Achieving full component traceability from warehouse to the end product
Achieving unprecedented components traceability, from warehouse to end-product, with predictive analytics
Executive summary
Achieving full component traceability: In PCB manufacturing, a single defective or compromised component can jeopardize an entire production run. or worse, cause the final product to malfunction or perform unsatisfactorily, leading to product recalls. The sooner problematic components can be identified, the better. However, electronics manufacturers lack tools to effectively analyze and trace individual components used in the manufacturing process, and they rely primarily on costly and time-consuming sampling that does not provide actionable insights in real time. The Cybord-Siemens solution addresses this crucial issue by providing an unprecedented level of component traceability. By using existing images from pick-and-place machines and advanced artificial intelligence, without the need for new hardware or changes to the manufacturing process. The solution gives electronics manufacturers enhanced transparency, excludes low-quality/damaged components upfront and reduces return merchandise authorizations by identifying problems before they occur.
The industry impact of compromised components
Experts estimate that as many as 10 percent of components in products on the market today are compromised. In some cases, the entire component is counterfeit and not provided by the origin vendor. in other cases, a product may contain mixed or non-homogenized reels of different components from the same vendor, expired components or components stored in improper conditions that affect the component functionality or quality. In extreme cases, components may have been tampered with intentionally and embedded with malicious code
Achieving full component traceability
Compromised components have dramatic financial consequences. According to industry estimates, electronic defects are the cause of 0.5 to 2 percent of return merchandise authorizations (RMAs), significantly affecting electronics manufacturers’ profit margins. The problem existed before the Covid-19 pandemic, but current supply chain issues have further exacerbated the issue. Unable to secure components from trusted suppliers on a timely basis, electronics manufacturers are forced to procure components from new and less-reliable sources. Now, more than ever, they need a way to monitor and trace component quality
The challenge: testing individual electronic components
Although electronics manufacturers regularly use document management and workflow tools to trace the documentation of packages, those tools do not offer a way to check the individual components that make up the package. Manufacturers can test a small lot sample of components (usually three to five components per batch of 10,000) using detractive tests such as X-rays, chemical Samsung On Semiconductor Texas Instuments Yageo tests, soldering tests and electronic tests. However, lab tests are costly and time-consuming, and they don’t provide information in real time. Furthermore, statistical samples cannot identify individual compromised components in a mixed source.