The new machines will upgrade five surface assembly lines at Pektron's operations center, increasing overall placement capacity and adding support for the latest component types. Their arrival expands the long-standing collaboration between Yamaha and Pektron, which currently operates a fleet of Yamaha Sigma G5 and G5s assembly machines.
Ian Harpham, manufacturing director at Pektron, says: “Our customers are at the forefront of highly competitive markets, including electric vehicles, security, off-highway, construction, and consumer electronics. Investing in the YRM20 machines strengthens our ability to deliver industry-leading electronic design and manufacturing services, and working with Yamaha will allow us to accelerate our growth in these areas.”
The Yamaha YRM20 is available in 1- and 2-beam configurations. Optional placement heads include the general-purpose RM rotary head, which increases productivity by handling component sizes from 0.201 to 12mm x 12mm. It places components at speeds of up to 115,000 components per hour (cph) when combined with the new high-speed feeder. Other advanced features include component recognition cameras with flexible imaging modes and low-impact nozzles that can mount ultra-small components in confined spaces.
Pektron selected the YRM20 as the natural successor to the Sigma G5, as explained by John Smedley, Pektron's maintenance manager. “Since installing our first G5 assemblers, we have experienced near-flawless performance that meets our medium-volume, high-mix production requirements. Now they are nearing the end of their service life, and we are saddened to see them go. We will continue to use subsequent G5 machines and are excited to begin the next chapter of our relationship with Yamaha by introducing the advanced YRM20 to our surface assembly lines.”
Yamaha will install the 15 YRM20 assemblers during the remainder of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. Pierre Williams, Yamaha Area Sales Manager, says: “Pektron is committed to extending the successful collaboration between our companies. We look forward to continuing our support and helping the team maximize the return on their investment in our latest technology.”
Riccardo Fiocchi, Yamaha Key Account Manager, adds: “By moving from the tried and tested G5 to our YRM20, Pektron can leverage the best technologies from the previous Sigma and YSM platforms, now updated to deliver industry-leading capabilities.”
The YRM20 leverages the overrunning motion principle of the Sigma G5 platform, managing the positional control of both printheads in a dual-head configuration to maximize productivity. In addition, the YRM20 features new tray feeders that simplify filling and enable uninterrupted production. It can handle boards up to 810 mm in length, allowing for the filling of specialized boards, including large LED arrays. It also boasts a new, state-of-the-art graphical user interface (GUI) that simplifies setup and operation, automatic component height teaching, automatic component data creation, and high-speed intelligent recognition that quickly generates data for any custom component.
In addition to offering advanced built-in features, the YRM20 is compatible with Yamaha's new YSUP smart factory software applications. Beyond tools for planning and scheduling, intelligent setup and material control, there are packages for data connectivity with AI vision support, advanced machine-to-machine (M2M) collaboration, and a graphical dashboard with live performance and production analytics.
