High-volume surface mount technology (SMT) manufacturing requires placement platforms that combine high placement speed with long-term mechanical stability and low-latency digital control. In demanding applications such as AI server manufacturing, where massive processor Ball Grid Arrays (BGAs) and heavy boards present severe coplanarity and force requirements, equipment longevity relies on rigid frames, high-force placement heads, and real-time optical sensing. By connecting expandable machine architectures with closed-loop predictive maintenance, AI-assisted service interfaces, and high-bandwidth optical data transfer, electronics manufacturers can extend Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) while lowering Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
These hardware innovations, software platforms, and long-term investment protection strategies are detailed in an executive interview with Bernhard Fritz, Head of Global Marketing at ASMPT SMT Solutions.
How do you design your solutions to deliver reliable performance over the long term, particularly in demanding industrial environments?
Bernhard Fritz: Long-term reliability starts with the architecture of our solutions. Our machines are designed for continuous industrial operation, combining robust mechanics, precise drive and control systems, and comprehensive process control. We also design hardware and software to work together from the start. Our machines must not only perform reliably for many years, but also adapt to new products, processes, and automation requirements. That is why we rely on high-performance, expandable platforms. For us, being “Future Ready” means reliable performance today and the technological openness to meet tomorrow’s requirements.
What are the key factors that determine the durability and service life of your products or solutions?
B.F: Technical longevity is built on robust design, high-quality components, and a consistent focus on high availability. But for us, long-term value goes beyond that. Products and technologies evolve extremely quickly, especially in electronics manufacturing, so a machine must be able to keep pace with changing requirements. Expandable hardware, software upgrades, and new functions help keep a platform technologically relevant. One example is our optional 3D Coplan Module, which is used today in demanding AI server applications to inspect the coplanarity of large processor BGAs in our SIPLACE placement machines, helping to ensure high process quality.
How do you ensure that your solutions can withstand challenging operating conditions such as heavy loads, continuous operation, temperature variations or other demanding factors?
B.F:We design our solutions to withstand the demanding conditions of industrial high-volume production by viewing mechanics, drive systems, control systems and metrology as one integrated system. The new SIPLACE V platform is a good example, delivering up to 30% higher performance under real production conditions. Its new, particularly rigid machine frame enables accelerations of up to 6G while providing the stability required for high precision. For exceptional requirements, we offer specialized solutions such as heavy-duty conveyors, Smart Pin Support for the automatic pin support of large, heavy, and thick PCBs, and the Placement Head TWIN VHF (Very High Force) for placing components measuring up to 175 × 175 mm and weighing up to 650 g. These solutions enable reliable handling and placement of even odd-shaped components (OSCs) as well as large and heavy processor BGAs.
How do your engineering and development processes contribute to improving the long-term reliability of your solutions?
B.F: Our development work is deliberately focused not only on today’s requirements. Innovation and investment protection go hand in hand. The new SIPLACE V platform is a good example. Its modular design supports different machine variants and future extensions. At the same time, Gigabit Ethernet and Free Space Optics provide a new communication architecture with high data rates and low-latency communication. This creates capacity for additional sensors, process controls, data-driven applications, and AI. Compatibility is equally important: existing SIPLACE X feeders as well as established software and line concepts can continue to be used.
What role do material selection, component quality and manufacturing standards play in ensuring durability?
B.F: Material selection and component quality are, of course, essential to the durability and reliability of our solutions, and we place great emphasis on both. We work with long-established supply chains and carefully selected and qualified partners, while maintaining consistently high quality and manufacturing standards. Our global engineering and manufacturing network brings together the expertise and capabilities of different locations, strengthens the resilience of our operations, and makes an important contribution to the quality and long-term reliability of our systems.
How do you approach maintenance and serviceability to help customers extend the operational life of your solutions?
B.F: One important approach for us is the intelligent integration of hardware, software, and data. With our Factory Equipment Center, we monitor the condition of key components such as placement heads, feeders, and nozzles as part of a closed-loop maintenance concept. This enables more targeted and, in some cases, predictive maintenance. Our AI-based Virtual Assist supports service and maintenance by providing technical knowledge through a conversational interface and can, for example, suggest suitable spare parts based on a photo of a component removed from the machine. The ASMPT SMT Customer Portal brings together key digital services in one place – from technical documentation and spare parts ordering to repair and license management, as well as training offered by the ASMPT Academy.
How do you balance initial investment with long-term value, reliability and total cost of ownership for your customers?
B.F: When evaluating Total Cost of Ownership, the purchase price is only part of the equation – what matters is how productively and cost-effectively a machine performs throughout its lifecycle. That is why we focus on five key KPIs: Quality, Real Speed, Flexibility, Availability, and Ease of Use, which directly impact OEE, operating costs, and return on investment. SIPLACE placement machines are designed to perform strongly across all five areas, combining high real performance, comprehensive process control, flexibility and availability, and low operator and maintenance effort. Durable, compatible, and expandable machine concepts further extend the economic life of an investment. The result is high OEE, low TCO, and long-term investment protection.
What technologies or innovations are you implementing to improve the durability, reliability or lifecycle performance of your solutions?
B.F: A key development is the increasingly close integration of hardware, software, and data. Our machines feature extensive sensor technology and integrated process controls. With the WORKS Software Suite and our Factory Solutions, we increasingly connect these machines with higher-level planning, production, and material flow processes. Data analytics and AI make it possible to identify correlations in the resulting data, determine the causes of process deviations, and derive concrete optimization measures. The next step is clear: moving from data collection to intelligent and increasingly automated optimization of manufacturing processes.
How do you gather feedback from customers and real-world applications to continuously improve the long-term performance of your products?
B.F: Close customer collaboration is a key part of our product development, with real-world feedback continuously feeding into our hardware and software solutions. Our global sales and service network keeps us close to customers and their production requirements. At our SMT Centers of Competence worldwide, customers and ASMPT specialists develop and test solutions for specific manufacturing challenges. New developments are also validated and further optimized with customers in field tests under real production conditions. We also maintain a close dialogue with the industry at numerous events worldwide.
Can you share an example of how one of your solutions has delivered long-term value or reliability in a particularly demanding industrial application?
B.F: The SIPLACE SX is a very good example. The platform has been on the market since 2009 and is now being used for applications that could hardly have been anticipated at the time. With additional inspection capabilities and special nozzles, it can now reliably handle large AI server boards and processor BGAs measuring up to 150 × 150 mm and weighing more than 500 g. This demonstrates the value of a well-designed platform concept: Being Future Ready does not mean predicting every future application. It means creating an architecture that can evolve with new requirements.
ASMPT GmbH & Co. KG
Rupert-Mayer-Strasse 48
81379 Munich
Germany
+49 89 20800-22000
