NEWS
Siemens & Cogiscan begin a long-term technology alliance.
29 May 2006
Cogiscan, Bromont (Quebec), Canada – Cogiscan is pleased to announce the beginning of a long-term technology alliance between Cogiscan and Siemens. This collaboration includes joint product development and marketing of Cogiscan Smart Material Control solutions embedded in SIPLACE equipment and software systems.

By combining the superior Cogiscan Smart Material Control technology with their existing products, Siemens will expand their global offering to include complete tracking, traceability and control of all materials on and off the assembly line.

The first joint product resulting from this collaboration is a series of RFID smart feeder retrofit kits for all models of SIPLACE tape feeders and placement machines. This simple and low cost upgrade can be integrated with any SIPLACE software application, including Set-Up Center and Maintenance Manager. This system can also be integrated with third-party application software if required.

The smart feeder retrofit system eliminates the human intervention associated with barcode scanning of the feeders and feeder locations. It provides the same level of intelligence as the most recent X-series tape feeder for any type and vintage of SIPLACE equipment. This system enables real-time inventory of components and feeders on and off the placement machine, including changeover tables and feeder storage carts as well as set-up validation online and offline, component traceability, feeder maintenance, etc.

The return on investment for this option is very short based on the reduction in machine set-up time when compared to alternative solutions using manual or semi-automated barcode verification. The quality of the finished product is also increased by the elimination of opportunities for human errors.

The cooperation will develop further joint products in the field of material management, as these will become critical success factors for electronics manufacturers.

Francois Monette, Vice-President Sales and Marketing for Cogiscan:
“This new partnership is very significant for Cogiscan. Siemens is widely recognized as a market and technology leader in our industry and beyond. The fact that their product development roadmap included Cogiscan Smart Material Control technology represents an important milestone in setting a global industry standard for material tracking and control.”

The Cogiscan RFID Smart Feeder technology will be demonstrated in the Siemens booth #7-506 at the SMT Exhibition in Nuremberg from May 30 to June 1st 2006.