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Electronics Manufacturing Automation: The Top 3 Revolutionary Applications

Automation has been rapidly transforming the manufacturing industry for decades. And with the global industrial automation market expected to value at $265 billion by 2025, it’s clearly an investment that’s paying off.

From robot coworkers to electronics components that are nearly invisible to the naked eye, today’s manufacturing landscape is more fantastical than we could have imagined even 20 years ago. And within electronics manufacturing, automation has the potential to continue this trend: radically streamlining the way companies design, produce, and inspect their goods.

Below, we’ll dive into detail on three of the most exciting areas where electronics manufacturing automation (EMA) is revolutionizing the electronics manufacturing industry.

Industry 4.0 and IoT 

Electronics and connectivity are tightly intertwined. Not only do sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT) play an integral role in commercial and industrial electronics, but they’re also essential in their creation. Easy visibility into processes like miniature welding or 3D printing ensure even the most complex assemblies maintain your company’s quality standards.

Electronics manufacturing automation in manufacturing situations is all about management. From temperature maintenance to vision system checks, automated systems help eliminate human error and decrease material waste. Automation also plays a vital role in predictive maintenance. When your workers are alerted to problems before they snowball, your machinery spends less time being repaired and more time hard at work. Considering the average manufacturer loses $22,000 a minute when the line stops, that’s quite a worthy investment.

Collaborative robots

Collaborative industrial robots (Cobots) are relatively new additions to automation solutions, but they’re quickly becoming one of the most valuable components of electronics manufacturing. Unlike stand-alone robots, Cobots work alongside human workers to speed up specific processes like heavy lifting and repetitive motions. By minimizing the physical impact on plant workers, Cobots protect your workforce, reducing burnout and injury.

Additionally, Cobots represent a unique automation niche. In a world where many fear job replacement by robotics, Cobots prolong worker life and maintain worker numbers by being a coworker themselves. Human dexterity and analysis are still vital to manufacturing, especially in detailed operations like electronics. Cobots don’t replace those skill sets—they simply make the work safer. 

Small parts machinery 

The electronics industry has been trending towards miniaturization for a long time. As companies race to create smaller devices with greater capabilities, the pressure on manufacturers only increases. Certain modern electronics measure only twice the width of a human hair, meaning they’ve become impossible for the human eye to create and inspect. Manufacturers must incorporate automated systems into their electronics production to create these components and stay competitive.

Electronics manufacturing automation systems are what allow for the production and manipulation of these microscopic parts, enabling the creation of things like 0.2mm batteries and miniature circuit boards. Without EMA, much of the modern electronics manufacturing market wouldn’t be possible.

Scale to the Top of Your Industry With Summit

No matter which electronics you work with, electronics manufacturing automation can make your manufacturing process significantly more accurate, rapid, and competitive. Automated assistance in any field improves work quality and productivity, but in electronics, it goes even further. As electronic products and processes become more and more delicate, automated robotics and small-parts handling pieces give your company the freedom to expand into the future while protecting your tech and worker investments.

As one of the leaders in electronic manufacturing automation, Summit Engineered Automation is highly qualified to help you incorporate EMA successfully into both new and existing systems. Learn more about our electronics manufacturing automation and sign up for a free consultation today.