Smart Setup Station

When starting a conventional offline changeover, the parts used in the previous production are originally still present on the feeder pallet or MFU. First, it is necessary to remove the parts that are no longer required for the application. It is very time-consuming to remove the feeders one by one and search for the parts that are no longer required in the changeover list.

The Smart Setup Station from Fuji helps users in electronics production to better manage the challenges of changeover work through automated processes. The Smart Setup Station automatically dismantles only those feeders that are no longer required for the next production batch. It also shows the exact setup position of the feeder as well as the correct machine and the corresponding module for the setup feeder pallet.

"With the support of the Smart Setup Station, we simplify the offline changeover by leaving the parts to be used unchanged and automatically disassembling the parts that are not required. As manual steps are no longer required and the changeover list no longer needs to be checked as it was originally, working time is automatically reduced. This results in more efficient processes and cost savings," explains Stefan Janssen.