Circuits Assembly - April 2008 - (Page 72)

Getting Lean process. Wave soldering may be possible if Amp-in terminals on solder ends of wires rated at 105°C or higher are used. While sockets on programmed parts potentially increase component-use flexibility, they can create reliability issues and typically have a higher cost than a soldered component. Programmed parts soldered to the board that use flash technology offer future programming flexibility and a more efficient processing option. It is important to ensure a means to reflash or reprogram the device in-circuit. Test strategies based on Lean principles typically use standardized test platforms. Efficient ICT requires a PCB designed to IPC guidelines with good access points. According to an Agilent study of manufacturing defect root causes, 10 to 15% of defects are actually attributable to nonfunctioning parts or defective materials, rather than being process-related. We have seen similar statistics in internal defects analysis. A robust test process helps catch these “embedded” component defects prior to assembled product shipment. Test point access can be a significant cost driver. If a design doesn’t have test point access sufficient to permit automated ICT, AOI, x-ray inspection or flying probe test are higher cost alternatives. Those tools have longer test times, are less effective in fully testing the product and require greater operator interface time. Custom functional test systems alone may not provide as robust a test process and typically increase test time and overall test cost. Logistics Cost Drivers Materials selection also drives significant cost and can impact throughput. The greater the number of line items managed, the greater the cost. Similarly, the less flexibility an EMS provider has in supplier choices, the greater the opportunity for issues such as component availability constraints or increased cost. A designer’s ability to design a Lean bill of materials (BoM) can significantly reduce cost. Consolidation of resistor and capacitor values on the BoM is one area for cost reduction. Many BoMs have a large number of values for resistors and capacitors, and each specific value drives management of additional component line item, as well as the opportunity for misplaced components on the board. When a design engineer tries to minimize the number of different values, it has the net effect of streamlining material management processes and minimizing the potential for manufacturing errors. Noncancelable, nonreturnable (NCNR) custom parts are also a cost driver. While it may be impossible to completely eliminate custom components, minimize their use. Besides the excess inventory status of NCNR components when a product reaches end of life, these single-sourced components are vulnerable to availability constraints. Allowing an EMS provider to source small components such as standard ICs and discretes off its internal approved vendor list offers the best options for cost reduction and logistics efficiency. Providing multiple sources for these components on the supplied AVL is the next most efficient option, as multiple sourcing minimizes availability issues and opens the door to robust pricing negotiations. Dfx for Lean isn’t difficult. Many of the optimum practices discussed here are widely used. The key is combining these steps as part of focus to increase throughput in every stage of product realization from components procurement through manufacturing and ultimately shipment to end market. Product design can either be the element that adds cost along that journey or the focus that reduces cost every step of the way. ■ circuitsassembly.com Continued from pg. 17 CA: It’s not just to “make the buck”; it’s to build something that’s sustainable. PdV: That’s right. CA: Does KPS’s approach include gaining market share through consolidating suppliers? PdV: There are consolidation plays, depending on the industry. In some markets, there’s too much capacity and that’s one of the reasons why the particular company you are looking at is having operational difficulties. When you see that nine of their 10 competitors are losing money as well, that says it’s a market problem, not a company problem. KPS does look at consolidation from time to time. CA: KPS has a history with traditional manufacturing plays, instead of, say, nanotech. PdV: That’s somewhat true. KPS started in basic process manufacturing, such as steel mills and paper mills. They don’t look at software, biotech, banking. But they have diversified their portfolio into more value-added areas, forging, compressors, valves and so on. CA: In the announcement, KPS invites companies looking for help to pick up the phone. Are there specific companies you hope will call? PdV: There are a number of opportunities in what I would call big diversified industrial multinationals. These are companies with engineered products, by definition, and they always have one or two divisions they have stopped paying close attention to. I have a couple names in mind. And we are thinking about how we could proactively approach these large multinationals and help them get rid of a problematic division quickly. This is a very different approach than just waiting for the target company to be sold through auction. CA: Will the current environment mean more potential opportunities? PdV: Oh, yes, between the financing crunch and the recession looming, there are huge numbers of opportunities. ■ 72 Circuits Assembly APRIL 2008 http://circuitsassembly.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Circuits Assembly - April 2008

Circuits Assembly - April 2008 Contents Caveat Lector Industry News Market Watch Talking Heads Screen Printing Better Manufacturing Design and Modeling of High-Speed, High-Density 3-D CSPs and Memory Modules The ‘Big Brush Off’ Revisited Impact of Soldering Atmosphere on Solder Joint Formation Beyond Moore’s Law ESD Control For Class 0 ESDS Devices Growing Your Brand This Year’s Model Tech Tips Reflow Soldering Process Doctor Pb-Free Lessons Learned Getting Lean Equipment Advances Apex Product Preview Ad Index Assembly Insider Technical Abstracts

Circuits Assembly - April 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.