SMT Parts kitting

Very interesting topic. I'd love to hear what others are doing to help the flow. We are already taking to long breaking down and setting up for new product.

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We have recently taken to setting jobs up in BOM order. So, when the job is kitted (for turn-key jobs), or verified (for consigned jobs), the job is organized in either BOM order or in the order shown on the Components in Layout report printed from our MyDatas. This has sped up our data-input time into the machines.

We have also recently started assigning an additional resource to the set-up process step. We've got a small shop, and, generally, the machine operator sets up the feeders on a per job basis. To maximize the mix of jobs going through the machine, we assign a secondary resource to set up the next job, while the operator keeps the current job running. This has minimized the machine down-time for set-up; although, it does require having enough additional magazines/feeders to set up multiple jobs.

With your current process, I'd recommend providing the feeder setup sheets or whatever defines how you want your machines loaded to the kitting process. Have them arrange the parts on the rack in order of those sheets to eliminate your machine operators from having to do this. That way, your machine operators can focus on keeping the machine running.

cheers ..rob

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I can explain our kitting process which was heavily software managed.

For our Chipshooters we grouped setups of the optimum algorithym for less carriage movement, and grouping part numbers as much as possible. This was done with some high dollar software where we scheduled 20 workorders or so and It spit out a optimum setup( It could be more than one setup across the 20 but it was optimum for that 20). This same software was used in conjunction with barcode scanners to kit for say SETUP 1, SETUP2 ...... We also used vertical carousels where we scanned out and into a kit. Our kitting station consisted of operators assigned to do nothing but that. They would scan parts to feeders, load on a setup cart and roll to the line. Our system also allowed us to (FOR UNIVERSAL HSP 4797) replenish 2 carriages at a time while the other 2 carriages were running. So we group our setups for carriage 1 and 2 or 3 and 4.

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