SMT Center of Competence

In the ASMPT SMT Center of Competence, customers can evaluate their own products and manufacturing requirements under realistic production conditions. Depending on the project objective, key SMT process steps such as printing, inspection, placement, and reflow soldering can be represented in a practical manufacturing environment. This gives customers a better understanding of how individual process steps interact and how materials, components, and process parameters influence manufacturing quality. In addition, they benefit from the process expertise of ASMPT specialists, who support the evaluation of manufacturing requirements and help assess potential solution approaches.

Many projects focus on component-related manufacturing challenges where feeding, handling, pickup, placement, or vision recognition need to be evaluated in more detail. Typical examples include odd-shaped packages that require dedicated feeding and handling concepts, as well as components with specific requirements regarding pickup behavior, placement accuracy, or vision recognition. By evaluating these requirements under realistic production conditions, ASMPT helps customers identify suitable process settings and improve process stability before implementation in production.

The first step is always to evaluate the specific manufacturing requirement and the objective of the request. In many cases, ASMPT service and application teams can support customers directly at the production site. However, when a task requires more extensive testing, process validation, or evaluation under controlled production conditions, the Center of Competence may be involved. The customer coordinates this with the ASMPT account manager. This ensures that the appropriate expertise and manufacturing environment are available for the specific task.

Careful preparation is an essential part of every Center of Competence project. Whenever possible, the customer provides assemblies, materials, component data, and relevant process information in advance. Based on this information, ASMPT experts can prepare equipment, programs, and test conditions before the customer arrives. This allows the time in the Center of Competence to be used specifically for process evaluation, testing, and analysis. The objective is to represent the actual manufacturing process as realistically as possible and generate meaningful results for further assessment.

Customers gain a clearer understanding of how their SMT production processes can be optimized in the areas of printing, inspection, and placement. The project results often provide new perspectives on existing challenges and help evaluate alternative approaches for process stability, manufacturing quality, and production performance. The key benefit is that customers can base their decisions on validated results from a realistic manufacturing environment. By combining ASMPT technology know-how, process expertise, and practical testing, customers can select solutions that match their specific manufacturing requirements.