Liebherr Elektronik GmbH, a maker of control modules and power electronics for industrial, rail and aerospace applications based in Lindau, Germany, has upgraded its SMT production with help from the experts at ASM Assembly Systems GmbH  Co. KG (formerly SIPLACE Electronic Assembly Systems GmbH  Co. KG). Thanks to the successful implementation of SIPLACE LES (Line Execution System) and the totally paperless management of all setup-related procedures, Liebherr Elektronik is now able to execute the changeovers for even the smallest lot sizes without costly production interruptions. By converting to non-stop setup processes with SIPLACE LES, Liebherr Elektronik significantly improved the capacity utilization, productivity and flexibility of its electronics production. Peter Horatschek, head of operations scheduling at Liebherr Elektronik, confirms: ?deg;Nowadays there is very little to differentiate between the various placement machines from the leading vendors and hence, the choice is difficult. However, what makes the selection more critical, is choosing the right technology partner in terms of software and process competencies. The success of SIPLACE LES demonstrates to us that integrating and optimizing the entire workflow with the help of good software can produce huge efficiency improvements for manufacturers.?plusmn;  With SIPLACE LES, Liebherr Elektronik employs the most modern and comprehensive software currently available for controlling setup procedures in SMT production. By letting SIPLACE LES control and coordinate all setup-related processes in production scheduling, the component warehouse, the pre-setup area and on the SMT line itself, Liebherr Elektronik is able for the first time to implement non-stop setup changeovers even for the fastest sequences of small lots. This capability in turn provides the company, whose customers in the manufacturing, rail and aerospace industries increasingly count on highly flexible suppliers, with a significant competitive advantage, because it enables it to maximize the utilization of its placement machines and reduce its production costs.   Integrated solution uml;C complete workflow With SIPLACE LES, Liebherr Elektronik has implemented a seamlessly integrated solution for the flexible and highly efficient production of small lot sizes. SIPLACE LES even handles sequencing production jobs on the basis of volume and deadline information imported from the ERP system. Another interface links SIPLACE LES with the inventory management system of Liebherr?ˉs component warehouse. Only jobs with confirmed material availability make it to the production stage. SIPLACE LES also optimizes the production workflow. LES monitors inform the warehouse staff early on what materials must be prepared by what time for upcoming production jobs. From the warehouse, the components move to the Active Feeder Pool, a pre-setup area which was newly created for the LES workflow. Here, the operators set up the materials uml;C again guided by special LES monitors uml;C on component carts in fixed docking stations. By scanning component reels and feeder IDs they make sure that everything is in the right place.  Floating setup and intelligent SIPLACE X-feeders SIPLACE LES reserves its most severe impact for the setup procedures at the line. The line stops which were necessary for traditional setup changeovers have been replaced with the so-called floating setup on-the-fly. The LEDs on the X-feeder modules signal to the staff which feeders can be torn down. The operator removes the appropriate X-feeders without stopping the line and replaces them with feeders from the Active Feeder Pool. Since the feeders register with the machine automatically, they can be installed in any slot. After they have been removed, the feeders are returned to the Active Feeder Pool, where they indicate via their LEDs whether they are still needed for one of the upcoming products and should remain in the pre-setup area or whether they can be torn down completely and the remaining material returned to the warehouse. ?deg;The great benefit of SIPLACE LES is the calmness which it brings to the factory floor. Since the employees in the entire process chain receive all the information they need early on and are guided via monitors and LEDs, there is none of the usual hectic pace during setup changeovers. And since production jobs with similar setups are grouped together, the changeovers require minimum effort and can be executed on-the-fly by replacing a few feeders,?plusmn; reports SMT production manager Peter Reck.  ASM Assembly Systems At the beginning of 2011, the SIPLACE team (formerly Siemens Electronics Assembly Systems) became a business unit of ASM Pacific Technology and operates now as ASM Assembly Systems. With its SIPLACE machines and innovative manufacturing concepts, ASM Assembly Systems GmbH  Co. KG is the world?ˉs leading manufacturer of surface mount technology (SMT) placement machines and solutions. Since its beginnings in 1985, the company has installed almost 25,000 placement machines at over 2,500 customers all over the world. Electronics manufacturers in all industries such as telecommunications, automotive, IT, consumer electronics and automation use and depend on SIPLACE's broad portfolio of solutions and services. For more information about ASM Assembly Systems (SIPLACE), please visit www.siplace.com.  ASM Pacific Technology As a subsidiary of ASM International based in Almere, Netherlands, ASM Pacific Technology (ASMPT), Hong Kong, has developed in only a few years into the world?ˉs leading supplier of chip assembly, bonding and packaging systems and solutions. The ASMPT Group produces and markets machines for front-end and back-end chip assembly and semiconductor packaging. The company has plants in Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Malaysia, and since January 1, 2011 in Germany. ASMPT has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 1989. ASMPT is one of the stocks in the Hang Seng HK MidCap Index under the Hang Seng Composite Index, the Hang Seng Information Technology Industry Index, and the Hang Seng Hong Kong 35 Index. For more information about ASMPT, please visit www.asmpacific.com