Visitors to Productronica 2023 will be able to see the Panasonic Factory Solutions Europe NPM G Series in action as the company showcases the integrated range of SMT production systems. This latest Series combines AI and automation to immediately respond to customer supply and demand changes through continuous, autonomous updates and offers flexibility and customisable options to address production needs, to make autonomous factories a reality.
As supply chain challenges continue to be a major concern for businesses and consumers around the world, assembly lines need to respond to sudden changes at any time of day. By using its strengths in edge devices, sensing and robotics, Panasonic is working to create factory automation technologies that increase efficiencies and optimise the supply chain.
As will be demonstrated at Productronica 2023, the NPM G Series is a new platform that brings together four technologies into a single offering that minimises the reliance on the traditional 5M (Human, Machine, Material, Method, Measurement) method that many production sites still use. The NPM G Series incorporates:
- NPM-GP/L screen printing machine with automatic printing process functions can automatically implement production line changes.
- NPM-GH modular mounter with industry-leading mounting accuracy.
- Auto Setting Feeder (ASF) for the automatic supply of mounting components, an industry first. The ASF can automatically peel back the cover on surface-mount component tape between 4mm and 104mm wide.
- APC-5M system for Adaptive Process Control (APC) tracks the correct placement of components based on the solder printing position and transfers feedback to the stencil printer in case of misalignment.
As part of the NPM G Series, the APC-5M detects 5M variations as well as line changes in real-time to ensure quality production and stable operations which ensures a smooth production process without downtime. Supported by AI, the control system improves and specifies detections and feedback after each production process.
Panasonic’s NPM G Series, which will be on demonstration at Productronica, will help its customers to take a significant step towards 24-hour manufacturing, by enabling them to respond to fluctuating customer supply and demand changes quickly and efficiently and maintain uptime with predictive maintenance scheduling.