Display of flexibility at Apex

At Apex 2005 Universal Instruments will demonstrate the flexibility, scalability and cost of ownership advantages of its AdVantis and GSM Genesis Platform placement machines.

At Apex 2005 Universal Instruments will demonstrate the flexibility, scalability and cost of ownership advantages of the platform concept driving its AdVantis and GSM Genesis Platform placement machines.

Rounding out Universal's portfolio of manufacturing solutions for the Apex exhibition will be the Polaris assembly cell for end-of-line and odd-form assembly, and powerful Dimensions software for machine and line level management.

Optima Plus complete line planning and process support services will also be presented, showing how customers can minimise the risks involved in near and long term capability planning.

The AdVantis and GSM Genesis platforms will be present on Booth 343, with two examples of each allowing visitors to experience the performance of both Lightning and FlexJet head options.

Class-leading performance from Lightning-equipped platforms, with 30-spindles per head and integrated productivity features, delivers placement rates up to 54,000 components per hour spec speed for Genesis, and 30,000 components per hour for AdVantis.

Visitors to the booth can also sample new Dimensions manufacturing management software capabilities, including New Product Introduction (NPI), which streamlines factory floor tasks for prototyping, first article build and high mix specialists.

The Dimensions workstation, demonstrated on the booth, will show how the extreme performance of Universal's flexible platform placement machines combines with powerful software tools to maximise throughput, utilisation and return on investment.

Dimensions is now available in just two combined hardware and software modules, which are easily fitted to the line and are operated via an easy-to-use graphical interface.

The Dimensions Line Programming box includes all the features necessary to quickly generate optimised machine programs.

The Dimensions Line Control box provides tools for managing the line in real-time, including changeover assistance, performance monitoring, feeder management assistance, and onboard error recovery.

With the imperative to automate as many assembly operations as possible, Universal's compact yet scalable Polaris assembly cell is certainly a product of its time.

Incorporating the precision placement expertise built up over generations of SMT placement equipment, combined with standard tool interfaces and a range of advanced handling systems, a single Polaris assembly cell can perform several processes, including pick and place, screw driving and glue dispense, for example.

Capabilities and throughput are therefore easily scalable, simply by adding an extra assembly cell.

Universal's Optima Plus offering, the ultimate full-line solution, will also capture the imagination of assemblers requiring the bandwidth and specialist skills to think strategically while also focusing on immediate goals.

Optima Plus takes the effort and risk out of identifying best in class equipment, assessing capability, compatibility and interoperability.

Using the expertise of Universal's in-house manufacturing specialists, Optima Plus matches individual customer requirements to the best equipment on the market, and is also able to build in flexibility and scalability to adapt to plans for the future.

As ever, the latest Universal platform machines, performance upgrades and productivity tools will not be the only attractions to Universal's booth at Apex 2005, 22nd to 24th February 2005 at Anaheim, California.

Visitors can also relax and enjoy refreshments, meet sales and support contacts, and discuss solutions to next generation challenges with Universal technical specialists who will be present throughout the event.

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