The broad-based EMS service provider SMTEC AG from Kleinandelfingen (CH) has recently invested in a new 3D AOI. After purchasing an SPI from Koh Young in 2019 and 2020, the Korean manufacturer was also chosen for the latest investment. The service provided by the sales partner was also an important factor in this decision.
Following its experience with the flexible SPI system, SMTEC now also relies on 3D AOI from the same manufacturer. In the picture, production manager Dan Schwegler (right) with Andreas Keller from SmartRep Reto May, CEO of SMTEC AG, knows that the fastest Formula 1 car and the best racing driver are only as good as their team: if there is a problem at the pit stop, the pole position is gone. "Even a good machine is useless if the service is poor," adds Production Manager Dan Schwegler. When investing in another Koh Young system for their SMD production, the two therefore not only relied on the performance of the market leader from Korea, but also on the support of SmartRep GmbH.
The broad-based EMS service provider from Switzerland is characterized by flexibility - and if you want to offer your customers an all-round service from SMD to THT and from the product idea to series production, you need a flexible machine park and reliable support.
An SPI has been in use since 2019, followed by another in 2020 and now the 3D AOI. Simple programming, excellent test results and good service made the decision easy: "We wanted new SPI and AOI systems from the same manufacturer so that they could be connected," explains the production manager. Because the experience with the service partner had also been good and the SPI had now been in satisfactory operation for two years, SMTEC invested in a Koh Young system again. Reto May is delighted: "The installation and introduction went without a hitch."
SMTEC quickly noticed during the introduction of the SPI in 2019: by checking the paste printing, poor printing results could be detected and process quality increased. As a result, the error rate for the AOI fell massively. The AOI now also meets expectations: It is quick to program and delivers very few pseudo errors with high measurement accuracy. "That's why we also use it for very small quantities - the effort is low, but the benefits are great."
