Component Kitting And Feeder Preparation In SMT Manufacturing Process

Kitting refers to the core unit of electronic assembly. It involves the process of producing ready-production kits which ensure the delivery of all parts to an accurate production line. Moreover, it also checks the quantity of the parts to avoid any kind of shortage later on the production line. Furthermore, each arriving part goes through checking against the BOM, and usually, parts go through analysis with their protective covering. This, however, helps in checking moisture-sensitive components. Thus, any problematic part will be repackaged again in a moisture-resistant vacuum seal bag to remove the air and seal them again. After the successful completion of kitting, all electrical components go through the barcoding and labeling process.

 Kitting In Manufacturing Of Electronic Components

In electrical manufacturing, kitting refers to a process of fabricating and assembling components and parts into one kit that contains its own number of SKUs. The company collects the components, materials, or parts which reuse them later. On the line of assembly, kitting generally ensures the process of putting components together of a consumer electronic device.

The manufacturing process of electrical components requires a ready-production kit of these components to create a desired number of electrical PCBs. The kitting of electronic components enhances the need to use complex electrical devices with a short span of product life. This, however, is one of the solutions that talks about the increasing demand for customizing products. Thus, allowing the companies to adhere to changes in the demands of consumers.

Different Types Of Kitting

Companies use two different kinds of kitting processes of manufacturing: product kitting and material kitting. The E-commerce market uses product kitting more. Whereas in manufacturing, companies use material kitting. Even though both can be used at either place. 

·       Material Kitting

Material kitting refers to a type of process that collects all the things that require to put in a single product. However, it brings all the necessary parts and materials in one place to assemble the product. 

This type of kitting proves best for creating custom products. Also, sometimes, this process uses some pre-assembling steps to make it efficient over the line of assembly.

·       Product Kitting

Product kitting, however, refers to a process of product collection constantly brought closer to put them in one kit. For instance, when you go buy shampoo, you most likely opt to buy conditioner with it, also. Therefore, product kitting bundles two products together and makes them one. This type of kitting approach serves as a marketing tool and sales driver, which enhances product sales. This happens because this kitting approach provides a sense of discount, and buying one product, therefore, attracts consumers. Furthermore, these product kits are then sent to distribution centers or warehouses from where they pack and order packaging.

When Should Kittens Be Used?

Kittiting is considered one of the best ways to approach customization products. Moreover, it suits products such as dental implants, which require customization for every single customer. In addition to this, some other popular choices for kitting include:

·       Automotive

Kitting targets mostly smaller yet complex components like screws and bolts in the manufacturing industry of automotive.

·       Electronics

The electronic manufacturing industry also focuses on smaller components such as resistors and capacitors.

·       Food And Drink

Drink and food manufacturers emphasize knitting for labeling, tray packing, sealing, and putting meal kits together. 

Benefits Of Electronic Component Kitting

Manufacturers tend to like kitting more and more with every passing day as it provides faster access to various components and parts simultaneously while saving a lot of money and time. When a manufacturer implements the logistics of the supply chain, they can keep the listing on the lower level, which helps them to detect it faster every time they need it. Moreover, the efficiency of kitting arrives from the merging of expenditures, administrative, storage, and manufacturing.

·       Inventory Control

A filled store or warehouse includes various types of features. These include inventory storage, delivery coordination, invoicing, component quality inspection, parts sourcing, and order tracking. Since the product kit comes as one component for assembling, the kitting of electronic components reduces the inventory, which aids in saving warehousing overhead. However, manufacturers can utilize that time in other aspects of the process. 

·       Cost Control

The kitting of electrical components removes the need to collect and monitor many components and parts from the store or warehouse to the line of assembly. This, however, saves a lot of money, effort, and time. Moreover, the service provider of kitting can manage all time-taking administrative activities. Furthermore, kitting also reduces labor expenses and overhead of logistics, purchasing, material installation, transaction cost, shrinkage, SKUs, returns, and labor in the manufacturing of electrical components.

·       Improving Organization

The knitting of electronic components allows the operators and assemblers to use only the necessary parts required for manufacturing electronic gears from kits on the assembly lines. This, however, helps in saving a lot of warehouses and workspace.

·       Improved Production

The kitting of electronic components gives a reliable chain of supply that companies source easily. In addition to this, it enhances the satisfaction of customer service and gives more space for assembly. This happens because assembly requires electronic components at a specific point to meet the schedule of production. This, however, results in improved and increased overall production.

If you outsource the kitting of electronic components from a third-party provider, you can surely save a lot of money. Furthermore, it enhances the capability of use, enhances the experiences of customers, and puts flexibility in the supply chain. Moreover, 3PL helps you in saving money and time to let you focus on the main goals and efforts made for the growth of sales over the years. Because of these goals and objectives, customers come to you. So you can better concentrate on them while third-party prepare to kit for you.

How To Kit Electronics?

Electronic kitting refers to a process of collecting all the required parts and components for running assembly and then packing them to ship to the assembly workshop. All parts come with proper labeling and or order number. Moreover, each part in the kit goes into separate packing to ensure their clear identification. 

Distributors kit all the parts you need and send them directly to the assembly workshop. However, when you keep parts for prototyping, you have to pack them yourself and ship them. For better understanding, follow these steps carefully:

1. If you are keeping components for a client, then kit up specific components that need for the assembly run. As not all operators and assemblers keep and track the inventory.
2. Check for corrosion for parts based on the types of parts.
3. However, if components cost high, then ask about the unique attrition demands for the parts.
4. Furthermore, ensure to put a unique number on the part on the packaging with clear labels. Collects all the packaging in one big bag or box.
5. Make sure to reduce the package number that you send to operators and assemblers, as more packages may end up causing more errors.

·       Use Proper Packing Materials

Packaging plays a vital role in the whole process of kitting and assembling. Generally, you have to ensure to put integrated circuits and semiconductors in antistatic packaging. At the same time, the other electrical components can go in simple plastic bags. Moreover, some electrical components need desiccant and vacuum sealing and moisture-resistant packaging. This helps them to stay safe from humidity exposure. 

However, you can use the following materials to pack the electrical components and ship them to assemblers. The materials include bubble wrap of antistatic, stickers of ESD warning, pouches of silica desiccant, and ESD-vulnerable bags.

Moreover, all these materials also help in storing additional components for use in the long term. However, if you still don’t get it, then look at other manufacturers’ and distributors’ packaging and try to use a similar method.

·       Order The Most Important Parts Early

Companies have been facing a constant challenge in the supply chain. Therefore, try to detect the challenging parts early during the process of designing and order them before the assembly process. Furthermore, identifying the challenging part seems an art as these parts are basically responsible for the main operations of a device. Unfortunately, such components do not have any replacements, or some have very few. Hence, identifying them in the early stage and ordering them early gives the assembler time to process them right away.

·       Send the Tracking Number To The Assembler

Tracking the number of kit packages helps the assembler to track their delivery so that they can prevent the assembly process from getting delayed. However, assemblers generally use BOM for checking the shipment. But mostly, they miss things that came to their facility. Therefore, if their system has tracking numbers, they can easily track down the package when it arrives at their facility. This way, they can easily check off the parts from the Bill Of Materials.

Should Parts Substitutes Be Mixed?

Most often, when you send the part and its substitute together with the BOM, it may get mixed up. This generally occurs when the required part is not available in stock, so you have to use an appropriate substitute for that. Assemblers typically have different approaches to substitute parts. Therefore, it is necessary to put them in a separate package to avoid the risk of mixing up. Hence, when creating a kit, always write “substitute for Pin Number: XXXXXXXX” on the substitute packaging. This removes any future confusion and allows you to identify the part quickly on the BOM.

What Is A SMT Feeder?

SMT feeder, Part Feeder, or Component Feeder refers to an SMT Feeding Gun. It refers to a type of electrical device that helps in locking tape-and-reel Surface-mounted components, feeding the bare component into the exact pickup position, and peeling off the film cover from the surface of components using a PP machine. 

The SMT feeder considers the most significant component of an SMT machine. In addition to this, it also plays a significant role in SMT assembly, where it affects the production efficiency and assembly capabilities of the PCB. However, many components in the reels of tape are supplied on plastic tape or paper. Whereas larger ICs come in trays in an organized stack form in the compartment. 

Main SMT Part Feeder

SMT machine takes command and picks the electrical component with the feeder up to the coordinates specified location. However, distinct mount components use different types of packaging. At the same time, different packaging needs distinct feeders accordingly. SMT feeders have four basic types, which include tube feeders, tray feeders, tape feeders, and stick feeders.

·       Tape Feeder

A tape feeder refers to the most basic standard feeder used in pick-and-place machines. However, the conventional structure of the feeder contains the pneumatic, the claw, the muti-distance electric gear, and the wheel. While today, the electric type of this feeder has increased in high precision. However, when you compare both today’s and traditional tape feeders, the advanced tape feeder offers higher accuracy of transmission. In addition to this, it offers faster feeding speed, a more compact structure, improved production efficiency, and stable performance.

·       Tray Feeder

Tray feeders consist of single and multi-layered structures. The tray feeder with single-layer goes directly in the feeder rack of the placement machine and takes the bits number. At the same time, the multi-layer tray feeder contains an automatic multi-layer transmission tray. It takes up less space and has a compact structure. Moreover, it suits well for tray materials. Furthermore, it disks electrical components for various IC components such as SSOPs, TSOP, BGA, PQFP, and TQFP.

·       Stick Feeder

A stick feeder refers to a type of bulk-type feeder. It uses a feed pipe or vibrating feeder to electrical components to turn into monsters. However, it allows loading inside the bags or plastic boxes of molding. This approach is usually used for small semiconductor electrical components and MELF. Moreover, it does not suit polar components well but goes well with cylindrical and non-polar rectangular components.

·       Tube Feeder

Tube feeders utilize vibration feeders. This, however, ensures that electrical components present in the feeder must enter the head of the chip to immerse the position. Moreover, it uses the general SOIC and PLCC to feed them to these tube feeders. Furthermore, tube feeders protect the electrical component, come with poor normality and stability, and provide efficient production.

Practices Before Feeding The SMT 

Numerous beginners face the challenge of too much or insufficient material in the process of feeding. This happens because the placement machine of SMT does not go through the preparation process before starting the feeding. Therefore, you must have to prepare the SMT machine before feeding. Some of the necessary preparation includes the following steps:

1. The machine sets the alarm every time it finds the SMT placement machine goes out of work. The process requires stopping the alarm on the basis of equipment function. However, if you don’t know how to handle the fault alarm, then immediately notify engineers to help you. 
2. When the material gets finished, take the SMT placement machine out, and eliminate the tray of material from it.
3. After checking the material tray again to see if it gives the correct inventory values, lodge the SMT placement machine. 
4. Read the description of the material carefully and match the consistency of the tray material with the provided description.
5. Take out a copy of loaded materials from an SMT placement machine. Note down the operator name and refueling time for handing it over to the next operator.
6. Install back the SMT placement machine to its place in the equipment.