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Software Project Enriches Controls and Culture
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
Applicable Industries
- Electronics
Applicable Functions
- Discrete Manufacturing
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Manufacturing System Automation
Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
SMART Modular Technologies’ 10-year-old memory chip back-end plant in Brazil was stepping up to implement a modern comprehensive manufacturing execution system (MES). The timing was to succeed as a second source for a new product and more to come. As SMART continued its thrust into the mobile market for memory, they recognized that the current controls would no longer suffice. The plant was using an internally-developed WIP tracking system plus Excel and paper. This system did not provide close yield monitoring. SMART could not easily analyze data to prevent defects. Lot traceability was a manual and tedious task, and operators had to choose the right tools and recipe. With new products and more volume, this would not be sufficient. So in 2013, the Atibaia IC facility began looking for a system that would do far more than its current software.
About The Customer
SMART Modular Technologies (SMART) in Atibaia (São Paulo) started out as a memory module maker in 1988 and opened the plant to process, assemble, package and test DRAM ICs early in 2006. Beyond the SMART module company, it has many other global, regional and local Brazilian customers. The facility has clean rooms up to class 10 and introduced die stacking technology in 2009 and flash products in 2010. SMART expanded the Atibaia facility in 2014 after entering the market for mobile device memory chips. The plant makes a mix of sophisticated memory products including: DRAM and LPDRAM, eMCP, eMMC, and microSD.
The Solution
The team identified four systems and evaluated them over the course of eight months. They developed a complete decision matrix that included characteristics about investment, culture and technology. They visited customers of the top suppliers at facilities around the world. Each customer talked about what they are doing with the system; how the supplier helped with their project and the benefits once it was fully live. One supplier was eliminated because the user interface was not friendly. A comparison of the other three led to the selection of an MES supplier that uses Microsoft SQL server platforms, matching SMART’s other systems. They also won on the basis of culture and understanding.
Operational Impact
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