BRUNIMIND Empowers European Automotive Electronics Project_ Seamless Integration of SMT Line and THT Assembly Line
Against the backdrop of the rapid transformation of the European automotive electronics industry towards intelligence and electrification, vehicle and component manufacturers have increasingly stringent requirements for the automation, integration, and high reliability of electronic production lines. A well-known European automotive electronics enterprise, aiming to meet the mass production needs of core components such as new energy vehicle electronic control modules and sensors, urgently needed to build an automated production line integrating SMT (Surface Mount Technology) and THT (Through-Hole Technology), to achieve seamless connection, data intercommunication, and full quality control of the two processes. With its profound technical accumulation in the field of electronic manufacturing automation, European localized service capabilities, and rich experience in production line integration, BRUNIMIND became the core partner of the enterprise, tailor-making an integrated SMT+THT production line solution that was successfully commissioned, achieving dual breakthroughs in production capacity and quality.
Project Background and Customer Pain Points
This European automotive electronics enterprise has long been engaged in the R&D and production of automotive electronic control systems and is a core supplier to many well-known vehicle manufacturers. With the rapid expansion of the new energy vehicle market, its order volume has experienced explosive growth. The enterprise's original production model featured independent operation of SMT and THT production lines, with manual connection between the two processes, resulting in several production pain points:
• Low Efficiency Due to Disconnected Processes: The separation of SMT mounting from THT insertion and welding processes, along with time-consuming manual transfer of semi-finished products, led to mismatched overall production line rhythms, making it difficult for the daily output to meet order demands;
• High Errors Caused by Manual Intervention: Manual loading/unloading and station switching between the two processes were prone to PCB damage and component deviation, resulting in persistently high product defect rates. Especially for automotive electronic products, which have strict reliability requirements, the cost of reworking defective products was extremely high;
• Difficult Traceability Due to Data Silos: The SMT and THT production lines were managed independently, with no real-time data intercommunication, making product quality traceability difficult and failing to meet the strict compliance and traceability standards of the European automotive industry;
• Insufficient Production Line Flexibility: The original production line had poor adaptability and could not quickly switch between the production of different specifications of automotive electronic PCBs. Faced with the customer's customized and multi-batch production needs, the adjustment cycle was long and costly.
To address the above pain points, the enterprise proposed the core demand of building an integrated SMT+THT automated production line, requiring seamless process connection, full-process data interconnection, and flexible production adjustment. It also needed to comply with European Industry 4.0 standards and automotive industry quality control requirements. After comprehensively evaluating multiple global automation solution suppliers, the enterprise ultimately chose BRUNIMIND, mainly because BRUNIMIND could not only provide highly adaptable equipment configuration but also achieve in-depth production line integration and localized technical service support.
Combining the enterprise's production status and development planning, the BRUNIMIND team thoroughly sorted out its core needs and clarified the core goals of production line integration:
1. Integrated Process Integration: Achieve automated connection of the entire processes of SMT surface mounting, THT through-hole insertion, welding, and inspection, eliminate manual transfer links, and improve the overall operational efficiency of the production line;
2. Full-Process Data Intercommunication: Build a central production line management and control system to realize real-time collection, analysis, and intercommunication of production data, equipment operation data, and quality inspection data from all SMT and THT processes, supporting full product lifecycle traceability;
3. Highly Flexible Adaptive Production: The production line must be adaptable to the production of multiple core automotive electronic components (electronic control modules, sensors, on-board power supply boards, etc.), support rapid changeover, and meet multi-batch, small-lot production needs;
4. Compliance with Strict Industry Standards: The design and operation of the production line must comply with European CE certification and the IATF16949 automotive industry quality system standard, ensuring product quality stability and production compliance;
5. Localized Rapid Services: Require the supplier to have a European localized service team capable of providing rapid equipment commissioning, fault diagnosis, and after-sales maintenance to minimize production line downtime.
BRUNIMIND's Customized Integrated Solution
In response to the customer's core needs, BRUNIMIND set up a special team consisting of local European engineers and headquarters technical experts, conducted in-depth investigations and solution design at the customer's production site, and created a highly integrated, flexible, and data-interconnected integrated SMT+THT automated production line solution. It covers three core modules: a fully automated SMT production line, an intelligent THT assembly and welding line, and a central production line management and control system. At the same time, it completed the hardware connection and software integration between each module, realizing automated and intelligent operation of the entire process.
The SMT production line configured by BRUNIMIND for the customer adopts a combination of high-precision and high-stability equipment, adapting to the small-pitch, high-precision, and high-reliability mounting requirements of automotive electronic PCBs. The core equipment includes:
• BRM-SP850 Automatic Solder Paste Printer: Equipped with a high-precision visual alignment system, the printing repeat accuracy reaches ±8μm, adapting to the solder paste printing of 0201 ultra-small components and special-shaped components. It also supports rapid changeover of different sizes of PCBs, with a changeover time ≤ 8 minutes;
• BRM-M650 High-Speed Modular Mounter: Adopting a multi-mounting head modular design, the mounting speed reaches 85,000 CPH, and the mounting accuracy is ±20μm. It can simultaneously mount chip components, connectors, and special-shaped components, meeting the mounting needs of various types of automotive electronic components;
• BRM-R750 Lead-Free Hot Air Reflow Oven: Equipped with a 12-zone precision temperature control system, the temperature uniformity is ±0.8℃, supporting high-reliability welding processes for automotive electronics. It effectively avoids thermal damage to components and improves solder joint reliability. It is also equipped with a real-time furnace temperature monitoring system that can record the welding furnace temperature curve of each PCB;
• BRM-A850 Inline AOI Inspection System: Adopting 3D visual inspection technology, it can accurately detect defects such as mounting deviation, missing components, and insufficient/excessive solder paste. The inspection accuracy reaches the μm level, and the inspection speed is adapted to the production line rhythm, realizing 100% online inspection of the SMT process, with real-time alarm and automatic shunting of defective products.
In response to the insertion, welding, and inspection needs of the THT process, BRUNIMIND configured an intelligent and automated equipment combination to achieve seamless connection with the SMT production line. The core equipment includes:
• BRM-I550 Automatic Special-Shaped Insertion Machine: Equipped with a flexible feeding system and a high-precision insertion mechanism, it can complete automatic insertion of various through-hole components with an insertion accuracy of ±45μm. It is suitable for the insertion of through-hole components such as automotive electronic connectors, capacitors, and resistors, and is seamlessly connected to the SMT production line through an automated conveyor belt, eliminating the need for manual transfer of semi-finished products;
• BRM-S650 Selective Wave Soldering Machine: Adopting a high-precision nozzle and programmable welding path, it realizes precise welding of designated solder joints on PCBs, effectively avoiding thermal damage to non-welding areas. It is especially suitable for the welding of high-density PCBs for automotive electronics, with a welding yield of over 99.92%;
• BRM-X750 Inline X-Ray Inspection System: It detects hidden solder joints in the THT process (such as BGA and connector bottom solder joints), can accurately identify defects such as cold solder joints, false solder joints, and insufficient solder, making up for the AOI inspection blind spot and realizing comprehensive control of welding quality;
• BRM-C450 Automatic Sorting Workstation: Equipped with a visual recognition system, it can automatically distinguish between qualified and defective products, complete automatic sorting and unloading, and bind a barcode to each product to realize quality traceability.
To solve the problem of data silos in the original production line, BRUNIMIND built an exclusive BRM-MES3.2 central production line management and control system for the customer, which serves as the "brain" of the entire integrated SMT+THT production line and realizes three core functions:
• Real-Time Data Collection: Connect to the equipment systems of each SMT and THT process, and real-time collect production data (output, rhythm, yield), equipment operation data (speed, temperature, fault information), and quality inspection data (defect type, quantity, location) from printing, mounting, welding, inspection and other links;
• Centralized Data Analysis: Conduct real-time analysis of the collected massive data, generate production reports, equipment operation reports, and quality analysis reports, helping customer management grasp the real-time operation status of the production line and timely identify production bottlenecks and quality problems;
• Full Lifecycle Traceability: Bind a unique QR code to each PCB, record its production information, inspection information, and operator information in each SMT and THT process, realizing full lifecycle traceability of products from raw materials to finished products, and meeting the compliance requirements of the European automotive industry;
• Remote Monitoring and Early Warning: Support remote monitoring of the production line operation status via computer and mobile terminal. When equipment fails or production parameters deviate from standards, the system automatically issues an early warning and pushes fault solutions to shorten fault handling time.
Core Design Highlights of Production Line Integration
• Seamless Hardware Connection: Use automated conveyor belts and manipulators to complete the transfer of semi-finished products between SMT and THT processes, realize the rhythm matching of the two processes, ensure the overall smooth operation of the production line, and eliminate manual intervention links;
• In-Depth Software Integration: The BRM-MES3.2 system is deeply compatible with the control systems of each equipment, realizing data intercommunication and command synchronization. For example, product information from the SMT process can be automatically synchronized to the THT process without manual re-entry, improving production efficiency;
• Flexible Design: All equipment supports rapid changeover, equipped with standardized fixtures and modular components. When changing product specifications, it is only necessary to call the corresponding program in the system and replace the fixtures, with a changeover time ≤ 28 minutes, meeting multi-batch, small-lot production needs;
• Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection: All production line equipment is designed in accordance with European energy efficiency standards, with energy consumption reduced by more than 18% compared with traditional equipment. It is also equipped with an exhaust gas treatment system, and the exhaust gas generated during welding is discharged up to standard after treatment, complying with European environmental protection regulations.
Project Implementation and Commissioning
Following the model of European localized services + headquarters technical support, BRUNIMIND efficiently promoted the project implementation, taking only 4 months from solution design to production line mass production, far exceeding the customer's expectations. The project implementation was divided into four phases:
1. Solution Design and Confirmation (1 month): The local European BRUNIMIND team communicated with the customer multiple times, completed the detailed solution design of production line layout, equipment configuration, and system connection in combination with product specifications, production capacity goals, and site conditions, organized the customer to conduct solution review, optimized according to feedback, and finally confirmed the solution;
2. Equipment Manufacturing and Factory Testing (1.5 months): Core equipment was manufactured at BRUNIMIND's global production bases. Before leaving the factory, it passed a 72-hour continuous stability test and a simulated integration test of the SMT+THT production line. At the same time, the customer was invited to conduct FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) to ensure that the equipment performance and integration effect met the requirements;
3. On-Site Installation and Commissioning (1 month): The local European BRUNIMIND technical team stationed at the customer's production site to complete equipment installation, wiring, and hardware integration. At the same time, it conducted software debugging, system connection, and overall joint commissioning of the production line, optimized the production line operation rhythm, data intercommunication, quality inspection and other links, and ensured that the production line reached the designed production capacity;
4. Personnel Training and Mass Production Delivery (0.5 months): Conducted hierarchical practical training for the customer's production operators, maintenance engineers, and quality managers, covering equipment standardized operation, process parameter optimization, equipment daily maintenance, system operation and data analysis, fault diagnosis and other contents. After the training, an assessment was organized, and the production line was officially put into mass production after passing the assessment.
Project Achievements and Customer Benefits
After the successful commissioning of the integrated SMT+THT production line built by BRUNIMIND, after 3 months of stable operation, the customer's production efficiency, product quality, and production management level have achieved all-round improvement. The core achievements are as follows:
• 40% Improvement in Overall Production Line Efficiency: Eliminated the manual transfer link between SMT and THT processes, realized automated connection of the entire process, shortened the overall operation rhythm of the production line from 60 seconds per PCB to 36 seconds, increased the daily output by 40%, and easily met the customer's order demands;
• Product Comprehensive Yield Increased to 99.8%: Through online full inspection (AOI+X-Ray) and automated precise operation in SMT and THT processes, errors caused by manual intervention were effectively reduced. The product comprehensive yield increased from 95% to 99.8%, and the cost of reworking defective products was reduced by 80%;
• Realized Full-Process Data Intercommunication and Traceability: The BRM-MES3.2 central management and control system broke through the data silos of SMT and THT production lines, realizing real-time collection, analysis, and traceability of production data, equipment data, and quality data. The product traceability time was shortened from several hours to several minutes, fully meeting the compliance requirements of the European automotive industry;
• Greatly Improved Production Line Flexibility: The production line supports rapid changeover of multiple core automotive electronic components, with a changeover time ≤ 28 minutes. Faced with the customer's customized and multi-batch production needs, it can respond quickly, improving product switching efficiency by 70% and enhancing the customer's market competitiveness;
• 50% Reduction in Labor Costs: The entire process operates automatically, reducing the labor demand in core production links by 50%, which not only reduces labor costs but also reduces quality risks caused by manual operations and improves production stability;
• High Equipment Operation Stability and Significantly Reduced Downtime: BRUNIMIND's local European service team provides 24/7 technical support, with an equipment fault response time ≤ 4 hours. The average mean time between failures (MTBF) of the production line reaches more than 800 hours, an increase of 60% compared with the customer's original production line, greatly reducing downtime losses.
The customer's production director highly commented on this cooperation: "BRUNIMIND not only built a highly integrated SMT+THT automated production line for us but also enabled us to achieve an intelligent upgrade in production management. The efficiency, quality, and flexibility of the production line fully match our production needs, and BRUNIMIND's European localized services have given us no worries. It is our best partner for the upgrading of the automotive electronics industry."
Core Advantages of BRUNIMIND in the European Automotive Electronics Field
The successful commissioning of this European automotive electronics SMT+THT integrated production line project once again demonstrates BRUNIMIND's core advantages in the field of European automotive electronic manufacturing automation, and is also an important achievement of BRUNIMIND's deep cultivation in the European market and layout of localized services:
• Profound Accumulation of Production Line Integration Technology: BRUNIMIND has nearly a thousand experiences in electronic manufacturing production line integration projects. Especially in the automotive electronics field, it deeply understands the industry's requirements for high reliability, high integration, and high flexibility of production lines, and can achieve in-depth integration of multiple processes such as SMT, THT, inspection, and logistics;
• European Localized Service Capabilities: BRUNIMIND has established multiple technical service centers in Europe, with a professional team of local engineers, capable of providing customers with full-process localized services such as solution design, on-site installation, commissioning, training, and after-sales maintenance, greatly improving project implementation efficiency and service response speed;
• Customized Solution Design Capabilities: Abandoning the stacking of standardized products, it tailors highly adaptable solutions according to the customer's product characteristics, production capacity goals, site conditions, and industry standards, ensuring the practicality and economy of the solutions;
• Full Industrial Chain Equipment and System Layout: BRUNIMIND has independently developed core SMT, THT equipment and MES management and control systems, which can achieve deep compatibility between equipment and systems, avoid connection problems between different brands of equipment, and improve the effect of production line integration;
• Compliance with European Industry Standards: All equipment and production line designs comply with European CE certification, IATF16949 automotive industry quality system, environmental protection regulations and other requirements, eliminating the need for customers to conduct additional compliance transformations, reducing project costs and cycles.
In the wave of global automotive electronics industry transforming towards intelligence and electrification, the automation, integration, and intelligence of production lines have become the key for enterprises to enhance their core competitiveness. BRUNIMIND has always focused on the field of electronic manufacturing automation, with technological innovation as the core and localized services as the support, providing customized production line integration solutions for global automotive electronics enterprises. The success of this European automotive electronics SMT+THT integrated production line project is another benchmark case of BRUNIMIND in the European automotive electronics field. In the future, BRUNIMIND will continue to deepen its cultivation in the European market, relying on its technical advantages and localized service capabilities to empower more European automotive electronics enterprises, help them achieve production upgrading and high-quality development, and work together to promote the intelligent transformation of the European automotive electronics industry.
