SMT Center of Competence

Unlike a traditional machine demonstration, the ASMPT SMT Center of Competence enables customers to work with their own products and manufacturing requirements in a realistic production environment. Depending on the project, complete SMT process chains including printing, inspection, placement, and reflow soldering can be represented and analyzed. The focus is not only on machine performance, but on the interaction between materials, components, process parameters, and individual process steps. Customers also benefit from the process expertise of ASMPT specialists and gain additional process knowledge that supports future production and investment decisions.

Many projects focus on challenging component types and their impact on manufacturing processes. Typical examples include odd-shaped components that require dedicated feeding and handling concepts, as well as components whose geometry creates specific requirements for pickup and vision recognition. The SMT Center of Competence enables electronics manufacturers to evaluate these applications in a realistic production environment and validate suitable process concepts.

The first step is always to understand the customer's manufacturing challenge and project objective. In many cases, our service team can provide support directly at the customer's production site. When a challenge requires more extensive testing, process analysis, or evaluation in a controlled production environment, the ASMPT SMT Center of Competence may be involved. The project is typically coordinated through the Account Manager, who identifies the appropriate expertise, equipment, and manufacturing environment for the task.

Careful preparation is an important part of every Center of Competence project. Whenever possible, customers provide assemblies, materials, component data, and relevant process information before the visit. This allows ASMPT specialists to prepare equipment, programs, and test conditions in advance, ensuring that valuable time on site can be used for process analysis and testing. The objective is to represent the customer's manufacturing process as realistically as possible and generate reliable results.

Customers gain a better understanding of how their SMT processes can be optimized across printing, inspection, and placement. Project results often provide new perspectives on existing manufacturing challenges and help identify alternative approaches. Equally important, customers receive results based on practical testing in a realistic production environment. This creates confidence in the selected manufacturing approach, the ASMPT technologies used, and ASMPT as a trusted partner. By combining process expertise with hands-on evaluation, the Center of Competence helps electronics manufacturers make informed decisions with greater confidence.