Maintenance technicians calibrate and maintain all duplicate equipment to the same standards so that when the recipe for a particular board is called up, that board can go to any system with the same results. Consequently, all SMT lines operate consistently, regardless of the product being run, and all reflow ovens produce the same process characteristics, even if the SMT lines consist of different oven models from various manufacturers. Because all production lines are certified to produce Class III products, it is not necessary for the AES to send a work order through a uniquely configured or dedicated line. APM is, by nature, a highly random scheme. The job of the AES is essentially to forecast the work load at a given process point in order to route each job to the next available station.
High speed is dictated by two essential production rules.
Second, no kit is accepted for manufacturing until complete. In the model system, every employee is assigned to a team of three to seven operators responsible for one function only. For example, a loading team works exclusively at loading circuit cards and is responsible for error-free loading procedures. The SMT team is responsible for line work load and quality. Hand-solder teams must be highly skilled in all aspects of their job.