Seasonic claims to be the first company to first rent, then invest in auto-insertion SMT machines to automate the process of small component placement. Throughout the entire process each component: be it a small diode or large cable is always double attached with either glue and solder or a clip and solder. In the case of tiny SMDs, everything gets stuck down with glue at this point.
At the end of the run the PCBs are not stacked one atop of each other, they are placed end on with a specific degree of separation so one does not scratch/pull components off another in transit to manual insertion.
Up in manual insertion, the work gets separated between the men and women depending on the thickness of wiring: for example coils get inserted by guys because their fingers are stronger, but women with more delicate and thinner fingers are better at doing the finer work.
Each line worker also gets a chart to keep track of how well they’ve been doing in the last month: with green for good days and red for bad. This helps track consistent errors noted down the line and if necessary means moving someone to a different job if they are consistently making mistakes.
SMT machines for the first, smaller components. Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Inside the SMT machine and instructions to show how the components should line up on the PCB. In the right picture the guy in the little perspex box is sealed in not because they don't like him, but because he's manually clipping off all the legs post solder - this stops them going everywhere, contaminating the line.
PCB inspections. Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Instructions are given to the employees on how the solder joints and placements for components should look, as a reference. Note the solder must go right through to both sides to provide support - Seasonic explained this is crucial because the PCB could be orientated in many ways within a case, applying gravitational pressure from multiple directions.
Click to enlarge
Even though Seasonic does make its own coils for certain hardware (for mostly in-house only use), it buys them in to use in its hardware because it's easier/quicker to quality check.
At the end of the run the PCBs are not stacked one atop of each other, they are placed end on with a specific degree of separation so one does not scratch/pull components off another in transit to manual insertion.
Up in manual insertion, the work gets separated between the men and women depending on the thickness of wiring: for example coils get inserted by guys because their fingers are stronger, but women with more delicate and thinner fingers are better at doing the finer work.
Each line worker also gets a chart to keep track of how well they’ve been doing in the last month: with green for good days and red for bad. This helps track consistent errors noted down the line and if necessary means moving someone to a different job if they are consistently making mistakes.
SMT machines for the first, smaller components. Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Inside the SMT machine and instructions to show how the components should line up on the PCB. In the right picture the guy in the little perspex box is sealed in not because they don't like him, but because he's manually clipping off all the legs post solder - this stops them going everywhere, contaminating the line.
PCB inspections. Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Instructions are given to the employees on how the solder joints and placements for components should look, as a reference. Note the solder must go right through to both sides to provide support - Seasonic explained this is crucial because the PCB could be orientated in many ways within a case, applying gravitational pressure from multiple directions.
Click to enlarge
Even though Seasonic does make its own coils for certain hardware (for mostly in-house only use), it buys them in to use in its hardware because it's easier/quicker to quality check.
MSI MPG Velox 100R Chassis Review
October 14 2021 | 15:04
Want to comment? Please log in.