SMT stencil printing may be a mature technology, but it is still the key to repeatable productivity and quality. To understand where the future of automatic stencil printing lies, it is helpful to review the recent history of this industry.
Throughout the 1990s, SMT printers evolved rapidly. Stencil printer manufacturers introduced new features in a bid to outperform one another. This was driven, in part, by an intense rivalry among competitors; however, it was fuelled by the telecom boom of the mid- to late-'90s. Add to this the emergence of contract electronics manufacturers (CEMs), and the landscape of electronics manufacturing would never be the same. Multibillion dollar EMS providers with global manufacturing infrastructures had arrived. They made a powerful case that OEMs should concentrate their strengths and take advantage of the buying power and expertise that outsourcing manufacturing could provide.
As the boom continued, the big players invested in multiple SMT lines on a global scale. CEMs placed demands on their suppliers and 24/7 became an industry byword. In return, capital equipment suppliers seized the opportunities. Printers became over-complicated and prices soared. Printer suppliers made significant amounts of money by introducing new options and charged a premium in the process. The result was that printers became over-complex and cost prohibitive.
In 2001, the hi-tech bubble burst in dramatic style. The dotcom crash had a severe impact on the electronics industry, particularly the telecoms sector. This resulted in a wake-up call for equipment manufacturers and CEMs alike. Secondhand machinery became a major factor in the industry, and 'street' pricing for new equipment plummeted.
The 'crash' precipitated a reality check. Typically, a fully-equipped automatic printer earns only 40 to 50% of the price it did eight to 10 years ago. Despite this price decrease, some modern printers have taken advantage of newer drive-control systems, leadscrews with linear encoders, and advanced vision technology. Consequently, they are more accurate and reliable than their predecessors. All this is good news as the industry prepares itself for the 'lead-free' era.
The lead-free process places a premium on increased accuracy for printers and placement systems. However, some printers on the market are better equipped to deal with this challenge. Although lead-free has narrowed the process window (in particular for wave solder and reflow), advances in solder paste chemistry and stencil technology have eliminated process concerns regarding printing.
As an example, optimal printing results are achieved easily with old-fashioned metal squeegees; there is no need for costly add-ons, such as an enclosed print head solution. Much electronics assembly (especially high-volume) has migrated to Asia and emerging low-cost-manufacturing countries in Central Europe. Mass production has left Europe and the West, almost certainly for good. This leaves European manufacturers to focus on what they have always done well - produce innovative products that deliver technology, value, and performance to its markets and customers.
While the West has come to terms with the reality that most high-volume manufacturing has moved East, there is another development looming among Western capital equipment suppliers - the cloning of Western technology in low-cost centres such as China. During a recent visit to a trade show in China it was difficult not to notice just how many locally-manufactured wave and reflow systems were on display. There also was a clone of inline printers that looked identical to a model manufactured by a well-known Western supplier. Currently, these copies are being sold domestically within China. But in the near future, there is little doubt that lowcost clones will be on display at a trade show in the US or Europe. No doubt, most of these copy machines will prove to be technically inferior to the originals. However, in a market where price is king, Western suppliers should unite and do their best to protect their IP and borders to prevent low-cost imitations from flooding their markets from China.
When selecting SMT capital equipment, it is worth it to put price to one side in the initial evaluation stage. If something costs a little more than a competitive product, generally there is a good reason.
Identify companies that have a proven track record of stability, ownership, innovation, and customer service. Find out where suppliers house development operations. Some suppliers have relocated part of their operations to low-cost areas such as China and India.
This may bring economical gain in the short-term. But will suppliers with engineering resources scattered around the globe be able to respond quickly enough to local needs closer to home? Price clearly is a factor in any industry, but a low-cost deal today may prove to be an expensive liability over the long-term.
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