Global Renowned Precision Manufacturer Improves Product Quality with HOP AI Poka-Yoke
BACKGROUND
With over 25 years of experience in semiconductor precision manufacturing, this global leader of precision machining in critical components such as reticle box, wafer handing, substrate shipping box, is now adapting AI vision into it’s production quality control protocol.
The manufacturer is committed to incorporating AI Vision into its smart manufacturing initiatives. They have transformed traditional production lines into more efficient, flexible, and intelligent manufacturing systems through significant investments in automation equipment, data analytics tools, and the latest, AI Vision provided via PowerArena’s Human Operation Platform.
PowerArena HOP (human operation platform) essentially boost their reticle pod assembly workstation. Replacing manual inspection, speeding up quality review protocols and automated quality assurance.
AI enhanced quality control protocol. Step 1: SOP optimization.
The engineering department: “[This] blindspots never occur to us when designing the SOP”
Industrial Engineers (IE) have discovered that when the SOP is executed on the production line, there is often a gap between the planned and actual performance. This discrepancy arises from new employees being unfamiliar with the operations and lacking mature skills, as well as seasoned workers having ingrained habits. Even if the IE provides the same SOP, the performance of each operator can vary significantly, leading to inconsistencies in assembly quality and difficulties in management.
Introducing HOP with full AI vision support
Before the project began, PowerArena engaged in multiple discussions with the plant manager and IE engineers to establish a more detailed and comprehensive SOP. Standardizing the operational procedures to train and enhance AI models recognition. Accelerating production by reevaluate the processes from a human factors. The ever much sophisticated work step AI recognition includes recognition of tools that can be difficult to differentiate without a seasoned eye and the regulated placement & distances between them. HOP can also takes operating habits from left-handed and right-handed workers’ operating behavior into consideration.
Is Numeric Production Data Sufficient Enough for IE?
Engineering Department Manager: “Why was it possible before, but not now?”
When provided with only numeric based production data sampling from random work station, it’s almost impossible to make a case to support the legitimacy of a production improvement plan proposed by industrial engineers. Under no improvements in production and the lack of a complete overview of data & video evidence, work station operators will often have to make up more time on producing a product. Bringing down the total production efficiency. This hidden bottleneck creates a vicious circle with a downward spiral of inefficiency.
AI Data + Video: Evidence for Production Line Optimization
HOP solves this with deployed camera at essential workstations to enable real-time AI visual analysis. HOP accurately identifies cycle time (CT) and records all 20 steps of assembling reticle pod covers, collecting production time data continuously. This replaces time-consuming manual measurements, eliminates human errors, and frees up management resources, allowing IE to handle other tasks without being burdened by these essential measurements.
With video records, IE possesses concrete evidence of “Inefficiencies”, invaluable when demonstrating anomalies to line managers, production engineers, or operators. The combination of data and video allows IE to address supervisors’ concerns and justify the need for changes.
During rework or improvement processes, video records ensure progress and effectiveness are traceable, and the causes of anomalies are always identifiable. IE can pinpoint error sources precisely and propose concrete solutions, ensuring the improvement plans are executed effectively.
How to Overcome Old Habits and New Errors?
At this assembly station, managers found that experienced operators tend to rely on old habits, while new employees often make mistakes or forget steps. Variations in manual operations are hard to prevent, but deviating from the SOP can lead to defects.
AI Real-Time Alerts for Immediate Corrections
HOP provides real-time AI alerts to serve as the first line of defense. If an operator pauses too long, an alert sound reminds them, and an anomaly message is sent to managers for immediate attention.
HOP can also filter problematic video clips, reducing the need for manual review of extensive production footage, saving valuable time. By marking problem areas with AI alerts, IE can easily trace and understand the root causes of errors, allowing them to focus on addressing the underlying issues leading to anomalies.
High Costs of Operator Training and Allocation?
Operators at this station sometimes need to temporarily support other production lines. When they return, they may forget previous steps. The time spent re-learning becomes a hidden cost, slowing overall production efficiency.
Digital Prompts for Enhanced Operations
If operators forget the steps after pausing, they can check a nearby screen with HOP’s digital prompts to confirm the next action, ensuring correct continuation of assembly.
If the station’s monthly output increases and operators from other lines are brought in to help, the digital SOP aids in quickly familiarizing them with assembly tasks.
This is especially useful for expanding new lines and training new employees. Previously, assembly training took about half a day. With HOP’s assistance, training time can be reduced to under two hours, allowing new employees to integrate into the production line faster, improving overall quality and efficiency.
Results
19% Increase in UPH
In just six months, the average assembly cycle time (CT) at this station cut down from 3.5 minutes to 2.8 minutes, shaving almost 20% of the overall work time. Therefore increasing the UPH by 19%.
AI data-driven process optimization helped achieve this efficiency boost. HOP collected and analyzed extensive operation times, integrating key production metrics such as product serial numbers, machine numbers, OK/NG status, errors and reasons. This aids managers in planning and decision-making. Additionally, AI-tagged problem videos help accurately identify bottlenecks, improving employee training and issue resolution, thereby increasing UPH.
Maintaining a Yield Rate of 95% and First Pass Yield of 97.6%
For precision manufacturing industries that demand high-quality standards, maintaining yield rates is challenging due to complex processes and delicate craftsmanship. Even minor defects can render a product non-compliant, with little room for error. Any lapse in detail control can affect brand reputation.
With HOP, confidence and ease in maintaining yield rates significantly increase for line managers. Quality control manpower is released, allowing time to be spent on more valuable strategic planning. This station consistently maintains a yield rate of 95% and a first pass rate of 97.6%. Assembly errors, such as missing parts, are virtually eliminated. AI vision assists in monitoring the production line 24/7, instantly alerting anomalies and providing real-time access to images and messages, enabling managers to understand production status, correct errors promptly, reduce rework and waste, and optimize work without being restricted by data gaps. They can focus on anomaly resolution without worries, letting IE optimize work seamlessly.
Fully visualizing the production line paves the way for complete automation and expansion.
The factory is transitioning towards fully automated production. Machines handle tasks such as cleaning, packaging, and measurement, but assembly, relying on precision and flexibility, still requires manpower. HOP provides detailed insight into assembly stations, serving as a crucial tool before full automation. It helps managers better understand production conditions.
After creating a model production line with HOP, manufacturers can swiftly replicate standardized production environments. From station spacing to tool placement and facility layout, HOP ensures rapid setup of new production lines in new factories, maintaining portability and seamless production assistance. Even in unalterable environmental differences like ceiling height or lighting color, HOP adapts by incorporating new data and retraining models, further enhancing system adaptability.
Learn More
HOP (Human Operation Platform)
The PowerArena Human Operation Platform (HOP) is an AI-driven intelligent manufacturing solution. It visualizes production operations, providing real-time, transparent production information for labor-intensive lines. HOP features 24/7 image collection, AI visual analysis, and on-demand traceability.
HOP consists of three levels of application: the first level, digital station, integrates diverse sensor data to establish image-based production records; the second level, AI line balancing, analyzes personnel operations, collects production data 24/7, and supports optimization engineering with precise cycle time and root cause analysis; the third level, AI Poka-Yoke, provides real-time checks on SOP, detecting operational behavior during processes to prevent errors and improve yield.
Continuously providing valuable data to optimize production efficiency, HOP strengthens corporate competitiveness, progressively constructing smart factories for manufacturers.
About PowerArena
Leading the global manufacturing industry, PowerArena AI visual system was rated as the most competitive brand in manufacturing computer vision by Frost & Sullivan, one of the world’s largest management consulting firms, in 2022. Three out of the top five EMS (Electronics Manufacturing Services) companies globally have implemented PowerArena AI visual solutions to optimize production efficiency and enhance the value of “personnel” output. Founded by a former senior Google engineer, PowerArena operates service centers in Taiwan, the United States, Mexico, China, Hong Kong, and other locations.
