Issue Number 47 February 1999
SMT Academy brings HMLV Experts to Australia
The world is evolving toward high-mix, low-volume manufacturing (HMLV) as customers become more and more discriminating. Those that fail to respond to this competitive reality will cease to exist. Manufacturers in Australia are no strangers to HMLV. Recognising this the SMCBA invited acknowledged HMLV expert Michael Mahoney to be part of the 1999 Australasian SMT Academy and we are delighted to announce that Mr Mahoney will present at the Academy together with his business partner Mr Rich Kopcho.
Effective strategic manufacturing planning is critical to attaining excellence in customer order service. By coupling the business plan and sales forecast with the master production schedule, a manufacturer can attain a competitive advantage in cost, quality, delivery, and responsiveness performance. Sound strategic manufacturing planning will ensure that the value delivery chain is in alignment with the overall goals of the company established at the highest level of a manufacturing organization.
An innovative approach to strategic manufacturing planning will be presented. This approach can ensure the achievement of all customer value propositions and align a manufacturing organisation with its business objectives. Additionally, Multiple Constraint Synchronisation (MCSä) will be presented and shown to provide the critical linkage between strategic planning and tactical planning As an added bonus, the 21st century Holonic manufacturing paradigm will be presented.
Complete details on the HMLV Tutorial to be presented at the SMT Academy will be published in the Academy program and are already posted on the SMCBA website at www.smcba.asn.au (Programs page).
>br>If you haven't received an Academy program please contact us on (03) 9568 0599. SMT Academy Dates:
The HMLV tutorial will be held on the first day of the Academy, the second day will comprise two half day presentations - in the morning Allen Chia, Emmerson & Cuming will present a session on electronic polymers from surface mount adhesives through to conductors. The afternoon will address "best manufacturing practices" for implementing BGA components in manufacturing and the rework processes for these components. This presentation by Terry Clitheroe will be of benefit to technical, manufacturing and development personnel as well as trainers and quality supervisors involved with electronic assembly manufacturing responsibilities. The session will conclude with practical/hands on demonstrations.
Coming Events - Click Updates button
IPC NEW RELEASES: Journal of SMT
Melbourne - April 12 & 13
Sydney - April 15 & 16
Christchurch - April 20 & 21
IPC-2223 Sectional Standard for Flexible Boards and IPC-2225 Sectional Design Standard for Organic Multichip Modules (MCM-L) and MCM-L Assemblies are now available - contact our office on (03) 9568 0599, fax (03) 9568 0622 or email to pollocka@smcba.asn.au for pricing.
The Journal of Surface Mount Technology is produced by the SMTA and as the International Affiliate of the SMTA in this region, the SMCBA is able to provide copies of the papers appearing in the Journal to SMCBA members. Industry experts comprise the journal review committee and two people well known to our industry are involved - Chuck Bauer (TechLead) is the Publisher and Rich Freiberger (GSS Array Technology) is the Editor. Articles published recently in the Journal are:
Volume 11, Issue 4:
If you are interested in obtaining any of these papers please send the details to our fax at (03) 9568 0622 or by email to pollocka@smcba.asn.au Please quote issue number and title of the paper/s.
Benefits of Computer Based Training
- David Muscat, A.D.Technological
One of the angsts in our Industry is the ability to train personnel with out loosing valuable productive time from the production line or the office. After working with many differing companies in producing process engineering and product introduction, it is clear we need better ways of training staff. After many tried methods one we have found to work effectively is Computer Based Training.
Why should one consider using such training Techniques? What we have found is that Computer Based Training is easy to administer and multi media CBT programs are easy to set up and maintain, reducing the time administrators have to spend on scheduling, registration, and record keeping. These courses come on CD-ROM for use on PC or Macintosh systems and usually include an Instructor's Guide, with installation and instruction notes, as well as a participant's guide and reference materials.
This provides the exact material required for the structured training session and little effort in preparation by the course giver. These systems are easy-to-schedule providing flexible training solutions that can accommodate the varying needs of production schedules, shifts and locations. With programs instantly available, courses can be scheduled to take advantage of the downtime or slow periods, and new hires can be brought up to speed quickly with minimal supervision. Course material can be completed in a few short sessions, reducing time away from the line and the need for temporary backup.CBT has easy to use programs, which are designed to ensure effective learning, with quality graphics, animation, audio and video that engage the learner's attention. The high level of interaction keeps participants involved in the learning process, while the system monitors and records their progress. Employees enjoy learning at their own pace and take satisfaction from the reduced training time and evidence of personal progress. One thing CBT packages offer are Superior Instructional Design that have user friendly controls which are structured to ensure that training takes place, and offer the flexible routing that adult learners prefer. They have comprehensive, randomised, criterion referenced testing and are keyed directly to the course objectives. Multiple testing techniques including graphic matching, graphic performance tasks, numeric or text response can help to identify areas where additional work may be required. A benefit of this method of training is CBT's Convenient Modular Approach. Course material and qualification testing are organised on a module by module basis. When weaknesses are identified by the program, rectification requires restudy of only the material in the areas specified. Another added benefit is it provides ISO 9000 compliance.
The growing emphasis on international quality standards is making ISO 9000 certification a requirement for doing business. CBT programs are designed to assist companies to comply with the training requirements of the ISO 9000 certification.
Ed: Thanks to David for providing this food for thought. An obvious example of this type of training in the electronics industry is operator training incorporating references to the relevant industry standards and there many other applications. There are a number of suppliers of CBT and CML (Computer Managed Learning) materials including IPC (contact the SMCBA), Learnsoft (contact AD Technological), Microcraft (Melbourne) and Datatask (also in Melbourne).
