Sunlin 3S MES Digital Transformation

To enable traceability, the most critical requirement at the factory is to collect data accurately in real-time at as many touchpoints as possible. However, with the specific nature of production involving many discrete stages, statistics at each stage caused Sunlin to lose time and waste human resources.

To solve this reality, the 3S MES system allows the factory to record data automatically from start to finish along the value chain, through monitoring and controlling the historical journey of the product: from material receiving and issuing; the production process; packaging & output quality inspection to finished goods warehousing.

At the raw material warehouse, each component reel has its own serial number encoded as a QR Code for management and traceability purposes. When there is a production order, factory workers only need to scan the QR Code on the Packing List to identify the materials to be issued, then put them into the IMT & SMD lines for automatic capacitor insertion, before moving to subsequent stages such as SUSAP, ET, and FT.

To record the serial number of each circuit board running on the line, ITG installed automatic scanning devices combined with OI (Operator Interface) screens at critical checkpoints. This helps Sunlin not to miss any serial numbers, fully recording the production progress and results. For PCBs that meet standards, personnel will record them on the OI screen to move to the next line.

Not only for circuit boards, but covers are also encoded with QR Codes and record real-time data throughout the production process, helping factory personnel easily grasp information about which circuit board and cover have been assembled together.

Being able to access all data and understand the overall production history of each product helps Sunlin quickly and accurately identify arising problems, instead of making vague judgments as before.

When an error occurs, factory personnel only need to scan the QR Code on the product, and all data recorded at each stage is synthesized into an information map/digital map. This helps workers oversee the entire internal value chain regarding: Input materials, quantity, material codes, suppliers; the stages the circuit board passed through, the person in charge, specific time; and the cover serial number assembled with the circuit board…

With this data, personnel can analyze root causes and isolate areas to reduce defect rates, optimize costs, and create conditions for the enterprise to continuously improve to meet the stringent requirements set by strategic partners, thereby increasing competitive advantage in the high-quality product arena.

Particularly, the ability to gather and display a large amount of information immediately throughout the development lifecycle, from origin to deployment, helps Sunlin foresee potential issues and quickly resolve them before they have a chance to turn into serious incidents.

Not only helping with traceability, the deployment of 3S MES also supports the standardization of operational processes at the factory, shaping how resources are used and interact with each other.

With the specific nature of diverse input materials and automated production lines, ITG helped Sunlin integrate the material allocation feature to the correct machine positions. Specifically, components are encoded according to their positions on each feeder, arranged in order, ensuring the machine picks the right component and attaches it to the correct position on the circuit board. This is a key factor helping Sunlin optimize labor costs and produce high-quality products.

Besides, the MES system is also connected to Sunlin’s ICT/FCT quality inspection systems, helping to collect this data in real-time to upload to a common database. From there, not only Sunlin but also its partners can easily perceive and evaluate product quality.

In addition, the “visualization” feature in the form of charts or dashboard reports via a central control panel also plays an important role in helping workers and management departments quickly grasp information at the production site.

In the data-driven era, “seeing through” production activities is the key for the factory personnel team, from management to execution levels, to have more dimensions of information to improve productivity and make strategic improvement decisions.