The right machine at the right time

With continuing advances in smartphones, smartwatches, autonomous vehicles and medical technology, electronic products are becoming smaller, more complex, and more powerful. This is made possible by a key technology called system in-package, or SiP, which combines semiconductor chips, conventional SMT components, sensors and even antennas in a single housing. For manufacturing, this means that the semiconductor and SMT worlds are converging. At the upcoming Productronica trade fair, ASMPT SMT Solutions, the market and technology leader in electronics manufacturing equipment, will be showcasing the SIPLACE CA2 for the first time in Europe. The hybrid platform places dies directly from the wafer and SMDs from the reel in a single machine. This makes SiP production suitable for high-speed and large-scale production. We spoke with Thomas Bliem, VP R&D at ASMPT SMT Solutions, about technology, benefits, and prospects.