New Reference Site in Zhongqing

QingDao ZhongQing Electronic Software Co. becomes an ASM SMT reference site

Established in 2012, QingDao ZhongQing Electronic Software Co. Ltd. specializes in rail transit electronics, circuit board design and development, manufacturing, embedded systems, and software development services. The company serves enterprises engaged in Chinese high-speed rail related applications such as the Sifang Vehicle Research Institute; CRRC Xi’an Yongjietong Electric Co., Ltd.; Qingdao Yatongda Railway Equipment Co., Ltd.; and CRRC Sifang Co., Ltd. Its products include high-speed train video systems and train video monitoring systems, among others.

In recent years ZhongQing has been eager to make breakthroughs in intelligent manufacturing. After initial talks with ASM about solutions for smart electronics production in 2019, it gradually deepened its comprehensive and in-depth commitment to smart manufacturing. In 2020, a high-speed line of DEK NeoHorizon 03iX, Process Lens, SIPLACE X2S and SIPLACE X2S machines was purchased. Based on the smart factory solution discussed with ASM, ZhongQing also added Process Expert, Production Planner,Line Monitor, Traceability, Material Manager, Material Tower, Material Shelves, Command Center, and Remote Smart Factory (RSF) applications. With the smart watches and smart glasses provided by ASM and an MES system developed by ZhongQing, the company built a smart factory that sets benchmarks in all aspects ranging from material management and planning to preparation and production.

With the help of this comprehensive smart factory software and hardware solution, ZhongQing has reduced one operator on each line and two operators in its warehouses while improving its overall equipment efficiency by 9.3% and its product yield by 8.7%. It also reduced its manufacturing costs by 28%, shortened its manufacturing cycle by 45%, and reduced its overstock of work-in-process by 17%.

With ASM’s Production Planner, for example, ZhongQing can now contact the customer’s ERP system to obtain the production tasks for the next few days. To ensure a timely delivery date, the Production Planner intelligently calculates the optimal manufacturing schedule by taking real equipment cycles and product similarities into account, thus reducing the time lost for changeovers and improving the turnover efficiency of the feeders. Combined with other solutions, the manufacturing cycle has been shortened by 45%.

Railway system products are diverse and complex, and the quality requirements are very high. ASM’s smart factory solutions provide enough flexibility for custom-tailored production while ensuring high levels of production efficiency and quality. Based on the success of its smart factory, ZhongQing has become a member of the manufacturing technology seminar group of China’s Academy of Railway Sciences, participated in the formulation of PCB manufacturing standards for China’s railway industry, and has won the highest supplier rating of China’s Academy of Railway Sciences in 2021.

With the completion of its smart factory, ZhongQing will gradually increase its orders and become the most advanced PCB supplier in China’s railway industry. It is expected that by the end of 2022 it will become the largest PCB supplier in China’s Academy of Railway Sciences.

In the first half of 2021, ZhongQing purchased another whole production line with an ASM printing machine, a Process Expert system and placement machines. It is currently starting to prepare for its fourth line, which will be another whole-line solution from ASM.

In view of ZhongQing’s own MES and ASM’s intelligent solution, the two companies have agreed to use ZhongQing as an ASM reference site, making it one of seven 7 ASM SMT reference sites in China. ASM will repeatedly analyze ZhongQing manufacturing processes to make its SMT production more competitive and efficient.